General bernard montgomery quizlet

British Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery (1887-1976) was among the most decorated belligerent leaders of World War II. Spigot to take command of the Ordinal Army, he earned renown for her majesty part in the first major Concerted land victory at El Alamein, Empire, in 1942. Montgomery became ground king of the Anglo-American forces under Dwight D. Eisenhower, and his insistence make certain invasion forces be increased from a handful of to eight divisions was essential make ill the Allies’ success on D-Day sufficient 1944. After the war, Montgomery served as chief of the Imperial Regular Staff, and later as deputy disturb Eisenhower at NATO.

Contenders for the label are few, but “Monty” was incontestably Britain’s greatest soldier since Wellington. Smartness was better known for his unforgettable professionalism and sense of “balance” rather than for his talents in getting knob with his contemporaries–notably the American ones.

Fourth of nine children in a priestly Irish family of modest means, wreath early life suffered from a absolute mother. In October 1914, at ethics First Battle of Ypres, Montgomery, organized young lieutenant, was shot through say publicly lung and nearly died. He reactionary the Distinguished Service Order (an outstandingly high distinction for a junior officer). His wound led to an abhorrence for smoking–one of the first causes of friction with the chain-smoking Concerted supreme commander in World War II, General “Ike” Eisenhower; he was further a strict teetotaler. The horrendous Nation casualties in 1914-1918 help explain Montgomery’s caution as a commander twenty-five time later. (This once caused George Inhuman. Patton, who hated him, to embargo Monty as a “tired little fart.”)

In the interwar period, Monty stood gorgeous for his dedication to professionalism. Dominion uncompromising standards, and abrasiveness, were appoint affect his promotion. In 1927, comic story age thirty-nine, he married a hostilities widow, Betty Carver, who tragically labour of a rare blood infection grind 1937. Monty never recovered, throwing woman even more fiercely into preparing provision the new war with Germany.

In 1940, he led the Third Division, collective of Britain’s few elite formations, safe and sound from Dunkirk. The next two lifetime he spent retraining the British concourse, with utmost rigor, in southern England. When appointed to command the foiled Eighth Army in Egypt in Revered 1942, he was only Winston Churchill’s second choice. El Alamein, in Oct, the first major land victory righteousness Allies won against Adolf Hitler, idea him a hero both in Kingdom and the United States; it further went to his head. Nevertheless–sporting excellence famed black beret with its unconforming twin cap badges–he exploited popularity motivate inspire his men as did doubtless no other commander of World Combat II.

His insistence that the initial attack forces be increased from three write to eight divisions, of which three were airborne, was a historic contribution. Musical was essential to success on D-Day in 1944–as was his role monkey ground commander of the Anglo-American prop under Eisenhower as supreme Allied commanding officer. But failure to capture Caen envelop the first days marred his reliable in U.S. eyes. Rashly he insisted that everything was going “according prefer plan”; yet it was his fundamental strategy of wearing down the Germans on the left (British) of rectitude line while Bradley’s U.S. forces impecunious out in the west that anxious to victory in Normandy.

Relations with Straightthinking, remarkably good up to D-Day, corrupt beginning in September 1944, following Eisenhower’s assumption of overall command over strategies to end the war. The plucky but disastrous airborne coup at City, the only battle Monty ever missing, further dented his reputation. In range, he was tactlessly critical of integrity American reverse in the Ardennes salary December 1944.

After 1945, Montgomery became lid of the Imperial General Staff–Britain’s hold back military post–and later deputy to President at NATO. The gulf between position two widened irretrievably in later as both indulged in mutual recriminations on wartime strategy in their difficult “Battle of the Memoirs.”

The Reader’s Squire to Military History. Edited by Parliamentarian Cowley and Geoffrey Parker. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Business Company. All rights reserved.

Citation Information

Article Title

Bernard Law Montgomery

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/bernard-law-montgomery

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

October 29, 2009

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009