Did Kitchener help or hinder the expansion of the army in 1914?

A really interesting article from the Western Front Association regarding Kitchener's role in the expansion of the British Army at the start of WW1.

Was Kitchener the hero who helped raise Britain's New Armies to face the challenge of a continental war, or did he in fact disrupt carefully made plans for the expansion of the army?! Well worth a read as it looks at both the Cardwell and Haldane Reforms as well.

To read the full article click here

WW1 Centenary site from the IWM

http://www.1914.org/

2014 will mark 100 years since the outbreak of WW1. This site has been created by the Imperial War Museum to collated resources and information surrounding that centenary event.

Already it has lots of great WW1 resources, including some excellent podcasts on various aspects of the war.

http://www.1914.org/podcasts/

The British Army - is size important?

Following recent announcements that the size of the British Army is to be cut, this article from the BBC looks at the issues of size for the British Army since its formation in 1649.

Read the full article here... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14218909

National Army Museum website

Some excellent resources and information is available on the National Amy Museum's website

http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/

Some useful links are...

Crimea
Florence Nightingale
Early photography (including Fenton)
Boer War
The Victoria Cross

WW1
Tanks -

Western Front 1918
Finding the Fallen
Specific teacher links for visits and resources - http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/education/secondary13.shtml

Nursing in the Crimea...

.. a recommendation from one of my students whislt comparing the roles of Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale.

Angels and Citizens,  British Women as Military Nurses, 1854-1914 By Anne Summers

Available to read on Google Books - click the title to read the book online. Also looks at the Boer War and WW1 for later parts of the course!

Thanks Isobel!

An introduction to Britain c.1850

Did you know....

... that it was not until 1840 that Britain had a standard time zone. Before that times could vary across the country by as much as 10-15 minutes! Find out all about 'Railway time'

To find out more about life in Britain in 1850 the following site has loads of information on all aspect of Victorian Britain. It has something to interst everyone!

http://www.victorianweb.org/index.html

New book on the Somme battles

Bloody Victory: The Sacrifice on the Somme and the Making of the Twentieth Century

Newly released in paperback, 'Bloody Victory' is getting rave reviews!

"The battle is firmly fixed in the collective British memory as a futile massacre, in spite of a number of efforts to argue that the matter was rather more complex. Dr Philpott’s book is the latest, and perhaps the most ambitious and impressive, attempt to buck this trend... this is an important and powerful book that deserves to be read and its arguments debated. " Dr Gary Sheffield in BBC History Magazine

"Required reading . . . A thoughtful and important book by a first-rate historian . . . It is a proper history of the battle, not simply an agonising account of its first day . . ." Richard Holmes

"A sweeping and authoritative re-examination of the battle . . . Bloody Victory is a magnificent and powerful book, destined to become the standard work on the subject" Christopher Silvester, Daily Express

The review speak for themselves... maybe some useful summer holiday reading?! Click here to buy and read further reviews.

Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig

Another of the more controversal aspect of the First World War - General Douglas Haig, later Field Marshal, Sir Douglas Haig.

Haig commanded the BEF in France and Flanders from 1915 until the end of the war. Even today views of Haig are very divided. Hopefully these links will help your understanding of him.

Haig biography

Interpretations of Haig - a detailed overview

Haig - a source investigation

For an insight into the strength of feeling about Haig, even today, check out these books reviews... (select customer reviews)

Review 1

Review 2

The Battle of the Somme, 1916

1. An excellent and detailed website from the Imperial War Museum about the Battle of the Somme, 1916.
IWM Somme website

2. Also well worth a read are some of the many personal stories from the Somme, including the experiences of JRR Tolkein. IWM Somme personal stories.

3. Check out the video clips on the WW1 'quick links' sections for some very good video clips about the Battle of the Somme.


4. This animated map from the BBC also gives an excellent overview of the Battle.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/animations/wwone_map_somme/index.shtml

Update! New video clips added!

New videos have been added to the 'quick links'. They cover all the main topics. Many are extracts of longer programs which are also available. Hopefully the clips will give you an insight into some of the key themes and will be a change from all that reading!

Enjoy!

Passing of the WW1 Generation

At the 11^th hour, on the 11^th day, of the 11^th month of 1918, the Armistice, that was concluded between Germany and the Allies, and which was to bring to an end the hostilities that had involved millions of people from countries across the world, came into effect. The First World War had lasted four years, four months and 14 days.

To mark the passing of the World War One (WW1) generation that lived during this period, a national event will take place at Westminster Abbey on Remembrance Day, Wednesday 11 November 2009.

This site provides resources to be used for rememberance.

http://www.passingofthegeneration.org.uk/

World War One (Fact Sheet)

Link to a fact sheet based on World War 1 - Ready to open on Publisher whenever you're ready.

However, it's worth joining the website to find out more information

Click here to access the fact file.