WI Fewer British Military Disasters in 19th Century?

Great Britain seemed to suffer from an awfully high number of military catastrophes in the 19th century. The annihilation of Elphinstone's army in Afghanistan, the annihilation of the columns at Isandlwana, and the death of Gordon at Khartoum are all prominent failures, and while the Crimean War was a "victory", its only lasting cultural contributions seem to have been a name for ski masks and the disaster of the Charge of the Light Brigade.

What could prevent these disasters from taking place? Better equipment and training, comparable to the continental European armies? Better leadership? Or is a colonial "grab-it-if-it-isn't-colored-on-the-map-yet" policy bound to produce the occasional poor leaders and/or military disaster?
 
Was this really an awful lot compared to other countries and number of conflicts?
Anyway, I would start with ending the selling of commissions much faster than in OTL
 
I'm not sure if they really suffered from more catastrophes per battle, or however you'd determine the actual fuckup level, than any other military power in history. Military history pretty much is a history of appalling fuckups. The whole greed, jingoism and tendency to see the enemy as inferior in every respect that came with or was a prerequisite for colonialism sure didn't help though, that's for certain. But even under the best of circumstances, there will be fuckups. There is a marked tendency to overestimate yourself, or underestimate your enemy, or your estimates of yourself and the enemy are exactly correct and then some Hitler or Rumsfeld orders you to do it anyway and do it with 1/3rd the level of troops you thought insufficient.
 
Great Britain seemed to suffer from an awfully high number of military catastrophes in the 19th century. The annihilation of Elphinstone's army in Afghanistan, the annihilation of the columns at Isandlwana, and the death of Gordon at Khartoum are all prominent failures, and while the Crimean War was a "victory", its only lasting cultural contributions seem to have been a name for ski masks and the disaster of the Charge of the Light Brigade.

What could prevent these disasters from taking place? Better equipment and training, comparable to the continental European armies? Better leadership? Or is a colonial "grab-it-if-it-isn't-colored-on-the-map-yet" policy bound to produce the occasional poor leaders and/or military disaster?

With the immense number of aggressive wars launched by Britain, it's more or less inevitable that there would be reverses. We had a couple of notable ones ourselves, the French had the Flatters and Crampel misions, etc.
 

MrP

Banned
I half recall that Elphy Bey didn't think he was up to the job, and was a bit poorly, anyway. So removing that catastrophe isn't too tricky. Isandhlwana is a failure to set out who was in charge and make plans in advance of contact, underestimation of the enemy and so on. However, removing Frere and replacing him with someone less antagonistic toward the Zulus could remove the whole war - at its OTL time, anyway.

However, it would in one way be rather a shame. I know I am (and I strongly suspect others, too, are) rather fond in a distant-I'm-not-actually-being-killed-in-snow-atop-a-mountain-by-angry-men of the various disasters. Although tragedies, of course, they can offer up more startling examples of courage than successful actions. As I say, the chaps killed and their despairing families would doubtless rather see Blighty again.
 

perfectgeneral

Donor
Monthly Donor
Was this really an awful lot compared to other countries and number of conflicts?
Anyway, I would start with ending the selling of commissions much faster than in OTL
This is so fast to the point that I cut my finger.

Amateur leadership with poor strategy. There are notable lapses in tactics (opening ammo cases by the numbers with a regulation screwdriver being an example) that screen an overall lack of strategy. The British army had some of the best fighters in the world and generally fought well up to officer level.

Public school education might improve morale, but a little planning goes a long way.
 

Thande

Donor
Was this really an awful lot compared to other countries and number of conflicts?

They're remembered because Britain was Top Nation, and therefore every minor setback was "the beginning of the end for the evil juggernaut!" for those waiting in the wings, in the same way that nowadays every time three American soldiers get killed in Somalia everyone runs around acting like the US is about to disintegrate.
 
They're remembered because Britain was Top Nation, and therefore every minor setback was "the beginning of the end for the evil juggernaut!" for those waiting in the wings, in the same way that nowadays every time three American soldiers get killed in Somalia everyone runs around acting like the US is about to disintegrate.

I think another point, in addition to yours, is that defeats are remember and victories aren't.
 
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