Career of Controversy: 7 Facts About Military Reformer Viscount Wolseley

6. He Gained a Promotion by Merit

The Victorian military establishment generally promoted those with money or credentials, but Wolseley actually managed to earn it by merit. He spent his early years serving all over the Empire, circling around Burma to China, even to the Crimea.

Not one to go down without a fight, Wolseley was injured not once but twice in battle, losing his sight in one eye. His courage and competency gained him attention from his peers, and he led victorious expeditions to Red River in Canada (1870) and in the Ashanti War in east Africa (1873-4). Furthermore, he led soldiers in the Zulu War, while also annexing Egypt for Britain in 1882, following the defeat of nationalist forces at Tel-el-Kebir.

Not only was he commended on his success as a field commander, but Wolseley took administrative power roles in Cyprus and South Africa.

While Wolseley’s field career had a great run, it ended with tragedy just before he was set to move on. Unfortunately, he was unable to save Khartoum from Mahdists, which led to the death of British Commander and Major-General Gordon and his troops.

5. He Had a Passion for Reform

Growing up as a student of war, Wolseley wrote a book called The Soldier’s Pocket Book, which was published in 1869. It detailed his theory about needing to prepare for war, even in times of peace.

In 1871, once he acquired his first job at the War Office, Wolseley set into motion a plan to modernize the British army, and wanted support for his reforming agenda. His goal was to instate shorter terms of service, push for reforms between regular and auxiliary forces, and create other fundamental changes.

But the Victorian army relied upon its ideals of superior moral character, insisting that a strong spirit and was the key to victory. Wolseley never claimed to disagree with this notion, but he thought that shorter service didn’t need to conflict with one’s fighting spirit and that other factors were necessary for achieving victory as well. His outsider perspective brought about conflict with others in the establishment.

4. He Built a Stronghold of Fellow Officers Around Him

Wolseley was so intent on getting his ideas across that he organized a group of talented officers who shared his vision. They were later referred to as the “Wolseley Ring.” Consisting of fellow Red River officers, veterans and a collection of inspired Staff College graduates, the ring was quite a prestigious group. Wolseley wanted to ensure his way of thinking would be carried out without a hitch, ensuring repeated command in his operations.

Naturally, the ring incited controversy within the army. Wolseley would exclude other service members while favoring his group of officers, affecting significant expeditions like the Egypt campaign and the disaster in Khartoum.

3. His Term in the War Office

From 1871 and onward, Wolseley had served in the War Office, which controlled the rest of the regular army. Following the Khartoum failure, his service was then heavily utilized as a guiding hand for the British military.

He became Adjutant-General from 1882-1890, pushing for vast improvements in the everyday tasks of ordinary soldiers. He focused on their diet and clothing selection, including steering the military away from brightly-colored uniforms. Later, he then modernized the infantry drill book, called for an expansion of military intelligence, and wanted military resources and better preparation for home defense made readily available.

He achieved the title of Commander-in-Chief by 1895, and while continuing military reform was his top priority, he was ultimately limited by poor health and bad relations with major politicians. He only served six years before stepping down from his post.

2. The Duke of Cambridge Was Not Always an Ally

Wolseley would repeatedly butt heads with the Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, who was also the Commander-in-Chief of the army. Wolseley served under him for quite some time, which was both a high and low point of Wolseley’s career.

The Duke was a conservative known for opposing military reform, which was the culprit for many disagreements between the two men. He believed that Britain’s success spoke of the army’s efficiency, so change was unnecessary. Many of Wolseley’s ideas were blocked by the Duke’s influence, leaving the two in a bitter feud for much of their careers.

However, they did see eye-to-eye when it came to rallying for more resources in the army. Hating that politicians could interfere in their work without being challenged upset both of them and hindered their plans. Despite this, they both aimed for maintaining control of the military supply chain.

1. He Laid Good Groundwork for Reform, But Didn’t See Much of it Materialize in His Time

Wolseley never reached the highest potential he sought after for the British army. After all, he was constantly undermined by the appalling behavior of other commanders in the field. His reforms were only ever briefly touched upon, never truly coming to fruition with the conservative ideal still hovering over his every idea.

He passed away in 1913, never seeing the ultimate test of his reforms that finally made their way to the forefront during WWI.