Robertson, Sir William Robert, 1st Baronet

Robertson, Sir William Robert, 1st Baronet

▪ British field marshal
born Jan. 29, 1860, Welbourn, Lincolnshire, Eng.
died Feb. 12, 1933, London

      field marshal, chief of the British Imperial General Staff during most of World War I, who supported Sir Douglas Haig (Haig, Douglas Haig, 1st Earl, Viscount Dawick, Baron Haig of Bemersyde), the British commander in chief in France, in urging concentration of Britain's manpower and matériel on the Western Front.

      After serving as an enlisted man for 11 years, Robertson was commissioned in 1888. He served in India until 1896 and then became the first officer from the ranks to pass through the Staff College at Camberley, Surrey (1897). During the South African (Boer) War (1899–1902) he was on the intelligence staff. He was appointed commandant of the Staff College (1910) and director of military training (1913) in the War Office. Robertson was widely regarded as “the cleverest man in the army.”

      From the beginning of World War I Robertson was quartermaster general of the British expeditionary force in France. In January 1915 he was appointed chief of staff to Sir John French, and in December of that year he became chief of the Imperial General Staff.

      In this capacity Robertson held most of the powers of the secretary of state for war. The holder of that office in the latter part of 1915, David Lloyd George (Lloyd George, David), disagreed with Robertson and Haig that the war could and should be won in the west and advocated an Allied attack originating in the Middle East. The mutual distrust between the two generals on one side, and their civilian superior on the other, grew after Lloyd George became prime minister in December 1916. Finally, in February 1918, Robertson resigned as chief of the Imperial General Staff and was given a command in England. In 1919–20 he commanded the British army of occupation on the Rhine.

      Robertson was created a baronet in 1919 and a field marshal in 1920. He wrote two books of memoirs, From Private to Field-Marshal (1921) and Soldiers and Statesmen 1914–18, 2 vol. (1926).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sir David Dundas, 1st Baronet — General Sir David Dundas Born 1735 Edinburgh, Kingdom of Great Britain …   Wikipedia

  • Sir John Gladstone, 1st Baronet — (11 December 1764 ndash; 7 December 1851), was a Scottish merchant, Member of Parliament, and the father of the British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. Early life Born in Leith, in Midlothian, Scotland, John Gladstones was the eldest son… …   Wikipedia

  • Sir Louis Spears, 1st Baronet — Major General Sir Edward Louis Spears, 1st Baronet, KBE, CB, MC (7 August 1886 ndash; 27 January 1974) was a British Army officer and Member of Parliament noted for his role as a liaison officer between British and French forces in two world wars …   Wikipedia

  • William Robertson — Infobox Military Person name=Sir William Robertson, Bt lived=29 January 1860 ndash; 12 February 1933 placeofbirth= Welbourn, Lincolnshire placeofdeath= London caption=Field Marshal Sir William Robertson nickname= allegiance=flagicon|United… …   Wikipedia

  • William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham — Infobox Prime Minister | name=The Earl of Chatham order=Prime Minister of Great Britain term start =30 July 1766 term end =14 October 1768 monarch =George III predecessor =The Marquess of Rockingham successor =The Duke of Grafton birth date… …   Wikipedia

  • William — /wil yeuhm/, n. 1. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter W. 2. a male given name: from Germanic words meaning will and helmet. * * * (as used in expressions) Huddie William Ledbetter Aberhart William George William… …   Universalium

  • William Smith — All people who go by Bill, Billy, Willie, William, Will Smith, or any other variation are listed on this page. For the college in Geneva, New York, William Smith College.People* Bill Smith (Edmonton mayor) (born 1935) * Bill Smith (Red Green Show …   Wikipedia

  • Philip Chetwode, 1st Baron Chetwode — The Lord Chetwode Chetwode (foreground) at El Arish, Egypt, January 1917 …   Wikipedia

  • George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston — The Most Honourable The Marquess Curzon of Kedleston KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC Lord Curzon of Kedleston as Viceroy of India …   Wikipedia

  • Lloyd George, David — ▪ prime minister of United Kingdom Introduction also called (1945)  1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor, Viscount Gwynedd of Dwyfor   born Jan. 17, 1863, Manchester died March 26, 1945, Ty newydd, near Llanystumdwy, Caernarvonshire, Wales  British… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”