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ROBERTSON, FM Sir William (1860-1933)
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Papers relating to a War Office war game exercise, 1905, intended to test British protection of Belgian neutrality in the event of a war between Germany and France

Bound volume entitled 'Records of a strategic war game', prepared by the Directorate of Military Operations, General Staff, War Office, describing the preliminary work and the course of operations, and providing a summary and conclusion, for an exercise by the Directorate, under the command of Maj Gen James Moncrieff Grierson, Director of Military Operations, exploring the military protection of Belgian neutrality by Great Britain during a Franco-German war. Robertson acted as Commander of the German Forces. 1 vol.

Letter from Robertson to Major General Charles Callwell, 16 Oct 1915, on Robertson's belief that the war can only be won on the Western Front

Letter from Robertson to temporary Maj Gen Charles Edward Callwell, Director of Military Operations and Intelligence at the War Office, expressing doubts that supremacy in the Balkans will have any long term advantage for the Germans, and his opinion that the war will be won by wearing down the German Army on the Western Front; a brief description of the end of the Battle of Loos, Western Front, on 8 Oct. 4pp.

Letter from Robertson to Major General Charles Callwell, 22 Oct 1915, on subjects including the difficulties of moving troops, and withdrawal from Gallipoli

Letter from Robertson to temporary Maj Gen Charles Edward Callwell, Director of Military Operations and Intelligence at the War Office, reporting on the delay of the two British divisions being sent from France to Salonika, Greece; the difficulties of moving units from one area of operations to another; his opinion that the Gallipoli force should be evacuated to Egypt and used as a source for operations other than the Western Front. 3pp.

Letter from Robertson to Major General Charles Callwell, 11 Dec 1915, on subjects including the Balkans

Letter from Robertson to temporary Maj Gen Charles Edward Callwell, Director of Military Operations and Intelligence at the War Office, on operations in the Balkans, including the position of French Gen Maurice Paul Emmanuel Sarrail, Commander in Chief, French Army of the Orient; Robertson's view that temporary Gen Sir Charles Carmichael Monro should become Commander in Chief in the Mediterranean, to prevent duplication of effort by different officers there; the attitudes of the various Allies to operations at Salonika, Greece, as voiced at the Chantilly Conference. 4pp.

General Staff memo, 16 Dec 1915, on the future conduct of the war

General Staff memorandum on the future conduct of the war, including general considerations as to the offensive possibilities for the Allies, general defensive considerations and the number of divisions available for offensive actions; the difficulties of action in the Balkans; the possibility of breaking the German lines on the Western Front, and concluding that the Western Front should be treated as the main theatre of operations and the number of troops in other theatres should be reduced. 18pp.

Letter from Robertson to David Lloyd George, 26 Jun 1916, about the relationship between the Secretary of State for War and the CIGS

Two copies, one incomplete, of a letter from Robertson to the Rt Hon David Lloyd George, shortly before the latter took up the post of Secretary of State for War, attempting to clarify the relationship between the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) and the Secretary of State for War, and expressing Robertson's satisfaction in the performance of the army given its resources. 8pp.

Letter from Brigadier General Prince Alexander of Teck to Robertson, 12 May 1916, about possible Western Front commanders

Letter to Robertson from Brig Gen Prince Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George of Teck, (later 1st Earl of Athlone), General Staff Officer, Grade 1, British Military Mission to the Belgian Army, recommending possible candidates for command on the Western Front. 2pp.

Letter from Lieutenant General Sir Herbert Miles to Robertson, 16 Jun 1916, on subjects including Robertson's promotion, and Gibraltar

Letter to Robertson from Lt Gen Sir Herbert (Scott Gould) Miles, Governor and Commander in Chief of Gibraltar, congratulating Robertson on his promotion to Chief of the Imperial General Staff; commenting upon the organisation of the General Staff, and the defence of Gibraltar. 4pp.

Notes by Sir Edward Grey, 19 Jun 1916, about French naval manoeuvres, Greece, and the unauthorised deployment of British troops

Notes by Sir Edward Grey, 3rd Bt, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, commenting on telegrams from Capt [(William Archibald) Howard] Kelly, Naval Liaison Officer with the French Marine, concerning the use by the French authorities of British troops at Salonika, Greece, for a naval demonstration at Athens, Greece, without the consent of the War Office (see 7/4/22 and 24). 3pp.

Note from Robertson to Sir Edward Grey, 20 Jun 1916, about relations with neutral Greece

Note from Robertson to Sir Edward Grey, 3rd Bt, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, commenting on French attempts to use British troops for a naval demonstration at Athens, Greece, and the importance of avoiding hostilities with Greece. Includes a brief note by Grey on communications between the French Government and the War Office (see 7/4/22-23). 2pp.

Letter from Lieutenant General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston to Robertson, 2 Jul 1916, about the first day of the Battle of the Somme

Letter to Robertson from temporary Lt Gen Sir Aylmer Gould Hunter-Weston, General Officer Commanding, 8 Corps, British Armies in France, giving a report of the fighting on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on the Western Front, 1 Jul 1916, and the reasons for the failure of the British attacks on Gommecourt, Serre and Beaumont Hamel, namely the strength of the German artillery barrage and machine gun fire, and the lack of heavy howitzer ammunition on the British side. Includes a report by Brig Gen Hubert Conway Rees, General Officer Commanding, 94 Infantry Bde, British Armies in France, on the battle west of Serre on 1 Jul, noting that very few British infantry reached the German front lines due to the strong artillery barrage and accurate rifle and machine gun fire, and commenting upon the exceptional bravery of the British troops. 6pp.

Letter from Lord Hardinge to Robertson, 19 Jul 1916, about communications with the French

Letter to Robertson from Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, informing him that he has passed Robertson's note on the question of command at Salonika, Greece, to the French [Foreign] Minister, Aristide Briand, and that he has requested the date of the Conference in Paris. 1p.

Letter from General Sir Beauchamp Duff to Robertson, 21 Jul 1916, on subjects including military medicine in Mesopotamia

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Beauchamp Duff, Commander in Chief, India, on the Vincent Commission report upon medical arrangements in Mesopotamia, and Duff's complaints concerning its methods of collecting information; the refusal of the Rt Hon Herbert Henry Asquith, Prime Minister, to allow the Mesopotamian papers to be made public for reasons of military security; the proposed takeover of the control of military operations in India and the surrounding countries by the War Office; military requirements in the event of two divisions of troops being sent to India for the protection of the North-West Frontier; Duff's anxieties regarding supply lines to the troops and levies on the North West Frontier, and the need to increase the number of troops there in case of a Turkish attack through Afghanistan. 6pp.

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