What was the British Army like just before WWI?

Question

Any info on how soldiers were trained and recruited and what it was like to sign up and especially what they did (battles they fought, where they were moved) **months before WWI actually started**. I can find heaps of info about the starting of the war and the opening battles and how recruitment centres were flooded with people etc but nothing about the troops themselves PRE WWI. Like, if someone joined the army months before WWI would they then fight in the first battles of the war? Who fought in the Battle of Mons and how long did the soldiers train for before they fought in Mons/when did they join the army in order to fight in that first battle?

I'm writing my thesis about WWI next year and am struggling to find info about the British army (and Australian army) just before WWI started/was announced. I want to write about a man that joins the army just because he wants to make his father proud and then a month or so later WWI is announced and he suddenly has to fight in some crazy war.

Any info of sources/links you can give would be great. Thanks, heaps!

Natasha · Accepted Answer

From Boer War To World War: Tactical Reforms of the British Army 1902-1914 by Spencer Jones is a good source on the equipment and origination of the British Army leading up to the war as well as why things the way that they were before and why what caused the army to change.

? · Answer

British terrorized the world in constant warfare as it conquered it and formed the British empire along with the Dutch French Russian Spain  and ottoman empire

Ludwig · Answer

There are some good books on the campaign in Sudan,   try 'Khartoum' by Michael Asher.  There is also a book entitled 'Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket' by Richard Holmes, and some good books on the Boer War.

bluebellbkk · Answer

A military thesis does not include stories.

Vinay · Answer

British Army was extremely strong before WWI with largest Naval warfare resources at their disposal.

Tina · Answer

The Anonymous who says:
"One hundred years after the Americans exterminated them in the Revolution, the English  were still running around in red coats getting their heads shot off."
clearly has a very vague idea of history, and doesn't know very much about the US Revolution - he seems to have forgotten about the French, for instance, or the fact that the Brits weren't actually exterminated.
He also knows nothing about the Napoleonic wars (Britain won). Perhaps he should try to forget the cartoon images of red-coats getting their heads shot off and read some grown up history.
But he will not like it very much.
And, Anonymous questioner - asking questions on Yahoo is very far from research. Ask your supervisor if you don't believe me. Plus your protaganist who joins the army to please his father and is surprised, and by the sound of it chagrined to find himself actually having to fight sounds a bit of an idiot. Was that your intention?

Anonymous · Answer

The British army was pathetic pre-WW1. They even had to call up colonial troops for the second Boer war. There's only so much training you can give volunteers and conscripts recruited in a hurry.

garry · Answer

like yours and the germans , badly equiped .

Anonymous · Answer

Try inventing yourself a time machine for the thrill xjqk
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Anonymous · Answer

https://www.nam.ac.uk

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What was the British Army like just before WWI?

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