Who Knew What and When
Looking back at how the war was conducted the most common view is the politicians and the generals did not understand its nature. However it is clear from cabinet papers that Lloyd George, at least, was well aware of what the future might bring.
As early as January 1915 he warned that the British citizen army** faced slaughter on an industrial scale. He added “after 3 months of the fiercest fighting, involving very heavy losses, the French have not at any point on the line gained even a couple of miles”.
What he was reflecting was that after those three months of bloody warfare the fronts in Belgium and France had settled into complete deadlock. Imagine if you can a continuous line of trench networks stretching from the North Sea to the Swiss frontier. Before you ask, yes the Swiss were neutral they would take anybody’s money and keep it safe. Plus ca change.
Lloyd George prepared a lengthy and detailed memorandum “The War –Suggestions as to the military position”. His main conclusions:
• If the war was to be conducted by charge and counter charge the army would be thrown away and shattered.
• This meant the war would last two, possibly three more years.
• The soldiers involved were no longer the scum from the Victorian slums and prisons who had no roots or family. This army was made up of working men, artisans, farm workers, miners and trades people. He called it a citizen army in whose fate “the people of this country will take an intimate personal interest”.
One last but the most telling quote from his paper. “If this superb army is thrown away on futile enterprises, such as those we have witnessed during the last few weeks, this country will be uncontrollably indignant at the lack of intelligence shown in our plans”
How, we must ask was this so patently ignored? The answer is simple and utterly tragic. Their focus remained on winning the war the idea of a negotiated peace was never taken seriously.
Look out for the February entry for some of the solutions proposed to bring about a more rapid end.
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