BFBS Forces News presents Great British Battle Commanders hosted by Professor Michael Clarke, Sitrep’s defence analyst, assessing the leadership and strategy of Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery with the former Chief of the Army and former Chief of the Defence Staff, General Lord Richards.
The interview is recorded in the D-Day Map Room at Southwick House, outside Portsmouth, the former nerve centre for Operation Overlord.
Based on his book ‘Great British Commanders’, Michael Clarke asks what makes for successful command? Is success or failure wholly determined by the circumstances each commander faces – with a bit of luck thrown in? Or are there some essential truths about command and human nature which ultimately make the difference in battle?
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I don't think that Monty had any choice over Arnhaim, I think that the decision to go came from Washington due to the first V2 attack. I know there is little evidence to back up my theory but Washington expected the Germans to mount, if not an atomic warhead, then a dirty warhead. Interestingly, none of the American generals blame Monty for its failure, they fall out later when Monty speaks to the press.
Monty was a genius. Anyone else in human history with his tactlessness could never have remained alive more than a few minutes, but he did! No colleague of his could ever have been criticised had they shot him in anger.
Excellent and enlightening discussion. Thank you, BFBS.
Excellent well informed video. Thank you.
A true leader
I once duscussed Monty with a retired army Colonel, who also led battlefield tours. He wasn't very complementary about Monty's abilities
No thanks. I wasted 30 mins on Wellington.
Montgomery = El Alamein but – Operation Market Garden
He did a fact finding of africa in 1947 and suggested filling
Up the continent with europeans as the africans
Weren't capable
Now we see the communists
Taking over russia and china and
Cuba was involved earlier!
My father remembered a passing-out patade at Eaton Hall, where Monty said: "we all respect leaders who are heroic: I want you to be leaders who make it unnecessary [by out-thinking the enemy]."
I do not understand the shade put on Montgomery. He won in North Africa starting in El Alamein and ending in Tunisia. He won in Sicily. He won in Italy. He won in Normandy then greater France. He won in Belgium at the Battle of the Bulge. He won in Germany crossing the Rhine. All of those campaigns were planned methodically against entrenched or highly mobile well equipped enemies.
Spike Milligan wrote of how when Monty took command planning, fitness and discipline became priorities.
Yes Arnhem was a disaster but when he was ambitious, reckless and aggressive like Patton (contrary to his character) it failed. For all of Patton’s propaganda, Patton was reckless, did not care about logistics and was willing to treat his men with contempt.
The US Army’s first engagement with the Germans at Kasserine Pass was a near disaster. The Sicilian and Italian campaigns proved the Americans were still learning. The British, Canadians and Poles under Monty in Normandy faced the bulk of German armour around Caen and saved the Allied invasion by absorbing most of the German blows.
Monty was methodical, planned in depth, embraced artillery and new technologies like the Hobart Funnies and was resilient. The Brits had the 17pdr anti tank gun and PIAT which were the only weapon capable of stopping the Tiger and Panther. Until the M4AE8 was available with its 76mm high velocity round the US couldn’t match the German heavy armour and Monty knew this.
“Unbeatable”? Tell that to 1st Para.
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"speak truth to powe.."
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A lot of Monty's character seems to fit high functioning autistic.
Thank you
A careful study of the verified historical record, shows that Churchills faith in Montgomery was misplaced and it shows that it was not Montgomery who defeated Rommel, but the Australian and New Zealanders. Misreporting of this led to the Australian PM withdrawing all their troops from North Africa.
On D Day Montgomery also fluffed it with his mismanagement of the British advance towards Caen which he failed to take for a month. Patton wheeled around him and the Germans retreated.
Then operation Market Garden was a complete disaster, and only 1500 troops of the 1st Airborne survived at of 12,000. Eisenhower thereafter sidelined him and never trusted him again.
My Dad fought under Gen Montgomery in Sicily & Italy (1st Canadian Armoured Brigade – Calgary Tanks), and had NOTHING BUT PRAISE for him. I didn't hear many stories about the war, but here's a short one….
General Monty was a bit of an odd duck. He was out checking out the troops one day in Italy – where the weather was SCORCHINGLY HOT. His vehicle passed a truck doing an ammunition run, and was a bit stunned to see several Canadians either loading or unloading the truck, completely NAKED – except for their boots and …… TOP HATS.
The next day – a General Order was issued…. "TOP HATS Will NOT be worn in the British 8th Army." 🤣
Monty,????? Slim he was the real deal, not Monty
What about Market Garden a Bridge too Far
Did Montgomery have a good chiefs of staff? I tend to think of later armies requiring a leader and a manager, such as Napoleon and Berthier or Hindenburg and Ludendorff. Did Monty just do everything or was there a subordinate he relied on?
well done. Thanks. !!
Wonderful presentation and production. Montgomery was a born soldier. One can imagine Churchill doing many things but not Monty who was utterly single minded. Great series so far😂
I cannot imagine the effect of laying out in No-Man's Land with a serious wound, and a dead medic laying on top of him all day must have had on Monty; he must have been seriously damaged mentally.
At about 9.30 or so, Richard’s calls Monty ‘necky’…….haven’t heard that as in ‘necky for a nig’ for 50 years…..since basic….from a 2434 – 1974 – 1998…..😂😂
Waiting for the American armchair generals to arrive to explain to a former Chief of Defense Staff how wrong he is in his assessment of Montgomery.
Question: how much credit for the planning of Alam el Halfa should be given to the reviled and abrasive Colonel (?) Eric Dorman-Smith, working together with Auchinleck?
Continuation: Dorman-Smith was effectively airbrushed out of history, possibly because, at Sandhurst, he was heard to say, “Montgomery takes a sledgehammer to crack a nut”.
Tedder was not intelligent enough as he finished his eduction with a lower second at Cambridge, Eisenhower was just a politician who had an affair with a junior officer, Leigh-Mallory was a back stabber who warned against the air drops the night before the operation was launched, Montgomery was a prima donna and lacked any personal charm, Bradley was dull and without imagination, Ramsey retired before the war and was too old and Smith was just a factotum of Eisenhower.
Yet somehow, these men planned the landing in Normandy as good as can be reasonably expected. Either the armchair generals that I’ve quoted are not very smart or they are missing the point or both.
At about 8:55 "Put Sir in and you can say anything" …
How could Monty in the hour of careless talk costs lives declare,
“We are drawing the Panzer Devisions (7?,) on Caan, withdrawal then destroy.”
Why would he say that at any time?
Because it was part of the plan
They all knew the plan
It all takes time to eventually leave space for a breakout
Discretion is the better part of valour
As an Australian familiar with MacArthur’s role – and behaviour – in the SW Pacific, it would be easy to see the American High Command as intensely competitive and political…. and that would go a long way to explain the American distaste for Montgomery.
He was almost as arrogant as they were. 😂
(Ok, Ike being an obvious exception. 👍)
my granpa served under him in north africa.. lets just say he wasnt a fan.
Montgomery? Wasn't that the guy who always finished second behind Patton?
This is turning out to be a great series. Thanks BFBS!