NationMaster - Encyclopedia: War Office (UK)

Old War Office Building, Whitehall, London Image by ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. Click on date to download the file or see the image uploaded on that date. (del) (cur) 21:33, 31 Mar...

Old War Office Building, Whitehall, London - the former location of the War Office

The War Office was a former department of the The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. Its system of government (often known as the Westminster system) has directly inspired the government of other countries, such as Canada, India, Australia and Jamaica. The constitution is uncodified, and some is unwritten, being made up of constitutional... British Government, responsible for the administration of the The British Army is the land armed forces of the United Kingdom. It numbers 99,400 fully trained and professional regulars (as of April 2004). In contrast to the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, the British Army does not include royal in its title, because of its roots... British Army between the (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. During this period, the power of England and the United Provinces increased; while that of Spain and Portugal declined. Similarly, the power... 17th century and Events January-February January 11 - The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. January 14 - George Wallace becomes governor of Alabama. January 22 - Elysée treaty between France and Germany January 28 - Black student Harvey Gantt enters Clemson College in... 1963, when its functions were transferred to the This articles deals with the British ministry, see defence minister for other countries. The Ministry of Defence building, Whitehall, Westminster, London The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is the United Kingdom government department charged with managing the military. Ministers and officials as of 22 August 2003 Secretary of State for Defence... Ministry of Defence. The name "War Office" is also often given to the former home of the department, the Old War Office Building on Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament For other places with the same name see Whitehall (disambiguation) Whitehall is a road in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, running two-thirds of the distance from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Square; the other third constitutes Parliament Street. The... Whitehall, London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. Founded as Londinium, the capital of... London.

History

The War Office developed from the Council of War, an ad hoc grouping of the King and his senior military commanders which oversaw Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Official language None; English is de facto Capital London Capitals coordinates 51° 30 N, 0° 10 W Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 1st UK... England's frequent wars and campaigns. A number of older institutions, notably the The British Board of Ordnance was responsible for the design, testing and production of armaments and munitions. It also produced maps for military purposes (one of its 18th century map-makers was noted water-colour artist Paul Sandby), a function later taken over by Ordnance Survey. Its headquarters were in... Board of Ordnance (which dates from the (13th century - 14th century - 15th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400. Events The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age Beginning of the Ottoman Empire, early expansion into... 14th century), were merged to form the War Office. It worked alongside the For the international law of the sea, see Admiralty law. For the area of Hong Kong, see Admiralty, Hong Kong Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723_26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty (officially the Admiralty Board... Admiralty, responsible for the Royal Navy Ensign The Royal Navy is the navy of the United Kingdom. It operates a number of aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, fifteen nuclear submarines, and various other ships, as well as aircraft, and the UKs amphibious force: the Royal Marines. The Royal Navy is the largest navy in... Royal Navy, and the (much later) The Air Ministry was formerly a department of the United Kingdom Government, established in 1918 with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the (then newly formed) Royal Air Force. In 1964 the Air Ministry merged with the Admiralty and the War Office to form the Ministry of Defence. Categories... Air Ministry, which oversaw the The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force of the United Kingdom. According to the Ministry of Defence [1], the purpose of the Armed Forces, including the RAF is to: defend the United Kingdom, and Overseas Territories, our people and interests act as a force for... Royal Air Force. Its foundation has traditionally been ascribed to William Blathwayt, who on his appointment in Events France under Louis XIV makes Truce of Ratisbon separately with the Empire and Spain. Pope Innocent XI forms a Holy League with the Habsburg Empire, Venice and Poland to liberate Europe from the Ottoman Turkish rule. Japanese Chief Minister Hotta Masatoshi is assassinated, leaving Shogun Sunayoshi without any adequate... 1684 greatly expanded the remit of his office to cover general day-to-day administration of the Army.

The department had several London homes until it settled at Horse Guards is also a large building on Whitehall, at the eastern end of Horse Guards Parade. It was once the headquarters of the whole British Army and is now the headquarters of its London District. Horse Guards is always guarded by troopers of the Household Cavalry, both mounted and... Horse Guards in Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament For other places with the same name see Whitehall (disambiguation) Whitehall is a road in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, running two-thirds of the distance from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Square; the other third constitutes Parliament Street. The... Whitehall in Events Abraham De Moivre states De Moivres theorem connecting trigonometric functions and complex numbers Publication of the first book of Bachs Well-Tempered Clavier Fall of Persias Safavid dynasty during a bloody revolt of the Afghani people. July 25 - Three Years War begins along Maine and Massachusetts... 1722, where it was to remain until 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. Events January 14 - Felice Orsini and his accomplices fail to assassinate Napoleon III in Paris but their bombs kill 156 bystanders. Because of the involvement of French émigrés living in Britain, there is a brief anti-British feeling in France but... 1858. Horse Guards and the War Office became virtually synonymous (indeed, Horse Guards is still the official headquarters of the Army). The War Office moved to Pall mall illustrated in Old English Sports, Pastimes and Customs, published 1891 Pall mall (pronounced pal-mal or pell-mell) or palle maille was a game played in the 16th and 17th centuries, and a precursor to croquet. The name comes from the Italian pallamaglio, which literally means ball-mallet... Pall Mall for the last half of the Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. In the sense of the Common Era... 19th century before finally moving to purpose-built accommodation in what is now known as the The War Office was a government agency in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The British War Office, or War Department, controlled the British Army until 1964. The United States War Office, formally the Department of War, controlled the United States Army until 1949. This is a disambiguation... Old War Office Building.

The management of the War Office was initially headed by the curiously-named The Secretary at War was a position with some responsibility over the administration of the British military. It was occasionally a cabinet level position, although it was considered of subordinate rank to the Secretaries of State. The position was combined with that of Secretary of State for War in 1855... Secretary at War, whose role had originated under King Charles II King of England, Scotland and Ireland Charles II (29 May 1630–6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. Charles IIs father, Charles I, had been executed in... Charles II of England as the secretary to the Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. While well-known Commanders-in-Chief often have been senior generals, many countries have the... Commander-in-Chief of the British Army. The first War Office Secretary at War is usually said to have been William Blathwayt, though he had two predecessors in the post. It was, however, a fairly minor government post which dealt with the minutiae of administration rather than grand strategy. Issues of strategic policy during wartime were managed by the Northern and Southern Departments (the predecessors of today's The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. The FCO is headed by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. The FCO was formed in 1968 out of the merger of the short-lived... Foreign Office and The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. Larger business enterprises, one notch up the size scale, are often called Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Before the 19th... Home Office respectively).

From Events Building of the Students Monument in Aiud, Romania. February 29 - Native Americans sack Deerfield, Massachusetts August 13 - War of the Spanish Succession: Battle of Blenheim The Sultanate of Brunei cedes its north-east territories to the Sultanate of Sulu. The lower three counties of the Province of Pennsylvania... 1704 to Events January 23 - The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis, Minnesota, a crossing made today by the Father Louis Hennepin Bridge. George Hamilton-Gordon is forced to resign as Prime Minister of Britain because of bad management of the campaigns in the Crimean War... 1855, the post of Secretary was filled by a minister of the second rank (equivalent to a modern junior minister). Many of the responsibilities were transferred to the Secretary of State for War following the creation of that more senior post in Events February 11 - 1st session of the United States Senate is open to the public. March 14 - Eli Whitney is granted a patent for the cotton gin. March 27 - The United States Government established a permanent United States Navy and authorized the building of six vessels (in 1797 the first... 1794. The post of Secretary at War was merged with that of the Secretary of State for War in Events January 23 - The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis, Minnesota, a crossing made today by the Father Louis Hennepin Bridge. George Hamilton-Gordon is forced to resign as Prime Minister of Britain because of bad management of the campaigns in the Crimean War... 1855 and was abolished altogether in 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. Events January January 1 - Abraham Lincoln delivers the Emancipation Proclamation during the second year of the American Civil War. January 1 - The first claim under the Homestead Act is made for a farm in Nebraska January 8 - Ground is broken in Sacramento... 1863. The Secretary of State for War was also responsible, between Events January 1 - Legislative union of Ireland completed under the Act of Union 1800, bringing about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. January 1 - Giuseppe Piazzi discovers the first (and largest) asteroid Ceres. January 20 - John Marshall is appointed Chief Justice of the United States. February 3 - William... 1801 and Events January 13 - The accordion is patented by Anthony Faas. February 11 - Major streets lit by coal gas for first time. February 14 - Texas is linked by telegraph with the rest of the United States, when a connection between New Orleans and Marshall, Texas is completed. February 17 - The British... 1854, for Britain's colonies (when the post was known as the Secretary of State for War and Colonies). This responsibility ceased with the establishment of the The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British colonies. The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increasingly troublesome North American colonies. Previously those responsibilities had fallen to the Secretary of State for... Colonial Office.

The disastrous campaigns of the The Crimean War lasted from 28 March 1854 to 1856. It was fought between Russia and an alliance of the United Kingdom, France, and the Ottoman Empire, joined somewhat tardily by Piedmont-Sardinia. The majority of the conflict took place on the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea. Beginning of... Crimean War led to the consolidation of all administrative duties in Events January 23 - The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis, Minnesota, a crossing made today by the Father Louis Hennepin Bridge. George Hamilton-Gordon is forced to resign as Prime Minister of Britain because of bad management of the campaigns in the Crimean War... 1855 under the Secretary of State for War, a Alternate meanings in cabinet (disambiguation) A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers or the Executive Council. In some countries, particularly those with parliamentary systems, the cabinet collectively decides the... Cabinet post. He was not, however, solely responsible for the Army; the Commander-in-Chief held a virtually equal level of responsibility. This was reduced in theory by the reforms introduced by Edward Cardwell, 1st Viscount Cardwell (July 24, 1813–February 15, 1886) was a prominent British politician in the Peelite and Liberal parties during the middle of the 19th century. Cardwell grew up in Liverpool and took his degree from Balliol College, Oxford in 1835. His early career was as... Edward Cardwell in 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). Events January - April January 6 - The inauguration of the Musikverein ( Vienna). January 10 - John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil January 15 - A political cartoon for the first time symbolizes the United States Democratic Party with a donkey (A... 1870, which subordinated the C-in-C to the Secretary for War. In practice, however, a huge amount of influence was retained by the exceedingly conservative C-in-C Field Marshal Prince George, Duke of Cambridge - statue on Whitehall, London Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (26 March 1819 - 17 March 1904), was a member of the British Royal Family and army officer who served as commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895. A male-line grandson of... Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, who held the post between 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). Events January 8 - Borax is discovered ( John Veatch). January 29 - Queen Victoria institutes the Victoria Cross February 18 - The American Party ( Know-Nothings) convene in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to nominate their first Presidential candidate, former President Millard Fillmore. March... 1856- 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). Events January January 5 - Dreyfus Affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devils Island. February February 14 - First showing of Oscar Wildes last play The Importance of... 1895. His resistance to reform caused military efficiency to lag well behind Britain's rivals, a problem which became painfully obvious during the Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War There were two Boer wars, one in 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 origin (called Boere, Afrikaners or Voortrekkers) in South Africa that put... Boer War.

The situation was only remedied in 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). Events January-March January 7 - The distress signal CQD is established only to be replaced two years later by SOS. February 7 - The Great Baltimore Fire in Baltimore, Maryland destroys over 1,500 buildings in... 1904 when the post of Commander-in-Chief was abolished and replaced with that of the In the military systems of many countries, the Chief of the General Staff is the professional head of that countrys General Staff. For the Chiefs of individual General Staffs, see below: British General Staff & Chief of the Imperial General Staff Croatian General Staff German General Staff Turkish General... Chief of the General Staff. An Army Council was created along similar lines to the Board of Admiralty, chaired by the Secretary of State for War, and an Imperial General Staff was established to coordinate Army administration.

The management of the War Office was undermined by persistent clashes between the civilian and military sides of the organisation. The government of The name Herbert Asquith normally refers to: Herbert Henry Asquith, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1908–1916), but may also refer to his son: Herbert Asquith, a poet. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title... Herbert Asquith attempted to resolve this during the Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. Battle aftermath. Remains of the Chateau Wood World War I (also known as the First World War, the Great War, the War of the Nations, and the War to End All Wars) was a world conflict occurring from 1914 to... First World War by appointing Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum (June 24, 1850 - June 5, 1916) was a British Field Marshal and statesman. Kitchener was born in County Kerry, Ireland. Educated in Switzerland and at the Royal Military Academy, he offered to fight with the French in the Franco-Prussian War before... Lord Kitchener as Secretary for War, making him the first and only soldier to hold the post. This did not prove a happy experience; under his tenure, the Imperial General Staff was virtually dismantled. Its role was effectively replaced by the Committee of Imperial Defence, established in Events January-April January 28 - The Carnegie Institution is founded in Washington, DC with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie. France, Loisys Lévangile et lEglise which inaugurates the Modernist Crisis February 11 - Police beat up universal suffrage demonstrators in Brussels. February 15 – Berlin underground opened... 1902 to discuss wider defence issues.

The War Office declined greatly in importance after the First World War, a fact illustrated by the drastic reductions in its staff numbers during the inter-war period. On 1 April 1920, it employed 7,434 civilian staff; this had shrunk to 3,872 by 1 April 1930. Its responsibilities and funding were also reduced. In 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). Events January-February January 15 -- The first building to be completely covered in glass is completed in Toledo, Ohio, for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. January 20 - Death of George V of the United Kingdom. His... 1936, the government of Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 - 9 November 1940) was a British politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 - 1940. Chamberlain is perhaps one of the most controversial prime ministers of the 20th century, largely due to his policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany. Early life Joseph... Neville Chamberlain appointed a Minister for Co-ordination of Defence, who worked outside of the War Office. When The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill KG, OM, CH, FRS ( November 30, 1874 – January 24, 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II. At various times an author, soldier, journalist, and politician, Churchill is generally regarded as... Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). Events January-February January 5 - FM radio is demonstrated to the FCC for the first time. January 6 - World War II: Mass execution of Poles, committed by Germans in the Poznan, Warthegau. January 12 - World War... 1940, he bypassed the War Office altogether and appointed himself Minister of Defence (though there was, curiously, no ministry of defence until 1964).

Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, FRS (January 3, 1883 - October 8, 1967) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951. Despite his natural modesty and laconic style of speaking, he won a landslide election victory over Winston Churchill immediately after Churchill had led... Clement Attlee continued this arrangement when he came to power in 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 5 - The Soviet Union recognizes the new pro-Soviet government of Poland. January 7 - British General Bernard Montgomery holds a press conference in which he claims credit for victory in the Battle of... 1945 but appointed a Minister of Defence for the first time in 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 1 - British mines nationalized January 1 - Nigeria gains limited autonomy January 1 - The Canadian Citizenship Act went into effect January 3 - Proceedings of the U.S. Congress are televised for the first time... 1947. In 1964, the Ministry of Defence was established, unifying the War Office, Admiralty, and Air Ministry.

Old War Office Building

Between 1906 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). Events January 8 - Landslide in Haverstraw, New York kills 20 January 31 - Earthquake in Ecuador (8.6 in Richter scale) February 11 - Pope Pius X publishes the encyclical Vehementer nos. February 15 - Representatives of the Labour Representation Committee... 1906 and its abolition in 1964, the War Office was based in a massive Baroque architecture, starting in the early 17th century in Italy, took the humanist Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical, theatrical, sculptural fashion, expressing the triumph of absolutist church and state. New architectural concerns for color, light and shade, sculptural values and intensity characterize the... neo-Baroque building, completed in 1906, located on Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament For other places with the same name see Whitehall (disambiguation) Whitehall is a road in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, running two-thirds of the distance from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Square; the other third constitutes Parliament Street. The... Whitehall, London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. Founded as Londinium, the capital of... London. It contains about a thousand rooms across seven floors, linked by 2½ miles of corridors. The construction of the War Office building took five years to complete at what was than a huge cost of over £1.2 million. The building is somewhat oddly shaped, forming a The term trapezium can mean more than one thing: In human anatomy, trapezium is a bone in the hand In geometry, a trapezium is also a name for a class of quadrilaterals. The precise definition differs between American English and British English, as described in that article; see also trapezoid... trapezium shape in order to maximise the usage of the irregularly shaped plot of land on which it was built. Its four distinctive domes were designed as a decorative means of disguising the building's shape.

The building is still used by the Ministry of Defence and is not currently open to the public.

History

Old War Office Building

War Office Departments

External links

See Also

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Old War Office Building

War Office Departments

External links

See Also

History