Were Haldane S Reforms The Most Dramatic Reforms Of The British Army? [20 Marks]

How far do you agree with the view that Haldane ‘s reforms were the most dramatic reforms of the British army between 1790-1918? [20 marks]There was a dramatic transformation of the British army between 1790 and 1918. There was a need for military improvement due to the growing Prussian power and weak British force. There were two key reforms during this time, Cardwell’s army reforms (1868-74) and Haldane’s army reforms (1905-12). Both reforms had a significant impact on the British army. Cardwell’s reforms did initiate the need for improvement in the British army. However, the Haldane’s reforms had more of a beneficial impact on the British army compared to the Cardwell reforms. The Crimean War had revealed the substantial weaknesses of the British army. As a result of the McNeill-Tulloch Report, the government had more power over the army. Edward Cardwell became the new secretary for war in 1868, he was responsible for reforming the army. Cardwell’s reforms were the first of their kind, they faced many problems when attempting to reform the army. At the time, generals did not want change, recruitment was extremely low, and the promotion system meant inexperienced, wealthy men would assume positions of power.