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Withdrawal from Empire: A Military View
This book is about the military campaigns waged to ensure Britain's orderly withdrawal from Empire after the Second World War. But military stories should not be told in isolation from political, economic and other relevant influences. War, in the second half of the twentieth century, is as much a continuation of politics by other means as it ever was in von Clausewitz's day. British military actions between 1945 and 1972 can only be seen in proper perspective against the background of the three centuries of the creation of the British Empire that held within them seeds of the eventual collapse of British power and the remarkable transformation from the imperial splendor of 1921 to the loosely knit British Commonwealth of nations in the last quarter of this century.
- GenresMilitary HistoryHistory
285 pages, Hardcover
First published October 30, 1986
About the author
William G.F. Jackson
21 booksEducated at Shrewsbury School, the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and King's College, Cambridge, William Jackson was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1937. He served with the British Army in Norway during the Second World War, where he was one of the first British officers to engage the enemy. His work in blowing up bridges as the British retreated from Lillehammer earned Jackson his first Military Cross (MC). He also served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy during the war. He was twice injured by a land mine. The one at Bou Arada in Tunisia placed him in bed for four months before he joined Dwight Eisenhower's headquarters, where the invasion of Sicily was being planned. He won a Bar to his MC in 1944 at the Battle of Monte Cassino in recognition of "gallant and distinguished services", and by the end of the war Jackson was in post as an acting major but was only formally promoted captain in August 1945,having been promoted to lieutenant in 1940. He was also mentioned in despatches in 1945 for his services in Italy.
After the war he became a General Staff Officer at Headquarters Allied Land Forces, South East Asia in 1945 before moving on to be an Instructor at the Staff College, Camberley in 1948. Promoted major in 1950, he was an Instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst from 1951. He was promoted brevet lieutenant colonel in 1955 and was appointed Assistant Adjutant & Quartermaster General (Plans) at the War Office during the Suez crisis in 1956. Jackson was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1957 Birthday Honours. In 1958 he was promoted lieutenant colonel and became Commander, Gurkha Engineers in Malaya. In 1960 he was promoted full colonel and in 1961 returned to the Staff College, Camberley as Colonel General Staff at the Minley Division.
He was Deputy Director of Staff Duties at the War Office from 1962 and joined the Imperial Defence College in 1965 being promoted brigadier in March. He went on to be Director of the Chief of Defence Staff's Unison Planning Staff in 1966 in the temporary rank of major general (his rank of major general was confirmed as permanent in July 1966) and Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operational Requirements) at the Ministry of Defence in 1968.
In 1970 Jackson was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Northern Command. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1971, and In 1973 he became Quartermaster-General to the Forces in the local rank of full general with formal promotion to general coming four months later. Advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in the 1975 Birthday Honours, Jackson retired from active army service in February 1977, taking a post of Military Historian at the Cabinet Office from 1977 to 1978 and then becoming Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar, overseeing the colony's transition to a British dependent territory and where he was a stalwart advocate for self-determination in the territory.
Jackson retired from his post in Gibraltar in 1982 (having had his tenure extended by a year) and returned to being historian at the Cabinet Office until 1987. He had held five honorary military appointments: as ADC General to the Queen (1974–1979), Colonel Commandant the Royal Engineers (1971–1981), Colonel the Gurkha Engineers (1971–1976), Colonel Commandant Royal Army Ordnance Corps (1973–1976) and Colonel of the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve Engineer and Railway Staff Corps.
After the war he became a General Staff Officer at Headquarters Allied Land Forces, South East Asia in 1945 before moving on to be an Instructor at the Staff College, Camberley in 1948. Promoted major in 1950, he was an Instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst from 1951. He was promoted brevet lieutenant colonel in 1955 and was appointed Assistant Adjutant & Quartermaster General (Plans) at the War Office during the Suez crisis in 1956. Jackson was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1957 Birthday Honours. In 1958 he was promoted lieutenant colonel and became Commander, Gurkha Engineers in Malaya. In 1960 he was promoted full colonel and in 1961 returned to the Staff College, Camberley as Colonel General Staff at the Minley Division.
He was Deputy Director of Staff Duties at the War Office from 1962 and joined the Imperial Defence College in 1965 being promoted brigadier in March. He went on to be Director of the Chief of Defence Staff's Unison Planning Staff in 1966 in the temporary rank of major general (his rank of major general was confirmed as permanent in July 1966) and Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operational Requirements) at the Ministry of Defence in 1968.
In 1970 Jackson was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Northern Command. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1971, and In 1973 he became Quartermaster-General to the Forces in the local rank of full general with formal promotion to general coming four months later. Advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in the 1975 Birthday Honours, Jackson retired from active army service in February 1977, taking a post of Military Historian at the Cabinet Office from 1977 to 1978 and then becoming Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar, overseeing the colony's transition to a British dependent territory and where he was a stalwart advocate for self-determination in the territory.
Jackson retired from his post in Gibraltar in 1982 (having had his tenure extended by a year) and returned to being historian at the Cabinet Office until 1987. He had held five honorary military appointments: as ADC General to the Queen (1974–1979), Colonel Commandant the Royal Engineers (1971–1981), Colonel the Gurkha Engineers (1971–1976), Colonel Commandant Royal Army Ordnance Corps (1973–1976) and Colonel of the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve Engineer and Railway Staff Corps.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 11, 2020
An excellent high level summary of how Britain disentangled itself from its Empire after the Second World War. After the mistakes made in India and Palestine, and the fiasco of Suez, the exit from South East Asia and the Middle East in the 1960s and early 1970s was a more measured and structured affair.
For anyone wanting a high level summary of the political issues surrounding Britain’s exit from its Empire, this is an excellent read. General Jackson provides a easy to read explanation of the political drivers behind the military operations, ranging from the Partition in India in 1947, through to the British involvement in the Dhofar in Oman in the mid 1970s.
The text is accompanied by maps, which assists the reader in understanding better the detail of the military operations and the topography involved. General Jackson is one of the post WW2 soldiers scholars, well equipped to give a balanced account of the events involved. If I had a minor gripe, it was the references to “40th”, “42nd” and “45th” Commandos throughout. That would be enough to make any Royal Marine readers to get thoroughly excited, when those units have always been known simply as “40”, as in “Forty”, etc. I was surprised that a general of Jackson’s seniority and provenance had made such a simple mistake.
That aside, an excellent book. General Jackson wrote the book in 1985. His prophecy, in the last chapter, of Britain’s need to pull away from its focus on defending Continental Europe, and have its Army based in the UK, as a strategic reserve, available to defend Britain’s interests, has been vindicated by the withdrawal of BAOR back to the UK. A General thinking well ahead of his time.
For anyone wanting a high level summary of the political issues surrounding Britain’s exit from its Empire, this is an excellent read. General Jackson provides a easy to read explanation of the political drivers behind the military operations, ranging from the Partition in India in 1947, through to the British involvement in the Dhofar in Oman in the mid 1970s.
The text is accompanied by maps, which assists the reader in understanding better the detail of the military operations and the topography involved. General Jackson is one of the post WW2 soldiers scholars, well equipped to give a balanced account of the events involved. If I had a minor gripe, it was the references to “40th”, “42nd” and “45th” Commandos throughout. That would be enough to make any Royal Marine readers to get thoroughly excited, when those units have always been known simply as “40”, as in “Forty”, etc. I was surprised that a general of Jackson’s seniority and provenance had made such a simple mistake.
That aside, an excellent book. General Jackson wrote the book in 1985. His prophecy, in the last chapter, of Britain’s need to pull away from its focus on defending Continental Europe, and have its Army based in the UK, as a strategic reserve, available to defend Britain’s interests, has been vindicated by the withdrawal of BAOR back to the UK. A General thinking well ahead of his time.
January 10, 2022
...And ½; not quite three stars for reasons I'll elucidate presently. Review to follow (I hope) after I get computer issues somewhat squared away and finish the 'Jazz Covers' review...
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews