Learning

Resource 2014

The British Armed Forces

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01: Why do we have Armed Forces? 04 The role of the Armed Forces: delivering at home and abroad06 A just war? Can it ever be right to fight?08 Twice a citizen: the Armed Forces in society10 Values: our ethos on the battlefield and in the classroom

02: The Armed Forces in our history14 Winning freedom: the importance of historic victories16 Two World Wars: the conflicts that shaped our world18 Recent conflicts: protecting the peace

05: The British Armed Forces42 The Royal Navy: 1000 years on Britain’s frontline44 The British Army: ready to serve, whatever is asked46 The Royal Air Force: operating at the cutting edge

03:The work of the Armed Forces today22 Operations: protecting our allies & interests24 Deterrence: encouraging diplomacy, preventing war26 Stronger together: united with allies and partners worldwide28 Assistance: building allies & stability30 Support: search, rescue & backup

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06:Lesson ideas50 Why do we have Armed Forces?51 The Armed Forces in our history52 The work of the Armed Forces today53 Consequences of the work of the Armed Forces54 The British Armed Forces

04: Consequences of the work of the Armed Forces 34 Building Britain: the wider benefits of defence36 Welfare: serving those who served38 Remembrance: sorrow, pride and hope

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The British Armed Forces Learning Resource 2014The British Armed Forces Learning Resource has been developed as a learning resource for History, English and Citizenship, for Key Stages 1–4, as well as older students. It is designed to help teachers introduce students to the work of the Armed Forces in Britain and abroad, exploring their role, history, current operations and what it is like to work as part of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. It includes background information, views and different perspectives from many longstanding members of the Armed Forces and others who have now transferred their skills and expertise to new careers, at all levels and from all walks of life. Lesson ideas are given at the end of the resource, discussing ideas and themes around each topic.

This resource has been designed as a fully interactive digital publication, enabling you to click through to each section from the contents page and embeds additional links to websites, audio and video where relevant in each page. The links are coded as follows:

Web link: clicking on this icon takes you to the relevant website

Video link: clicking on this icon takes you to the relevant YouTube link/page

Audio link: clicking on this icon takes you to the relevant podcast or audio link

The resource may be shared with students and colleagues by simply copying and pasting the URL into an email and sending. The pages can be printed individually or as a whole document and a directory of useful numbers and links to websites for further information are given on the last page.

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Britain’s Armed Forces have an incredibly proud history. For centuries they have defended the people of these islands, at sea, on land and in the air – fighting off invasion, protecting our allies, safeguarding our trade and promoting our interests and values.

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S ome of these battles are famous. Trafalgar, Ypres, the Battle of Britain and D-Day

are all rightly remembered for shaping the world we live in. Most people in the UK today will have relatives who served in one of those conflicts – and every single one of us benefits from the freedom they secured. This teaching pack doesn’t just offer an introduction to that proud past; it explains why the Armed Forces still matter now and in the future. First, it shows the reach of Armed Forces. Across the world today, men and women are serving as bravely as any in our history. Sailors are on the seas defending our trade from piracy. Soldiers are giving our allies the training they need. Airmen are coming to the aid of victims in the most dangerous conflict zones. And all of them are working to defend us from the biggest threat to our security: terrorism. What’s more, they are ambassadors at home and abroad, from helping us to deliver a peaceful Olympic Games to extending our diplomatic impact.

Second, this pack demonstrates the values our Armed Forces embody. Their focus on duty, service, integrity and teamwork – these are the British values we hold dearly. Reservists reflect these in their workplaces. Cadets reflect them in their schools. And around the world, the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines stand for freedom, fairness, tolerance and responsibility. Third, it shows just how much we owe these men and women. There is not a single person in this country who is not a direct beneficiary of their sacrifices and bravery. We are in their debt; and we should be profoundly grateful for what they do. This pack is written by those who understand the ethos of service and sacrifice required of all those who wear the Queen’s uniform. It is structured to work with your studies in citizenship and history, raising questions and areas for discussion, as well as linking to other resources and publications. I hope this will be the beginning of your interest in Britain’s Armed Forces – the finest and bravest in the world.

David CameronPrime Minister

01: Why do we have Armed Forces?

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The role of the Armed Forces and the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence. The Armed Forces in society and the values and ethics that set them apart.

Military Tasks

01 The first of these is to provide strategic intelligence. Whether it is a ship or a submarine off an enemy coast listening to their communications, or an aircraft scanning the ground for activity and movement, or a soldier studying terrorist groups; providing that understanding of what is going on in the world is vital if our government is going to react appropriately. Alongside other parts of government we provide the nation’s window on the world.

02 Our second task is the nuclear deterrent. We list that separately because it is our ultimate response and the final guarantee that Britain will never be an easy target. It takes huge effort to be ready every minute of every day but because we can never provide a guaranteed picture of the future, we must be constantly prepared to act.

03 The third is the most well known task, what is sometimes called defence of the realm. It is the

essential purpose of our Armed Forces to make sure the British people can live in peace.

04 This ties into our fourth task – because we are also here to help in times of national emergency. The police, ambulance and fire service cannot be prepared for everything on their own so, when needed, we help. That may include supporting the police if there is a terrorist situation, such as the IranianEmbassy siege in 1980, or helping ministries with national issues such as the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 or the floods earlier this year.

05 Overseas our role is diverse too because we are not simply able to fight wars but also to build alliances. Our fifth role is to do just that. To support British influence we carry out many different activities: from sending defence attachés around the world, to training foreign forces both abroad and in the UK. We also have many Service personnel demonstrating their skills with groups like the Red Arrows or our Military Bands. They too play their part in promoting the UK.

06 Perhaps the most sought after role from our friends – friends in the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the European Union or groups of like minded countries – is our sixth task:

The role of the Armed Forces: delivering for Britain at home and abroad The role of the Armed Forces is set out by the

government and it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence to deliver. This is done through seven overarching jobs that we call Military Tasks. Many of them overlap and are done at the same time but to understand our place in the nation’s life it is important to know each separately.

The Challenger 2 being tested to the limit as it ploughs through the sands of the Omani desert in the training area north of Thumbrait.

HMS Edinburgh conducting maritime security patrols around the British South Atlantic Islands, including the Falklands and South Georgia.

The Red Arrows provide a thrilling finale to the Armed Forces Day National Event Plymouth.

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Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, former Chief of Joint Operations, former Chief of Defence Intelligence, and first Commander of the UK Joint Forces Command

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to provide expeditionary capability. Recently we have sent aircraft to the Baltic and a battle group to Poland to play their part in NATO exercises to reassure our eastern European friends that we will stand with them. In 2000 we sent a task force to Sierra Leone to drive back the rebel army and allow the government to re-establish control. But this wasn’t enough without our final task...

07 ...Providing security for stabilisation. Today’s Armed Forces work very closely with many parts of government and none more so than, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development. Together we help countries rebuild after war or disaster. Sometimes we lend skills, such as our Royal Engineers; sometimes we lend strength to ensure those doing the hard work are protected. We did both in West Africa.

Together, these military tasks are why we have the Armed Forces. Everything we do is decided upon by Parliament and changes when required to meet the needs of the British people. For us, the most important thing is to be prepared to react to whatever is needed; wherever that may be.

Right: A Gunner from Kings Troop, The Royal Horse Artillery, raises the Union Jack during the London Paralympics in 2012. ©

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A just war? Can it ever be right to fight?

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O ur elected government decides when that is. Ordering our army, navy

or air force to fight is a terrible responsibility so taking that decision is something we must consider deeply. In Britain the use of our Armed Forces is not taken lightly and our democracy ensures that whatever the orders, the people through their government decide, never the Armed Forces themselves.

Most religions understand that force must sometimes be used in an appropriate, moral and legal manner. In Islam it can only be to eliminate persecution, oppression or injustice, to establish peace and to protect the weak. Unsurprisingly, that’s similar to Christianity or Judaism. None allow terrorism no matter what some say.

‘Just’ causeOnly when there is a just cause, with a proportionate response, conducted as a last resort, targeted at the enemy, not civilians, and carried out under a competent authority (meaning a legal government) with the probability of success can a war be considered ‘just’.

Quite rightly, many wish there were no need for Armed Services today, but the past century has taught us that to protect ourselves from invasion, persecution, repression and injustice we must be able to defend ourselves. And this century

has shown that an interconnected, globalised world means international terrorism can poison the minds of our own citizens and we need to stop it.

But it is not enough to have the right to fight, the way you fight must also be right; the rules of war matter and breaking them is a crime. That is what separates an army from a rabble and makes our Armed Forces the best in the world. I saw first hand how troops behaved when I served in Afghanistan building bridges across communities and working to bring peace. Our troops were exemplary. I was proud to serve with them as they helped the Afghan people who have suffered so long.

The best of a generationThe Servicemen and women are the best of their generation because they expect more of themselves. The military demands values that are noble but often forgotten: courage, discipline, respect for others, integrity, loyalty and selfless commitment. In Afghanistan I saw these lived with amazing devotion even in the most difficult of circumstances. They are Islamic and Christian values too. To maintain such standards requires our Armed Forces to train hard. Not only to protect the UK but for deployments around the world which contribute to international security, stability and peace – all of which ensure the safety and security of the UK and our allies.

War is the greatest failure of mankind. It is the failure of politics, the failure of diplomacy, the failure of our own humanity. But tragically, it is all too often forced upon us. I am proud to serve with the British Armed Forces because our forces do not seek conflict, but they’re ready when it is, tragically, necessary.

Soldiers under fire during Operation Oqab Tsuka in Afghanistan. Operation Oqab Tsuka was of vital importance providing a hydro-electric turbine to the dam at Kajaki in Helmand Province.

Soldiers on patrol in Helmand, Afghanistan with young onlookers.

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Imam Asim Hafiz, Islamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces

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07Imam Asim Hafiz meets British and Afghan troops in Shorabak, Helmand.

Soldiers working with communities in Afghanistan.

For me, the Armed Forces are as much part of British society as the NHS, the Police or the Fire Brigade. Like the Armed Forces they make Britain a safe and prosperous nation for all her citizens. Without them, the strong would be able to protect themselves, the weak would be left to suffer.

Though every conflict is because we as human beings have failed, looking around the world I am proud to serve with the British Armed Forces because they seek peace and because the men and women who serve understand that only by respecting each other can we limit the suffering war causes.

Imam Asim Hafiz undertook a six-month tour of Afghanistan in 2012, and has made many additional visits, travelling to British and Afghan bases in Kabul and Helmand Province.

The Imam was in Afghanistan to highlight the importance of religious and cultural understanding, in his role as Islamic Religious Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff. He engaged with troops of different faiths and of all ranks to promote better understanding within the Forces. He also led prayers in different locations with Afghan soldiers, UK Muslim soldiers and members of the US Marine Corps. Im

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When war was declared in 1914 and again in 1939 Reservists formed the

skeleton around which the new wartime army, navy and air force were built. This allowed units to be put into combat quickly and meant the enemy could be held off.

Reservists contribute as much on every operation the military undertakes today. In Afghanistan and Iraq one in ten of the troops deployed had given up civilian employment and left the comforts of their homes and family to serve our country. Tragically, many made the ultimate sacrifice.

Those men and women were able to do so because they are part of one Royal Navy, one British Army and one Royal Air Force. In all three Services the Reservists are integrated into the regular fighting units so that they are able to serve and fight side by side. They train together, learn together and, when needed, deploy together.

This means that when they go back to their civilian employment, whether in an office or a school, the Reservists are very much part of the Service they joined. They take with them the ethos of discipline, courage, respect for others, selfless commitment, loyalty and integrity that are essential to running a successful fighting unit but also that make any organisation a better, more effective service.I saw this many times over the 40 years I had the privilege of serving in the Armed Forces. Time and again

I was struck by the strength of character and personal determination that enabled Reservists to give up time at home and turn up to serve. As Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff for the Reserve Forces and Cadets I was constantly told by employers what a contribution Reservists made to organisations across the country.

Nowhere is this more so than in our schools. Through the Troops to Teachers programme many men and women are bringing their culture to the classroom and beginning to deliver impressive results. Combined with the work of Cadet forces, both in schools and in the community, this is already beginning to change the ethos of many colleges. Self-discipline and self-respect go hand in hand to build a better community and the military can do much to boost both.

The Cadet movement is not about recruiting, it is much more important than that. It is about helping young men and women who may one day help to run our country get the breadth of experience they need to learn about our nation and each other. Adventurous training and team exercises are no doubt fun, but more than that they build strength of character, teamwork and leadership that matter more than ever. Of the 130,000 who are in the Cadets few will join the Armed Forces but the nation will still benefit because as they move through life they will know what it means to be a citizen, in every sense.

Major General the Duke of Westminster,

British Army Reservist from 1970 to 2012, Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff, Reserve

Forces and Cadets, 2004 to 2007, Deputy Commander

Land Forces 2011 to 2012

Over the past century the Armed Forces of our country have been the backbone of our national life. Much of this was the unsung work of the Regulars and Reserves. Men and women who are, in the words of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, twice a citizen because they contribute to both the civilian and military life of our nation.

A Royal Air Force Reservist stands in front of a Chinook helicopter at a Reserves Career Day in London.

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Twice a citizen: the Armed Forces in society

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The Military Ethos Alternative Provision ProgrammeThrough the Military Ethos Alternative Provision Programme delivered by Challenger Troop, Commando Joes, Cadet Vocational Qualification Organisation, Knowsley Skills Academy, SkillForce and The Prince’s Trust, ex-Service men and women are helping disengaged and disadvantaged young people. Their aim is to help pupils to develop the traits we value in our Services such as self-discipline, self-confidence, respect and leadership so they can thrive in school and beyond. In 2014, over 50,000 pupils from over 500 schools participated in the Programme including over 1,200 pupils outside the mainstream school system.

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Sea Cadet Corps www.sea-cadets.org

Royal Marine Cadets www.sea-cadets.org/royal-marines-cadets

Army Cadet Force www.armycadets.com

Air Training Corps www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets

A day in the life of the Sea Cadets www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwXZcW4jjVU

An introduction to the Army Cadet Force www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC__wbD83EI &list=PL00E822841B8172D0

An introduction to the Air Training Corps www.youtube.com/watch?v=Diq2GxvyGUY

Cadet expansion programme www.combinedcadetforce.org.uk/ schools-expansion-programme/

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Sea Cadets marching in a procession of military cadets and officers to Beckenham war memorial on Remembrance Sunday.

Cadets at the Wiltshire Army Cadet Force Annual Camp.

The Grob 109B motor glider, known as the Vigilant T1, is used to give basic flying and gliding training to air cadets.

The Army Cadet Force made me. It demanded more of me than I asked of myself. It required me to believe in myself, to value myself and to know that with determination I could succeed.

For me it was never about a career in the Armed Forces. It was about serving my community. But first I had to learn the self-respect that leads to respecting others.

Over the first years as a Cadet I learnt more about myself than I did at school; I did not start out as top of the class, but by being a cadet I developed the focus and self-belief to out perform expectation by gaining a degree. This made me determined to share with others what I had learnt as a Cadet.

As a Sergeant-Instructor I got that chance. It was the first time I was in a position where I could see the influence I had on others. It taught me about responsibility and duty. Like many before me, and since, being a Cadet was more than just

changing into a uniform, it was about changing the way I thought about myself and our society.

Since then I am very proud to still be a part of the Cadet movement because of the opportunities it offers to all. Young girls and boys coming from every background become equal and part of one unit. The uniform makes differences in wealth or background disappear and allows all to work together without prejudice or stereotypes. This, for me, was liberation, as it continues to be for all Cadets today. For the first time I was regarded for who I was and what I did, not where I came from.

Today, the values the Cadets taught me – selfless commitment, courage, discipline, integrity, loyalty, respect for others, adherence to law – stay with me.

I hope one day my own children will learn the same strength that comes from an education in what it means to be a citizen of our society, in fact, what it means to be British. I am convinced that the Cadet movement creates young people who are ready for work, and ready for life.

I was a member of the Army Cadet Force for over 14 years and have recently made

a welcome return after being invited to be an honorary Colonel in the ACF. I have accepted this honour, knowing the life changing experience my membership of the Cadets provided me with as a boy and a young man.

Shaun Bailey, Army Cadet Force 1983 to today, youth worker, government adviser

Find out more by clicking on the links below.

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Cadet Force

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My job in the Royal Navy wasto provide atmospheric and oceanographic data to our

Command Centre, helping to advise on how the environment could give us an advantage on operations. It was demanding, tiring and fun. We had to work fast and accurately because others needed the information. Operations, and lives, depended on it.

Serving side by sideThat’s the thing about Service in the Armed Forces, it expects a lot of you, but gives you so much too. For me it was about working in a learning environment with the chance to blossom as responsibility and moral courage are expected of everyone. The Royal Navy has always employed people from around the world. On Nelson’s ship, at the battle of Trafalgar, men from around the globe fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. Now women serve too. On my ship differing ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations and social backgrounds served side by side and lived together for months at a time. There was no place for prejudice; no one would have tolerated it.

There are few environments that throw you together with people from such a wide range of backgrounds. It makes the Royal Navy a richer place as we draw from each other’s talents. This lesson in diversity, 10 A flight deck crew member guides a Royal Air Force Chinook

helicopter on to the deck of HMS Bulwark.

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A Royal Navy gunner shares a joke with a Royal Marine on board HMS Bulwark, sailing from Plymouth.

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community and respect, along with a life of experience, I try to bring to the classroom.

Our ethosI also bring one more thing – ethos. Because it is the ethos of the Armed Forces that sets us apart.

In the Royal Navy, Army and RAF, leadership, pride and integrity are demanded of everyone. They underpin the self-respect needed to value one another and to expect the most from ourselves and each other. That respect cannot be taught but people can discover it for themselves. That’s why a vital part of basic training in the Royal Navy is to find how to value yourself as a professional and as a person. In the classroom or the warship, only self-respect can push you to demand the highest standards of pride in your work and personal behavior.

Pride isn’t negative. When mixed with integrity it makes a good team great because everyone makes the effort to be better than they could be alone.

Together that builds trust and confidence. Pride in your work and the integrity to face every situation

Values: our ethoson the battlefield & in the classroom

A Royal Navy sailor is pictured at her work position in the Operations Room on board HMS Bulwark during Action Stations.

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honestly creates the best relationship between a teacher and student.

These values meant that in the face of any challenge on ship I had complete confidence in the whole team, because the whole team matters. It’s true that the captain is important but everyone on board has their part to play. Every member of the crew needed to adapt and overcome difficulties in stressful situations. We trusted each other and we were right to do so because we each demanded the most of ourselves.

The highest standardsIn the classroom, the team is made up of staff, parents and students and, just as in the navy, only by working together can we provide a supporting, adaptable and capable environment for everyone. Both a teacher and sailor must have the moral courage to maintain the highest standards, anything less lets down those relying on us.

This sense of duty to constantly raise standards has stayed with me. My first loyalty was to the Queen and my ship, today it is to my students and the class because the children I am trusted with are our future leaders, they will run our country and it is my duty to make sure they are ready. The Royal Navy taught me to demand the most of myself or risk letting everyone down. Never was this more true.

Troops to Teachers www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/ troops-to-teachers

Emma’s study week www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKz_yEH9YC8

To find out more about teaching following a career in the Forces, click on the link below.

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Emma Price served in the Royal Navy from 2005 to 2012 and now teaches at Gilesgate Primary School in County Durham

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02: The Armed Forces in our history

The relevance of historic victories and the legacy of the First and Second World Wars. The impact of recent conflicts and how we ensure that our allies and interests are defended.

Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758–1805), victor of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Etching of Napolean Bonaparte (1769–1821), Emperor of France.

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769–1852), victor of the Battle of Waterloo.

The Duke of Wellington issuing orders at the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815). Taken from a painting by A. Cooper R.A., this engraving appears in “The Heroes of England: Stories of the Lives of England’s Warriors by Land and Sea” printed in 1859.

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HMS Victory www.hms-victory.com

National Army Museum www.nam.ac.uk

Empire and Seapower www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/ empire_seapower

Further information can be found on the following websites:

Winning freedom:

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F or 400 years the British have had no ambition to conquer any of their neighbours on

the European mainland. The British were building their empire further afield: Ireland, North America, Asia, and Africa. In Europe the British have had simple priorities. First, to trade with all the wealthy towns, cities and provinces of Europe. Second, to stop any single country from getting too powerful and threatening to interrupt that trade or even invade Britain and replace our government and constitution with something that better suited them.

This British policy has been remarkably successful, although that success has often come at a terrible price. Two hundred years ago the British found themselves at war with a military superpower, France, under their Emperor, the military genius, Napoleon Bonaparte. He conquered an empire that at one stage covered most of Europe from northern Portugal to Moscow. He attempted to block British trade with the continent. He even gathered his army on the coast of the English Channel and prepared to invade Britain.

TrafalgarThe British Royal Navy shattered his dreams of invasion. A series of victories destroyed French battleships and allowed the British to bottle all the remaining French ships up in harbour where they rotted at their moorings. The most famous of these victories was fought in 1805 off Cape Trafalgar in southern Spain. Here a fleet of French and Spanish ships was utterly destroyed by Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson. Nelson’s navy was the most sophisticated organisation in the world at the time. Its ships

were the most advanced objects in existence. It was deeply professional with exams, and promotion on merit. Men from poor backgrounds could rise up the ranks and become senior officers. The crews were experts, well trained, and properly fed. They came from all over the world, some forced to join, but many were volunteers looking for adventure and financial reward. There were Malay sailors from South East Asia, Afro-Caribbeans who had joined in one of the many British colonies on the other side of the Atlantic. There were even women and children on board. Nelson’s fleet was a cosmopolitan, floating city. The victory at Trafalgar confirmed Britain’s domination of the world’s oceans. It meant Britain’s factories could confidently export their products all over the world and the government could pursue policies such as the abolition of the slave trade. In the generationafter Nelson, following the enlightened decision to ban the slave trade by the British parliament, the navy did its best to interrupt the flow of slaves from Africa to the Americas.

WaterlooWhile Britain did most of the fighting at sea, Britain’s many allies in Europe resisted Napoleon on land. They had little success. Britain sent money and troops to help on various fronts but for years Napoleon seemed unstoppable. Eventually in 1815 a coalition of Germans, Austrians, Russians, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Scandinavians, the British and others were able to finally defeat Napoleon. The decisive battle was fought at Waterloo, in what is now Belgium. Here an allied army led by the British commander, the Duke of Wellington, and the army of Prussia, a state in what is now northern and eastern Germany, linked up just in time to defeat the French emperor. Only one third of Wellington’s army was from the UK, the rest of it was from Germany, or Belgium and the Netherlands.

Victories like Trafalgar and Waterloo stopped French domination of Europe. Britain would avoid a major war in Europe until another nation began to upset the balance of power and threatened Britain’s age old interests... it would be almost exactly a century later.

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The importance of historic victories

Dan Snow, Historian

Two World Wars: the conflicts that shaped our world Dan Snow

Historian

The First World War1914–1918In 1914 Britain did not want war. But Europe was plunged into a conflict which Britain could not avoid. Just as Napoleon’s mastery of the continent had threatened Britain a century before, so in 1914 the prospect of militaristic Germany controlling Europe was unacceptable. A war started in the Balkans in July 1914 and spread as allies were sucked in on either side. In August, Germany invaded Belgium, a neighbour that Britain had promised to defend. Britain went to war to protect Belgium and to stop Germany dominating Europe. The First World War had begun.

The British, French, Belgians and others, fought the Germans along a 400 mile front from the Channel coast to Switzerland. It was a tragic stalemate that lasted over three years. Britain mobilised millions of men to fight. Their place in factories and the workforce was taken by women. By doing jobs once considered the exclusive preserve of men, they transformed the way society viewed the role of women.

Meanwhile fighting spread across the world. Sea battles were fought from the North Sea to the Pacific. British armies invaded the Middle East with huge numbers of troops from India, while hundreds of thousands of Africans served under German, Belgian and British commanders in the battle for East Africa. The British army performed much better than most people believe. There were

terrible failures, such as the first day of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916, when 60,000 men were killed or injured in just one day, for little gain, but also dramatic successes. The British were brilliant innovators and experimented with the world’s first tanks, ever faster and more capable aeroplanes and innovative ways of communicating. In 1918 the army won some of the biggest and most impressive victories in its history, driving the Germans back until they sued for peace.

Although Britain won, Belgium was free and Germany defeated, it did not feel like a victory. Three quarters of a million Britons were killed, and many more lived with terrible injuries. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers who fought alongside the British from the Indian subcontinent, Africa, Australasia, the Caribbean and Canada were also killed. Britain had almost bankrupted itself. Huge numbers of ships from the British merchant fleet had been sunk. The men who had fought and women who had worked for victory demanded a bigger say in how the country was run and millions of men and women were given the vote. Britain became a lot more democratic.

The Second World War1939–1945Sadly much of Europe did not, and, only 20 years later, a new and even greater threat arose in Germany.

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Soldiers of the 10th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, marching to the trenches near Doullens, 28 June 1916.

During a march past of Indian troops, a woman pins flowers on to the tunic of one of the soldiers.

A row of wounded British soldiers at a dressing station near Aveluy Wood during The Battle of Ancre Heights, November 1916.

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Voices of WW1 www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/projects- partnerships/voices-of-the-first-world-war

WW1 Primary www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/25827997

Thiepval www.historial.org

WW2 Primary www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ world_war2/

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust www.hmd.org.uk

1914: Day by Day www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/1914

How did so many soldiers survive the trenches? www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z3kgjxs

Find out more by clicking on the links below.

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The British 2nd Army: Royal Marine Commandos of Headquarters, 4th Special Service Brigade, making their way from landing craft onto ‘Nan Red’ Beach, JUNO Area, at St Aubin-sur-Mer at about 9am on 6 June 1944.

Sikh troops, training in the Western Desert, August 1941.

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A dictator, Adolf Hitler, had seized the reins of power and dreamt of conquering an empire and expelling or killing the millions of Jewish, and other minority, people that he believed stood in his way.

The Second World War started when Hitler invaded Poland and was even larger and more dreadful than the First. Millions were killed, wounded and brutalised. Again, Britain foughtalongside allies from all the continents. Polish and other Eastern European airmen helped protect Britain from German air attack, Canadians landed beside the British on D-day to liberate Europe, Indians and Africans fought in Burma to drive out invaders from Germany’s ally, Japan. While Indian troops made up one in twenty of the British Empire’s losses in the First War, they accounted for a fifth of those killed in the Second World War.

Both world wars saw the Western liberal democracies, the British, Americans and others, victorious. Their success means that today the majority of the world’s population has civilian, not military, government, can vote in meaningful elections and, at least in theory, live by the rule of law enforced by independent judiciaries. A way of life developed and exported by the British over the centuries and successfully defended by Britain and their allies against competing ideologies and worldviews in a series of wars, that were terrible, but not pointless.

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Until the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of our attention was focused on

resisting the threat of Communism. Thousands of troops lined up in Germany and Norway as part of NATO alongside allies from the United States, Canada, Europe and Turkey. Since then our Armed Forces have been less engaged in Europe (though the present situation in Ukraine may change that) and more engaged protecting our interests and building peace in other parts of the world.

The Falklands WarPerhaps the most memorable was the Falklands War. In 1982 Britain was preparing to cut the cost of defence and reduce the size of the Armed Forces. The message of disarmament was heard around the world, not least in the dictatorship in Buenos Aires which claimed ownership of the Falkland Islands. In April, an Argentine force landed on the islands and quickly captured the Governor and the small detachment of Royal Marines. Britain’s response surprised many. Launching a task force from 8,000 miles away to

reclaim the islands, the Armed Forces demonstrated clearly that Britain was prepared to defend our interests and our allies. The courage of the forces, not least my fellow Royal Marines, became famous around the world.

As the Romans said, if you seek peace prepare for war. When the Cold War ended and the Soviet military archives were opened, it became clear that this operation in the South Atlantic contributed to ensuring that the Soviet Union understood that they could not defeat the West militarily Tragically, by looking weak we had encouraged our enemies to think we would not fight and that led to the death of more than a thousand British and Argentine soldiers and the wounding of almost 2,500 more.

Britain’s alliesBritain has supported allies in other operations, including the Indonesian Confrontation in the 1960s where I served as a young Royal Marines lieutenant. By supporting allies we demonstrated we were willing to fight for our interests and those of our friends. That proved that we were able to defend ourselves.

But we have not always been quick to act. Following the break up of the Soviet Union in 1990, other former-Communist states began to collapse. In 1992 Yugoslavia fell apart. The old ethnic divisions that had been covered up for a generation became a civil war. For years

Recent conflicts: protecting the peaceSince the Second World War the need for Armed Forces has not disappeared. Though the British mainland has remained peaceful, they have had to play their part to ensure that our allies and interests were defended.

Paddy Ashdown, Royal Marine, 1959 to 1972, leader of the Liberal Democrats 1988 to 1999, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2006

Naval Party 8901 with the Falkland Islands’ flag outside Government House, Port Stanley, after the Argentine surrender.

Refugees from Kosovo cheer Warrior and Stormer armoured personnel carriers of the Irish Guards as they advance towards Pristina.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan, established by the United Nations Secruity Council in 2001.

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The Falklands War 30 years on... www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCBTCtnMiyM

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Europe and the United States looked on. As the war got increasingly vicious with abuses on all sides the pressure to act grew stronger.

Eventually NATO agreed to intervene. British soldiers fought courageously alongside allies to divide the warring parties and give a chance for peace. By the time I arrived as High Representative in 2002 NATO’s Implementation Force (IFOR) was giving the peacemakers the space to talk and keeping at bay those who preferred fighting to diplomacy. In neighbouring Kosovo our forces were at the front-line of another war to create stability and peace in a troubled nation. Some critics have claimed we only engage where oil is involved. But Kosovo proves them wrong – we went to war then for refugees – to get people who had been driven out by a dictator, back to their homes.

In the seventy years since the last WorldWar the three Services have engaged in many operations to protect the interests of the British people and our allies. The option to use force is important if we are to fulfil our duty to protect our allies and act when there is a moral imperative.

A paratrooper of 2 PARA, The Parachute Regiment during the Falklands War, 1982.

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03: The work of the Armed Forces today

The impact of 9/11 and what it means for operations today. Deterrence, assistance and safeguarding peace around the world. The vital emergency services delivered in the UK.

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Left, Dan Jarvis, Labour MP for Barnsley Central, The Parachute Regiment, 1997 to 2011

Right, Tom Tugendhat, Conservative candidate for Tonbridge and Malling, Intelligence Corps, Territorial Army, 2000 to 2013

I n 2001 an attack on the United States changed everything. On 9/11 two aircraft, hijacked by

Al Qaeda terrorists destroyed the World Trade Centre in New York, a third hit the Pentagon in Washington DC and a fourth crashed into a field. This act proved that in a globalised world terrorism based anywhere could become a threat everywhere.

ReactFor the United Kingdom and NATO the attack on the United States meant acting fast. For the first time in its history the alliance agreed that Article 5 – the agreement that an attack on one is an attack on all– should be invoked. NATO went to war.

The initial stages of the conflict went quickly. Allied with those inside the country who rejected the Taliban and all they stood for, the people rose up to overthrow the regime. By Christmas there was the beginning of a government in Kabul, the king who had been deposed in 1973 was back and the war looked won. But as with many conflicts, looks can be deceptive, NATO’s job was only half done.

RebuildIt wasn’t enough to simply remove Al Qaeda or the Taliban government that gave them sanctuary, the country had to be prevented from sinking back into lawlessness and the environment that gave rise to the violence in the first place. The second part, the rebuilding, was the hard part. Starting in the capital, Kabul, British Forces played their part throughout. First by securing a road between the airport and the city before later moving north to secure the town of Mazar-e-Sharif. Once the bulk of the country was under the rule of the Afghan government, with the support of the NATO-led International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF), the real task of training and development began.

By 2006 ISAF had expanded across the country and Britain was ready to deploy troops to Helmand alongside the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police.

From the beginning the operation was more violent than many had predicted as people resisted the arrival of the national government and their British allies. After years under the rule of drugs barons and warlords the economy was largely based on the production of opium and the manufacture of drugs. Indeed many Helmandis suffer from addiction. This didn’t make life easy either for the Afghan government or the British Forces, their allies.

Operations: protecting our allies & interests

Royal Marines from Alpha Company, 40 Commando brace themselves against the downdraft from an incoming Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan.

A Royal Marine crossing a waterfilled ditch while on patrol. A Military Working Dog can be seen jumping out of the other side.

A medical officer helps the local Afghan community.

The next generation of Afghan policemen are beginning their careers, having completed their British-led training.

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We met in Afghanistan, while training a unit of the Afghan security forces. Along with many others in different parts of the country, we were working to make a difference in people’s lives by providing them with a force that could protect them against the Taliban.

ResultThe courage of British soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen has been remarkable. Working alongside allies from Afghanistan, the United States, Denmark, Estonia and many other countries we have built an Afghan army and police force that is now capable of defending the people against many threats. The operation was too big for Britain or the United States alone but as part of NATO we have been able to create the infrastructure to allow the elected government of Afghanistan to establish order over the whole nation.

Britain’s actions today, along with all those who served in Afghanistan, have marked a new type of warfare, not one of conquest but of cooperation – we went to war with the sole aim of guaranteeing our national security and, to achieve that, leaving Afghanistan a better place.

A soldier searching for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan.

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