Britain's Greatest Military Historian of Our Times

CAPT.B.H. LIDDELL HART

(1895-1970)

Introduction: -

"Britain's greatest military historian of our times"

-F.M. Montgomery

Capt. Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart was a British military theorist, biographer. Historian and one of the most creative influential strategists the of 20th century. He became an early advocate of air power and mechanized tank warfare. His efforts to mechanize the army with tanks and anti-aircraft force were resisted by most professional officer. But his achievement was already secure in a stream of books published during 1925-40. The Germans adopted his "Expanding torrent theory" in evolving 'Blitzkreg' Tactics in 1939-41.

He is known for his famous military theory "Strategy of Indirect Approach" which was aimed at destroying the enemy reducing his means of resistance. Dubious of nuclear deterrence he stressed conventional defense force during the post war years and also opposed the concept of total war and stressed on superseding it by camouflage war and guerrilla warfare. His habit of recording of discussions helped him to write history of world war. His lectures were very popular in Europe, America, Canada, Israel Military Staff College, and many countries war colleges including several civilian universities.

Life history: -

Capt. Liddell Hart was born on 31st.oct.1895 in Paris. He was the son of a Pastor of the English Congregation Church at Paris. His parents were living at Paris. Therefore, the early days of life were spent there. Later on he shifted do England for his studies. He was educated at St. Paul's College and he got his Honors degree in History from Christi College, Cambridge. He left his studies at Cambridge University when World War I broke out in 1914, Liddell Hart got emergency commissioned in the King's own Yorkshire light Infantry in 1915. He served in the world war as a captain of the infantry at Pyres and Somme Battles. Later on he was became adjutant of Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and also worked in the Gloucestershire regiment. He was badly wounded in the battle of Somme. This was the offensive campaign of the Franco-British armies against Germany in 1916. Capt. Liddell Hart was married in 1918 to Jessie Stone and they had a son. He second marriage was with Kathleen Sullivan Nelson in 1942. His house was at Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England.

He has given the concept of "Expanding Torrent Theory" which was later developed as "Blitzkrieg Tactics" in the Second World War. In new infantry training." All military commandeers of Britain appreciated this book. The book was also accepted by the war office for the forces of England. In 1918, he wrote a paper "Ten Commandants" which was published in Royal United Service Institution and Army journal of the USA. After this he has written many articles on combined use of Infantry and tanks.

Due to the ill health of Liddell Hart, he was not fully fit for the infantry Therefore; he agreed to serve in the education corps from 1922 to 1924. He was declared medically unfit in 1924. He left the army and started working as the military editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica. He has written the 'training rules for the infantry' and 'Small Arms Training' at the age of 32 years. In 1927 he retired from military editor. He also became a journalist, a military correspondent of newspapers and 'Daily Telegraph's 1924-39 and 'Daily Mail' in 1941-45. He also worked as the military advisor to the 'Times' in 1935-39. He served as an unofficial highly influential advisor to the war minister, Leslie Horshe Belsin in 1935-37.

In 1938, He resigned from the post of advisor and wrote a book "Defense of Britain" within six weeks. He has also written a very famous book "Strategy of Indirect Approach" This book was very much applicable during the Second World War. Due to this popularity the Government of Britain rewarded him by appointing him as a strategic specialist at the military school of London and at last he became a professor of strategy at California University.

Capt. Hart was a remarkable linguist. He spoke fluently and made translations from French, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic and sixteen defense. He was once acclaimed as the architect of British defense. He spent his leisure time discussing and sports like table tennis, chess and tennis. In tennis, he had almost professional skill. In 1966, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and died in 1970.

Books and Articles: -

Liddell has written more than 30 books and hundreds of articles in his career. This made him one of the most popular modern military thinkers of the world. Some important books are divided into six different groups as follows:

1. The Conduct of War and Histories of War.
2. Strategy – The Indirect Approach.
3. Through on War.
4. The Revolution of Warfare.
5. The Ghost of Napoleon.
6. The Eight Pillars of Peace.
7. The Theory of Mechanized War

a)The Future of War.

b)The Remarking of Modern Armies.

c)When Britain Goes to War.

d)The Future of War.

e)Dynamic Defence.

f)The Current of War.

g)The Tanks.

1. The Theory and Future of War

a)Europe in Arms.

b)The Defence of Britain.

c)The Expanding War.

d)Deterrent or Defence.

1. Historical Biography

a)T.E.lawrence –In –Arabia and After.

b)Foch

c)Sherman

d)Great Captain Unveiled.

e)A Great Than Napoleon-Scipio Africa.

1. World war I

a)A History of the First World War.

b)The War in Outline.

c)Reputations: Ten Years After.

d)Through the Fog of War.

1. World war II

a)The Liddell Hart Memories.

b)A History of Second World War.

Some important articles and edited books of Capt. Hart's are given below:

Articles

a)The Liddell Hart Memories.

b)Why do not we learn from History?

c)The Strategy of Civilian Defenses.

d)Churchill – Four Facts and the Man.

e)New Method of Infantry Training.

f)Science of Infantry Tactics.

Edited Books

a)The Rommel's Paper.

b)The Letters of Private Wheeler.

Liddell Hard as a Scholar

His habit was to keep newspaper cutting from his early school days. He continued his habit he kept throughout his here and for all his over widening interest. At the time of death he left hundreds of thousands of cuttings, letters, memorandums, pamphlets on subjects not limited. They were ganged from armor warfare to fashions in clothes. Later in diary form he recorded discussions that especially interested him immediately after they had taken place. He had called these, "The Notes".

During his research he had come to know personally many young commanders who had fought on both sides. He had many discussions with such old and valued friends such as FM Montgomery, FM Alexander, FM Aunchinlek and many German Generals "On the other side of the hill."

Attitude of Liddell Hart towards Germans

Liddell Hart was more influential in Germany and Israel than in his native e country. He often said, somewhat ruefully, the t 'Israelis and Germans were my best pupils rather than my countryman,' He pressed his ideas and reformed the British army. But his relation with seniors was so strained that he resigned from the post in 1937.He continued to proffer excellent advice privately and in published form to the end of his long and productive life.

After the 1946 war of Israeli independence, Israeli officers of all ranked came to see him to consult with him about the formation of their army. Among them was Yigal Allon, who became a close friend of Liddell Hart. Yigal Allon, inscribed his photographer in the Library State House with the now much quoted words "To the captain who teaches Generals." In 1951 Field Marshal Rommel's widow Fraun Rommel asked him to edit her husband's papers. He agreed and a warm relationship developed between Fraun Rommel, his son, Manfred Rommel and Gen Bayer lien who had been Remedy's chief of staff during 1925-40. Liddell Hart had set out principles on which, combined the action of tends and aircraft together. General JFC Fuller and Liddell Hart, their "expanding Torrent Theory'' was adopted by German pioneers of armored warfare and become the basis of the 'Blitzkrieg Tactics' ( lighting war) through which German armies mastered the continent in 1939-41.

Travel was an essential part of Liddell Hart's life. He accepted many invitations to visit European countries: America, Canada, Israel to lecture at Military Staff Collage, War collage and civilian universities. He was lecturer on military history at Trinity Collage. Cambridge in 1932-33 in 1934. he held a overwhelmed Research Fellowship. He was an advisory member of the executive committee of the League of Nations Union. He was on the council of the society for Army Historical Research

In 1952, he lectured at war collage in Canada and the United States. These were rewarded months because he was able to meet war time friends and to make new anis. In 1961, he was asked to visit Israel and lectured to armed forces and universities. In 1965, he was invited as a visiting professor of history at the University of California.

Military thoughts

Liddell Hart was a soldier of the 20th century, which fought two world wars. During the First World War, 1914-18 he was allotted the task of forming the strategy for Africa and East Europe against German's strategy. In that task he become very successful and his name came on the top of the military strategists of the country. During the Second World War his task was to defeat the forces of Rommel in the North Africa campaign. The Strategy of indirect approach proved to be successful in that campaign.

The concept of strategy

Liddell Hart said," A plan like a tree must have branches if it is bear to fruit, a plan with a single aim is to apt to prove a barren pole."

"Strategy is the art of distribution and applying military means to fulfill the end of the policy."

: strategy lies mainly in the sphere of communication's tactics in the domain of weapon,"

"The aim of strategy is to diminish the possibility of resistance and to fulfill this purpose by exploiting the elements of 'movement' and 'surprise'".

"Even if the decisive battle be only goal the object of strategy is to bring about tense battle under the most advantageous circumstances and the less proportionately will be the fighting."

The concept of Grand strategy

The grand strategy is a big plan in which the political. Economical and strategic elements should be considered in the process of defeating the enemy. There should be complete coordination between the internal and external polices of the nation. We must develop our economic condition and try to destroy the economic capacity of the enemy, by using psychological methods. The enemy has to be demoralized in the static file and with full military strength must be used against enemy's forces. Thus the grand strategy is used for operation of battle at a very high level.

"The role of grand strategy is to coordinate and direct all the resources of a nation towards the attainment of the political object of war. By the good defined fundamental policy."

"Grand strategy should both calculate and develop the economic resources and man power of nation's in order to sustain the fighting services. Grand strategy too should regulate the distribution of power between the several services and between the services and industry."

"While the horizon of strategy is bounded by the war, grand strategy looks beyond the war to the subsequent peace."

"Fighting power is one of the instruments of the Grand Strategy which should take account of and apply the power of financial pressure, diplomatic pressure and not least of ethnical pressure to weaken the appointments will."

The concept peace

"If you wish for peace, understand the war." - Liddell Hart.

Capt. Liddell Hart has fixed eight pillars of peace. They are as follows:

1. Study wars and learn from the history.
2. Keep strong, if possible.
3. Keep cool, and have unlimited patience.
4. Never corner the opponent and always assist him to save his face.
5. Put yourself in the enemy's shies, so as to see things through his eyes.
6. Avoid self-rightness, like the devil nothing is to self-binding.
7. Cure yourself of the idea of victory, a fatal delusion commonly held.
8. Cure yourself of the idea that war cannot be limited.

Infantry Tactics

After being badly wounded in the Somme battle he wrote a pamphlet on platoon tactics which was issued to the army i France in 1917. His battle drill system and other tactics evolved in this period. This was later adopted in the British army. He also write the official "Infantry training" in conjunction with brig, W.J.Dugan. When "Infantry training" finally appeared it was pointed out that was essential for junior regular officers or the NCO for the territories or future new armies.

To simplify the understanding of tactics it is advisable to use a terminology, which conveys exactly the roles of the roles of the various parts of force and unit. For this reason when writing infantry training he invented few terms. Which was widely used e.g. 'Reserve', battalion reserve, company reserve and platoon reserve etc.

Expanding Torrent Theory

During 1925-40, Liddell Hart had set out the principles of modern warfare combining the actions of tanks, mechanized infantry and air power. His so called "Expanding Torrent theory of attack was introduced in 1917-18 which was based on war time infiltration tactics. The theory was along with the doctrine of General JFC. Fuller on the employment of tanks. The Germans adopted this theory and his ideas of infantry tactics in evolving Blitzkrieg tactics in 1939-41.

Strategy of Indirect Approach

Clausewitz has defined strategy in his book 'On War' as "the art of the employment of battles as a means to gain the object of war." In other words "strategy forms the plan of war ...... and regulates the battles to be fought in each." Liddell hart did not agree with this definition because this definition narrowed the meaning of strategy to pure utilization of battle and battle is the only means to a war. Progress can rightly intervene in the strategy. He defined strategy as "It is the art of distributing and applying military means to fulfill the ends of policies." He favored an indirect approach that aim at dislocating the enemy and reducing his means of resistance. When the application of the military instruments merges into actual fighting, the disposition for and control of such direct action are termed 'tactics'. Tactics is an application of strategy on a lower plan. So strategy is an application on a lower plan of 'Grand Strategy'.

Actually the perfection of Strategy of indirect Approach would be to produce a decision without any serious fighting. The destruction of the enemy may not be essential for a decision. While there were cases where the destruction of the enemy's armed forces was economically achieved through disarming by surrender. The aim of strategy is to dislocate the enemy and reduce his means of resistance. It seeks to fulfill the aim by exploiting the elements of movement. Movement is physical or psychological. In the physical or logistic sphere it is the result of move which:

a)Upsets the enemy's dispositions and by compelling a sudden change of front dislocates the distribution and organization of forces.

b)Separates the enemy's forces.

c)Endangers his supplies.

d)Menace the route or route or route by which he could retreat in case of need and re-establish himself in his physical effect.

e)Psychologically dislocation is the result of the impression on the commander's mind of the physical effect.

To ensure reaching an objective one should have an alternative objective is country to the vary nature of war. To be practical any plan must taking account the enemy's power to frustrate it. The best chance of overcoming such an obstruction is to have a plan that can be easily varied to fit the circumstances, meet the best way to operate along a line, which offers alternative objectives. So a plan is like a tree which mist have branches if it is to bear fruit. A plan with a single aim is apt to prove a barren pole.

Liddell Hart's View about Nuclear Deterrence

Dubious of nuclear deterrence, he stressed conventional defense force during the postwar years and also opposed the concept of total war. After the Second World War nuclear weapons have multiplied. First hydrogen bomb exploded. This had an explosive force a thousand times greater than the first atomic bomb of 1945. Such experience has emphatically borne out the forest that the mutual development of nuclear weapons would tend to nullify this deterrent effect and thereby lead to the increasing use of a "Guerrilla type strategy". He predicted that the new development would not free as from depend on what are called conventional weapon. So it seemed to him a necessary for the antique and over simple dictum "If you wish for peace, understand war-particularly the guerrilla and subversive forms of war".

Axioms of Liddell Hart

Liddell Hart introduced a little truth of experience and practical guide, which he termed axioms. In his words principles are so abstract that they mean different things to different men and it depends on the individual's own understanding of war. The principles of war can be condensed into a single word but they can be put into necessary words for better understanding. These are the eight axioms. Six are positive and two are negative: