The Amateur Military Tradition in Britain

Beckett, Ian F. W.

doi:10.1179/072924786799733494

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…137 While the social and occupational basis of volunteer units varied from elite class corps to working-class organizations scarcely more prestigious than the militia, the practical use of volunteering as a means of rising in the social hierarchy had no equivalent in the militia. 138 The use of militia rank as a means of social climbing described earlier in this article could not compare with the volunteer offer of self-improvement in the quintessentially Victorian Samuel Smiles tradition. At best, militia soldiering was a means of escape from a stifling work environment: the miners and iron-founders of the First (South) Durham, for example, considered the annual training a holiday.…”

mentioning

confidence: 87%

Portrayals of the British militia, 1852-1916

Bennett

2018

Hist Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article explores how perceived inefficiencies and inadequacies in the militia were reflected in contemporary works of fiction and satire. The militia's public image was consistently poor: half‐trained battalions, staffed by inefficient senior officers, chronically short of subalterns and recruiting from the very worst elements of the working class. It suffered from the combined flaws of both regulars and volunteers, but was unable to benefit from either the Christian ‘civilizing mission’ of the former or the earnest patriotic enthusiasm of the latter. This negative image contributed to the ease with which the force was abolished after the Boer War.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 87%

Portrayals of the British militia, 1852-1916

Bennett

2018

Hist Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…29 These Roman and neo-Roman conceptions of the militia had a particular appeal in early modern England, which possessed a longstanding 'amateur military tradition'. 30 Localised quasi-feudal systems of military obligation were superseded by the Militia Statutes of 1558, which placed the militias under the control of the Lords Lieutenant in times of national crisis. The militia subsequently grew and control of the institution was a key issue during the Civil War.…”

Section: Matthew Mccormackmentioning

confidence: 99%

The New Militia: War, Politics and Gender in 1750s Britain

McCormack¹

2007

Gender & History

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Given the machismo of Latin American politics and the historical domination of the United States over the region, surprisingly little scholarship on gender and international relations has covered inter-American relations, and even less has explored anti-US resistance. Panama provides a unique case study of a particularly feminised gendered national identity in the face of overwhelming US power. Based on interviews, literature and documents from both countries, this article argues that the sedimentation of a feminised Panama over several decades helped produce the watershed event of the Riots of 1964 in which nationalists unleashed a redemptive violence that aimed not only to change policy but also to subvert their self-image.

show abstract

“…107 Casualty figures for the first UK contingent stood at 3093 (30%), including 216 killed in action, but attrition varied across companies. 108 While the 17th was known as 'the lucky company', the 20th Fife and Forfar Company lost 40.6% of its original force, mostly invalided home through disease. 109 One advantage retained by the Scots in the face of these hardships was a shared military identity.…”

Section: Fighting the Warmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Empire-Enlarging Genius’: Scottish Imperial Yeomanry Volunteers in the Boer War

McFarland¹

2006

War in History

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The article examines Scotland’s engagement with the Boer War, through the medium of Imperial Yeomanry detachments raised locally between 1900 and 1902. Drawing partly on data from surviving attestation forms, a picture is built up of the recruitment profiles, enlistment motivations, and war experiences of these ‘soldier-citizens’. This volunteering phenomenon is placed in the context of the Scottish military tradition and popular empire loyalty. Geographically and socially inclusive, the ‘Scottish Yeomanry’ represented a distinctive presence within the larger UK corps. Its war service captured the popular imagination and helped reconnect public opinion with Scotland’s role in the broader imperial project.

show abstract

The Amateur Military Tradition in Britain

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

Portrayals of the British militia, 1852-1916

Portrayals of the British militia, 1852-1916

The New Militia: War, Politics and Gender in 1750s Britain

‘Empire-Enlarging Genius’: Scottish Imperial Yeomanry Volunteers in the Boer War

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About