Politics, the Press, and the Royal Commission on the War in South Africa
In: International Journal of Military History and HistoriographySearch for other papers by Stephen M. Miller in
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Abstract
This article examines the British Government’s decision to establish the Royal Commission on the War in South Africa and how the Edwardian press presented its findings to the public. It will discuss how the Conservative media attempted to downplay the significance of the report and how the Liberal and Radical presses attempted to use it to raise questions about the Government’s ability to manage crises and, by linking the failures of military planning to new Conservative economic and education policies, challenge the competency of the Colonial Secretary and powerful Unionist leader, Joseph Chamberlain. Finally, it will show how the press, regardless of political leaning, remained supportive of the military leadership which conducted the war effort despite it playing a significant role in the faulty planning and operational failures of 1899.
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Politics, the Press, and the Royal Commission on the War in South Africa
In: International Journal of Military History and HistoriographySearch for other papers by Stephen M. Miller in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
This article examines the British Government’s decision to establish the Royal Commission on the War in South Africa and how the Edwardian press presented its findings to the public. It will discuss how the Conservative media attempted to downplay the significance of the report and how the Liberal and Radical presses attempted to use it to raise questions about the Government’s ability to manage crises and, by linking the failures of military planning to new Conservative economic and education policies, challenge the competency of the Colonial Secretary and powerful Unionist leader, Joseph Chamberlain. Finally, it will show how the press, regardless of political leaning, remained supportive of the military leadership which conducted the war effort despite it playing a significant role in the faulty planning and operational failures of 1899.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 300 | 97 | 8 |
| Full Text Views | 48 | 6 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 150 | 45 | 0 |