War Policy Committee
The War Policy Committee was a small group of British ministers, most of them members of the
The first item on the War Policy Committee's agenda was Field Marshal
On 10 August the War Policy Committee presented its report on war strategy.[11] It concluded that:
- Not much help can be expect from Russia.
- The French armies were in a state of exhaustion.
- Reports of lowered German morale in the latest battle were not true.
- Naval offensive operations must be studied, and the convoy system must improve.
- Heavy casualties in the present battle can't be replaced indefinitely, and the war can't be sustained at its present level of strength through 1918.
- It advocated an offence against Austria, through Italy, as a way of engaging the Italians and of attacking the enemy where he was weakest, not strongest.
The Flanders Offensive, which started on 31 July 1917, ended on 10 November 1917, and proved impossible to stop due to over-optimistic predictions of the generals. One of these was Haig himself, and another was Brigadier-General John Charteris, Haig's intelligence chief, who was replaced in January 1918.[12][13] By the time of the German Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918, five of Haig's closest generals were replaced.[14][15][16]
The Italian loss at the Battle of Caporetto in November 1917 forced the idea of a Supreme War Council to coordinate all allied activities against the Central Powers,[17] and resulted in the war plan for 1918.[18]
Other matters considered by the committee were Lord Curzon's plan for a "Monroe Doctrine for Africa" and Winston Churchill's recommendations for the production of tanks in 1918.[19][20]
References
- UK National Archives, War Cabinet Papers
- Roskill, Stephen, Hankey: Man of Secrets, Vol. I, London: Collins, 1970
- Marlowe, John, Milner: Apostle of Empire, London: Hamish Hamilton, 1976
- Hankey, Maurice, The Supreme Command, 1914-1918, Volume II, London, George Allen, 1961
- Amery, Leopold, The Leo Amery Diaries, Volume I: 1860-1929, London: Hutchinson, 1980
- Keegan, John, The First World War, London: Hutchinson, 1998
- Blake, Robert, The Unknown Prime Minister, London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1955
- Thompson, J. Lee, Forgotten Patriot, Cranbury, NJ: Rosemont, 2007
- Spartacus-Educational.com Link
- Powell, Geoffrey, Plumer, The Soldier's General, London: Cooper, 1990
- Edmonds, Sir James E, History of the Great War, Vol VIII, Military Operations, the March Offensive, 1918, London: MacMillan, 1935
- Wright, Peter, At The Supreme War Council, New York & London: Putnam, 1921
Footnotes
- ^ UK National Archives, War Cabinet Minutes, CAB 23-16, pgs. 13-16 of 93
- ^ Roskill, Stephen, Hankey: Man of Secrets, pgs. 398-399
- ^ Marlowe, John, Milner: Apostle of Empire, pg. 279
- ^ UK National Archives, War Cabinet Minutes, CAB 23-3, pg. 36 of 545
- ^ Hankey, Maurice, The Supreme Command, Vol II, pgs. 670-686
- ^ Amery, Leo, "The Leo Amery Diaries, Volume I: 1860-1929", pg. 161
- ^ UK National Archives, War Cabinet Minutes, CAB 24-4, pg. 200 of 419
- ^ Marlowe, pg. 280
- ^ Keegan, John, "The First World War", pgs. 383-397
- ^ Blake, Robert, The Unknown Prime Minister, pgs. 359-360
- ^ UK National Archives, War Cabinet Minutes, CAB 24-4, pgs. 174 to 214 of 419
- ^ Thompson, J. Lee, Forgotten Patriot, pg. 339
- ^ Spartacus Educational, John Charteris
- ^ Powell, Geoffrey, Plumer, The Soldier's General, pgs. 248-249
- ^ Edmunds, Sir James E, "History of the War, Vol. VIII", pgs. 55-56
- ^ UK National Archives, CAB 23-4, pgs. 454(min 3), 534(min 9) of 579
- ^ UK National Archives, War Cabinet Minutes, CAB 23-4, pgs. 298 & 299 of 579
- ^ Wright, Peter, At The Supreme War Council, pg. 58
- ^ UK National Archives, War Cabinet Minutes, CAB 24-4, pgs. 251-255 of 419
- ^ UK National Archives, War Cabinet Minutes, CAB 24-4, pgs. 416-419 of 419
External links
- Amery, Leopold, The Leo Amery Diaries, Volume I: 1860-1929, London: Hutchinson, 1980 (pgs. 157-161: creation of the committee)
- Neillands, Robin, The Great War Generals on the Western Front, 1914-1918, London: Magpie, 1999 (pgs. 384–407)
- Winter, Denis, Haig's Command: A Reassessment, London: Penguin, 1991 (Curzon Biography)