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Lieutenant-General Sir John French (1852–1925)

© the copyright holder. Image credit: National Army Museum

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Sir John French was in overall command of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) when it landed in France in August 1914, at the outbreak of the war. He was an experienced general who had skillfully commanded cavalry during the Boer War (1899–1902). But, like many other generals of his generation, he found modern warfare far more challenging, a problem that was compounded by his lack of staff training and mercurial temperament. French’s position was made more unstable by personality clashes with his colleagues, including Lord Kitchener (the Secretary of State for War); General Sir Douglas Haig; the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith; and even George V. In the wake of the failure of British offensives in 1915 French was forced to resign as Commander-in-Chief of the BEF on 6 December 1915.

National Army Museum

London

Title

Lieutenant-General Sir John French (1852–1925)

Date

1903

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 102 x W 76 cm

Accession number

NAM. 1973-06-58

Acquisition method

gift from Mr T. Gwyn Jones, 1973

Work type

Painting

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National Army Museum

Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London, Greater London SW3 4HT England

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