Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (May 5, 1883 - May 24, 1950) was a British Field Marshal and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during World War II. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army. May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Note: This article is about the military usage of the word marshal. For other usages, see the end of this article. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British military. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: Immense human sacrifice, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons - the atom bomb being the ultimate. ...

Wavell was born in Colchester but spent much of his childhood in India. Wavell's father was a Major-General in the British Army and Wavell followed his father's career choice. Arms of Colchester Borough Council Colchester town centre Map sources for Colchester at grid reference TL9925 Colchester is an historic town in the north of the English county of Essex, with a population of about 160,000. ...

Wavell attended Winchester College and Sandhurst. He joined the Black Watch in 1900 and fought in the second Boer War. In 1903, he was transferred to India and fought in the Bazar Valley campaign of 1908. In 1911, Wavell spent a year as a military observer with the Russian Army. Winchester College is a public school in the city of Winchester in Hampshire, in the south of England. ... The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (commonly known as Sandhurst) is the British Army officer training centre. ... Official name The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) Colonel-in-Chief HRH The Prince of Wales Nicknames Motto Nemo Me Impune Lacessit Anniversaries Red Hackle Day (5 January) Marches Quick: All the Blue Bonnets are oer the Border Slow: The Garb of Old Gaul Pipes & Drums Quick: Hielan Laddie... Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War There were two Boer wars, one from December 16, 1880-March 23, 1881 and the second from October 11, 1899-May 31, 1902 both between the British and the settlers of Dutch, French and German origin (called Boers, Afrikaners or Voortrekkers) in South...

Wavell was working as a staff officer when World War I began. He was transferred to a combat unit and was wounded in the Battle of Ypres in 1915, losing an eye. Following his recovery, he was assigned as a liaison-officer to the Russian Army in 1916, this time in the field in Turkey. In 1918, he was transferred to Sir Edmund Allenby's staff in Palestine. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... There were four Battles of Ypres during World War I: First Battle of Ypres ( October 19 – November 22, 1914) Second Battle of Ypres ( April 22 – May 15, 1915) Third Battle of Ypres ( July 31 – November 6, 1917) (also known as Passchendaele) Fourth Battle of Ypres ( September 28 – October 2, 1918... Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby (April 23, 1861 - May 14, 1936) was a British soldier most famous for his role during World War I. Field Marshal Edmund Allenby Early years and active service Born in Brackenhurst, Nottinghamshire, Allenby was educated at Haileybury College. ... Palestine (Latin: Syria Palæstina; Hebrew: פלשתינה Palestina, ארץ־ישראל Eretz Yisrael; Arabic: فلسطين Filasá¹­Ä«n) is the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the banks of the Jordan River, plus various adjoining lands to the east. ...

Wavell was given a number of different assignments between the two world wars. In 1937, he was transferred back to Palestine, where there was a growing uprising. In July 1939, he was named as the head of the Middle East Command and was in that post when World War II began. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: Immense human sacrifice, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons - the atom bomb being the ultimate. ...

The Middle Eastern theatre was quiet for the first few months of the war until Italy's declaration of war in June 1940. The Italian forces in North Africa greatly outnumbered the British. Wavell however was able to not only defend against the Italian attacks but to defeat the Italians and occupy their colonies in Ethiopia and Somaliland. By February 1941, the British appeared to be on the verge of overrunning the last Italian forces in Libya, which would have ended Axis control in all of Africa. Somaliland (Somali: Soomaaliland) is a former British territory located in the northwest region of Somalia in the Horn of Africa. ...

But at this same time the Germans and Italians were attacking Greece. Wavell was ordered to halt his advance against Libya and sent troops to Greece. He disagreed with this decision but followed his orders. The result was a disaster. The Germans had an opportunity to reinforce the Italians in North Africa, the British were unable to set up an adequate defense on the Greek mainland and were forced to withdraw to Crete with heavy losses, and a pro-Axis faction took over the government of Iraq. Greece and Crete Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ...

Wavell was replaced as Commander of British forces in the Middle East by Sir Claude Auchinleck in July 1941. He was then transferred to India, where he served as Commander-in-Chief. He once again had the misfortune of being placed in charge of an undermanned theatre which became a warzone when the Japanese declared war on the United Kingdom in December 1941. He was made overall commander in charge of ABDA (American-British-Dutch-Australian) Command, but was forced to evacuate his headquarters from Java following the break up of ABDA. Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE (June 21, 1884 - 1981), nicknamed The Auk, was a British army commander during World War II. Born in Aldershot, he grew up in impoverished circumstances, but was able through hard work and scholarships to graduate from the Royal... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Wavell, despite his abilities, did not have the resources to defend the territory he was responsible for and was unable to prevent the Japanese from capturing Singapore, Malaya, and Burma. The Federation of Malaya, or in Malay Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, was formed in 1948 from the British settlements of Penang and Malacca and the nine Malay states and replaced the Malayan Union. ...

Wavell was again replaced in his military post by Auchinleck, who by this point had also experienced setbacks in North Africa. In 1943, Wavell was created a viscount and was named Viceroy of India. His mandate there was to maintain the status quo in India during the war and he remained in this post until he was replaced by Lord Mountbatten in 1947. Wavell is generally considered the best Viceroy and Governor General of India, for not only he had done all his homework before he became viceroy, but he is also considered one of those British personalities who touched Indian souls and understood them. His understanding of the Indian situation and the ignorance of his requests and proposals by Winston Churchill had made him quite frustrated. He was relieved to see Clement Attlee replace Churchill as Prime Minister in July 1945; however, he was unhappy with Attlee's slowness to make decisions. He had himself requested serveral times to be removed from his post, but his requests were turned down by London. However, had Wavell not been there, the communal tension and civic strife would have been prolonged and more bloody. Wavell was against the Partition of India, as he knew this would lead to bloodshed which neither Indians nor the British would be able to control. He wanted to be prepared for anything and had worked on preparations for a situation in which India were to be partitioned. When it was ascertained that partition would be path Britain would embark on with regard to India, it was Wavell who laid the foundations for the work of Border Commission chairman Sir Cyril Radcliffe; this work eventually became the Radcliffe Line. Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (June 25, 1900 – August 27, 1979) was a British admiral and statesman and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG , OM , CH , FRS , PC (November 30, 1874 – January 24, 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... The Right Honourable Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC (3 January 1883 – 8 October 1967) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951. ... In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Partition of India was the process by which British dependencies and treaty states in the Indian subcontinent were granted independence in the 1940s. ... The Radcliffe line was the line which drew borders between newly created India and Pakistan. ...

Wavell returned to England, where he died in 1950.

Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE (June 21, 1884 - 1981), nicknamed The Auk, was a British army commander during World War II. Born in Aldershot, he grew up in impoverished circumstances, but was able through hard work and scholarships to graduate from the Royal... Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE (June 21, 1884 - 1981), nicknamed The Auk, was a British army commander during World War II. Born in Aldershot, he grew up in impoverished circumstances, but was able through hard work and scholarships to graduate from the Royal... This article is in need of attention. ... ABDACOM Area The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command, code name ABDACOM, was a short-lived, supreme command for all Allied forces in South East Asia, in early 1942, during the Pacific War. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE (June 21, 1884 - 1981), nicknamed The Auk, was a British army commander during World War II. Born in Aldershot, he grew up in impoverished circumstances, but was able through hard work and scholarships to graduate from the Royal... Victor Alexander John Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow (24 September 1887 - 5 January 1952) was a British statesman who served as Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943. ... The Governor-General of India (or Governor-General and Viceroy of India) was the head of the British administration in India. ... Admiral of the Fleet The Right Honourable Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British admiral and statesman and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ...

The title of Earl Wavell was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1947 for Lord Wavell, the former Viceroy of India. ...

Quotes

• "I think he (Benito Mussolini) must do something, if he cannot make a graceful dive he will at least have to jump in somehow; he can hardly put on his dressing-gown and walk down the stairs again."
• "After the 'war to end war' they seem to have been pretty successful in Paris at making a 'Peace to end Peace.'" (commenting on the treaties ending World War I; this quote was the basis for the title of Fromkin, David (1989), A Peace to End All Peace, New York: Henry Holt, ISBN 0-8050-6884-8)