Arming the Western Front : war, business and the state in Britain 1900-1920 / M.J. Lewis and Roger Lloyd-Jones.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lewis, M. J. (Myrddin John), 1957- author.

Lloyd-Jones, Roger, 1944- author.

Series:

Ashgate studies in First World War history

Routledge studies in First World War history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Military-industrial complex--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Military-industrial complex.

World War, 1914-1918--Economic aspects--Great Britain.

World War, 1914-1918.

World War, 1914-1918--Logistics--Great Britain.

Civil-military relations--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Civil-military relations.

Economics.

Logistics.

History.

Great Britain.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

ix, 422 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Abingdon, Oxon ; New York : Routledge, 2016.

Summary:

The First World War is a subject of perennial interest to historians and is often regarded as a watershed event, marking the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the 'modern' industrial world. The sheer scale of the conflict and massive loss of life means that it is constantly being assessed and reassessed to examine its lasting military, political, sociological, industrial, cultural and economic impact. Reflecting the latest international scholarly research, the Routledge Studies in First World War History series provides a unique platform for the publication of monographs and edited volumes on all aspects of the Great War. Whilst the main thrust of the series is on the military aspects of the conflict, other related areas (including cultural, political and social) are also addressed. Books published are aimed primarily at a post-graduate academic audience, furthering exciting recent interpretations of the war, whilst still being accessible enough to appeal to a wider audience of educated lay readers. The First World War was above all a war of logistics. Whilst the conflict will forever be remembered for the mud and slaughter of the Western Front, it was a war won on the factor floor as much as The battlefield. Examining the war from an industrial perspective, Arming the Western Front examines how the British between 1900 and 1920 set about mobilising economic and human resources to meet the challenge of 'industrial war'. Beginning with an assessment of the mo up to war, the book examines Edwardian business-state relations in terms of armament supply. It then outlines events during the first year of the war, taking a critical view of competing constructs of the war and considering how these influenced decision makers in both the private and public domains. This sets the framework for an examination of the response of business firms to the demand fur 'shells more shells', and their varying ability to innovate and manage changing methods of production and organisation. The outcome, a central Theme of the book, was a complex and evolving trade-oft between the quantity and quality' of munitions supply, an issue that became particularly acute during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. This deepened the economic and political tensions between the military, the Ministry of Munitions, and private engineering contractors as the pressure to increase output accelerated markedly in the search for victor on the western front. The Great War created a dual army, one in the field, the other at home producing munitions, and the final section of the book examines the tensions between the two as the country strove for final victory and faced the challenges of the transition to the peacerime economy. Book jacket.

Contents:

Introduction

The road to war: the Edwardian economy, military preparedness, and war planning

The pre-war procurement system: the War Office, the Admiralty, and the private armaments producers

"Business as usual" and the challenges of war

The rise of the engineer's war and the origins of the Ministry of Munitions

The Ministry of Munitions and industrial warfare

Producing for the industrial battlefield: the Ministry of Munitions and the Somme

Oh what a costly war: managing and paying for industrial warfare

Coping with crisis: the war economy in 1917

The intractable problem of manpower: the Western Front and the home front in transition

The transition to a peace economy and the challenge of reconstruction, 1918-1920

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780754666134

0754666131

OCLC:

934277827