History Society Guest Lecture Series: Prof Gary Sheffield, "Civilian Leaders for Imperial Armies."
In this talk, Prof Sheffield explores the political implications of the expansion of the British Army's officer corps to include recruits from non-traditional social and racial groups, 1914 - 1945.
The Oxford Brookes History Society Guest Lecture Series is open to everyone with an interest in history. Our series hosts experts from within and outside of the university who deliver papers on their research on a wide variety of historical topics in a relaxed and informal setting. All papers are followed by a question and answers session, and often a trip to the bar afterwards for those who wish to grill the speaker further. On 14th March, Professor Gary Sheffield (King’s College London) will deliver his paper, Civilian Leaders for Imperial Armies: British & Dominion Army Officers in the Two World Wars. In 1914-18 and 1939-18 the armies of Britain and the Empire expanded hugely. The existing officer corps was small, and so armies had to reach beyond the traditional sources to find men to officer these vast new forces. This talk examines where these new temporary officers came from, their training and performance in and out of battle, and the political and social implications of the commissioning of officers from outside the usual social and racial groups.
No need to book, just come along.