Esher Report facts for kids

The Esher Report of 1904 was a very important plan to change the British Army. It was created by a group led by Lord Esher. This report suggested big changes, like creating an Army Council and a General Staff. It also recommended getting rid of the top military job, the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces. Many of these changes are still part of the Army today.

Why Changes Were Needed

The Second Boer War (1899-1902) showed that the British Army had some problems. It wasn't as strong or as ready as it needed to be. Britain had to use almost all its soldiers to win the war, leaving the country unprotected at home. At the same time, Imperial Germany was building a powerful navy. Germany's factories were also growing much faster than Britain's. This made Britain realize it needed to improve its military.

The Committee's Start

Before the Esher Report, another group called the Elgin Commission had already suggested some changes. Then, Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster at the War Office (the government department for the army) set up a new committee. This committee was tasked with looking into how to fix the Army. Lord Esher, who had been part of the Elgin Commission, led this new group. Other key members included Admiral Sir John Fisher and Colonel Sir George Clarke. The Esher Report was released in parts during February and March 1904.

What the Report Suggested

The committee gathered information privately. Their report had three main parts. It looked closely at the Army's complicated system and its problems. It then made three main recommendations:

• An Army Council: This new group would be like the Board of Admiralty, which ran the Navy. The idea was to have one main group that would make decisions about Army policy. This would stop confusion about who was in charge. The Secretary of State for War would be the main leader, like the First Lord of the Admiralty. This would give more control to the government and Parliament. The Council would have seven members:
  • The Secretary of State for War.
  • Four military members, each in charge of different areas like operations, recruitment, supplies, and weapons.
  • Two civilian members, one for general civil matters and one for money.

The report suggested this Council should meet often and make decisions by voting.

• A General Staff: This new group would be responsible for getting the Army ready for war. The old job of Commander-in-Chief of the Forces would be removed. The General Staff would have different directors. These directors would handle military operations, staff duties, and training.

• A Reorganized War Office: The report said the War Office needed a big cleanup. The British Army had grown over many years without a clear plan. The report wanted to make the War Office much more organized. Different parts of the War Office would be managed by the Chief of the General Staff, the Adjutant-General, the Quartermaster-General, and the Master-General of the Ordnance.
  • The Adjutant-General would be in charge of the well-being of the soldiers. This included recruitment, personal services, medical care, and other support.
  • The Quartermaster-General would handle supplies and transport. This included moving troops, providing food and clothing, and managing equipment.
  • The Master-General of the Ordnance would be responsible for weapons, artillery, and building forts.

The report also suggested that these changes should happen throughout the entire Army, not just in the War Office. It believed that too much power was held in the War Office. This stopped local commanders from making their own decisions. The report wanted administrative districts to handle organization. This would let field commanders focus on training their soldiers for war.

What Happened Next

King Edward VII liked the report. He pushed Arthur James Balfour's government to accept its ideas. Some people in the Army, like Lord Kitchener, were not so sure about the changes. However, Richard Haldane became the War Secretary in 1905. Between 1906 and 1909, he put many of the report's ideas into action. General Sir Gerard Ellison, who helped write the Esher Report, was one of Haldane's advisers.

The recommendations from the Esher Report became the foundation for how the British Army was organized for the next 60 years. A military historian named Correlli Barnett said that the report's importance "can hardly be exaggerated." He believed that without the Esher Report, Britain would not have been able to make such huge military efforts in the two world wars.