The British Expeditionary Force, 1939-40

by Smalley, Edward

• ISBN13: 9781137494191
• ISBN10: 1137494190
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2015-05-26
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

The British Expeditionary Force 1939-40 shines a new light on the British Army's campaign in continental Europe between September 1939 and June 1940. Extensive archival research within the essential areas of training, communications, discipline, headquarters and staff reveals how military performance was undermined by a confused mind-set, an uncertain skills-set and an uncompetitive capability. Many of the debilitating flaws in British operating procedure were long-standing, foreseeable and self-inflicted; systems were neither efficient in peacetime nor resilient in wartime. Edward Smalley explores the British Expeditionary Force's origins, the reasons for the catastrophic defeat in France, and the campaign's considerable legacy for the British Army.

Author Biography

Edward Smalley is an independent scholar, who studied history at the University of Kent, UK. His main research interest is British military history, particularly in the inter-war and Second World War period.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Campaign Overview
3. Training
4. Communications: Prelude to Collapse
5. Communications: Collapse
6. Discipline
7. Headquarters and Staff
8. Conclusion