Did professionals talk logistics? Officer education at the British Army Staff College, 1903–1914

Abstract

This article examines the education in the fields of supply and transportation provided to officers at the British Army’s Staff College. Drawing upon materials produced by those who taught and studied at the College between the South African War and the First World War, this article argues that the importance of logistical issues to military operations was clearly understood within the British Army, and considerations of supply and transportation matters were key components of the syllabus. However, its success was limited by an inability to correctly anticipate the character of the war that broke out in August 1914.