Lloyd George actually was a pretty good manager of the war - much better than Asquith. Where he fell down - and this was a mistake Churchill did NOT make - was in failing to sack Haig. That the German offensives of 1918 failed was solely due to the resilience of the French poilus and the British Tommies. Haig's persistent bloodbaths in the Ypres salient had almost destroyed the British army (I would have put Plumer or preferably Allenby in his slot - comments?). He deserved to lose and except for the superb quality of the PBI, who had been bled white, he would have.
Amateurs talk tactics; professionals talk logistics. Lloyd George was able to marshal the logistical support that the British army needed to a really laudible degree. I've always found it interesting that Churchill on the one hand made a very penetrating analysis of the logistical success of Kitchener's campaign against Khartoum and on the other had a most cavalier concern for logistical requirements - especially where amphibious operations were involved. He did have the sense to appoint subordinates who were able to carry that burden, however.
All of which misses the main point. Lloyd George had to manage an existing coalition. Churchill had to build one from scratch. He did an incredibly awesome job of it - one which greatly overshadows Lloyd George's very competent managing. They had very different situations. Both made BIG mistakes. And both were successful in the end. Which is all that really matters.
Steel true, blade straight
Jonathan Hayes
-------------- Original message from Binden Shovel <[email protected]>: --------------
>
> I am currently working my way through The World Crisis and was really
> taken aback by a page in which Churchill describes the way Lloyd
> George managed the latter part of WW1.
>
> Having researched Churchill for my book Churchill's Secret Skills I
> have formed an opinion about how Churchill managed the events of WW2,
> the remarkable thing that struck me about Churchill's description of
> Lloyd George was that you could have quite easily replaced Lloyd
> George for Winston Churchill and WW1 for WW2.
>
> My book aims to apply Churchill's talents to modern business, and for
> those among you that are in business, like me, it is quite common to
> learn techniques and talents from those people you work for or with
> that might do things different or better than you do yourself.
>
> Churchill worked closely with Lloyd George at the end of WW1 and it
> might be possible that he learned a great deal from him.
>
> I always did wonder were Churchill learned the particular skills that
> proved so vital in Britain’s hour of need. The more I read The World
> Crisis the more I can see were his different skills emanate from.
>
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