British Doctrine in the Great War with Phil Watson

Phil Watson — a British Army veteran and PhD candidate researching BEF doctrine — joins for nearly two hours on one of the most misunderstood aspects of the Great War: whether the British Army had a coherent doctrine, how it evolved under the pressure of industrial warfare, and why the 'lions led by donkeys' narrative misses what was actually happening with decentralised command and initiative. The questions Watson poses to listeners — why chateaus, and whether BEF officers were conditioned against initiative — are exactly the right ones. Superb companion piece to the French Army episode from the same feed this week.

Phil Watson — a British Army veteran and PhD candidate at Wolverhampton researching BEF doctrine — joins for an extended conversation that goes straight at the 'lions led by donkeys' myth. The discussion covers whether the BEF actually had a coherent doctrine, the logic behind château command posts, and the real extent of mission command and decentralised leadership on the Western Front. At nearly two hours, this is serious WWI operational history with exactly the right guest for the subject.