Rear Admiral Henry John May and the Royal Navy War Course 1900-1904
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25071/2561-5467.826Keywords:
professional military education, Royal Navy, officers, naval tactics, war course, Royal Naval College GreenwichAbstract
In 1900, the Royal Navy instituted formal advanced instruction for selected officers to better prepare them for higher rank and professional demands. The war course represented a concession to pressure for a staff or war college comparable to other navies and armies. During the tenure of its first director, Henry May, curriculum content and delivery focused on subjects appropriate to practitioners interested in contemporary naval affairs. This article reassesses objectively the war course’s efficacy leading to eventual establishment of the Royal Naval War College.
En 1900, la Marine Royale a institué une instruction formelle avancée pour certains officiers afin de mieux les préparer aux exigences professionnelles et aux grades supérieurs. Le cours de guerre représentait une concession à la pression pour obtenir un état-major ou un collège de guerre comparable à d’autres marines et armées. Pendant le mandate de son premier directeur, HenryMay, le contenu et la prestation du programme se sont concentrés sur des sujets appropriés aux praticiens intéressés par les affaires navales contemporaines. Cet article réévalue objectivement l’efficacité du cours de guerre menant à la création éventuelle du Collège de Guerre de la Marine Royale.
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