Learning to Fight
Military Innovation and Change in the British Army, 1914–1918

The first institutional examination of the British army's learning and innovation process during the First World War.

Aimée Fox (Author)

9781316641149, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 September 2019

290 pages, 3 b/w illus. 1 table
22.8 x 15.1 x 1.4 cm, 0.4 kg

'An important read for anyone interested in the Great War, this will also be of value to those trying to understand how military institutions change and adapt.' New York Military Affairs Symposium Review

Learning, innovation and adaptation are not concepts that we necessarily associate with the British army of the First World War. Yet the need to learn from mistakes, to exploit new opportunities and to adapt to complex situations are enduring and timeless. This revealing work is the first institutional examination of the army's process for learning during the First World War. Drawing on organisational learning and management theories, Aimée Fox critiques existing approaches to military learning in wartime. Focused around a series of case studies, the book ranges across multiple operational theatres and positions the army within a broader context in terms of its relationships with allies and civilians to reveal that learning was more complex and thoroughgoing than initially thought. It grapples with the army's failings and shortcomings, explores its successes and acknowledges the inherent difficulties of learning in a desperate and lethally competitive environment.

Introduction
Part I. The Practice of Learning: 1. The legacy of the past
2. A networked army
3. Disseminating learning
Part II. Learning in Practice: 4. Inter-theatre
5. Allies
6. Civilian expertise
7. Integrating newcomers
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Military history [HBW], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], British & Irish history [HBJD1]