Steady and steady, Montgomery

Author: Fan Gao Yue
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: World War II was the largest conflict in human history. In this war between the fascist axis powers and the anti-fascist alliance, the number of troops and equipment involved, the vast scope of the battlefield, the novelty of combat tactics, the scale of losses, and the profound impact were unprecedented. Although nearly 50 years have passed since the end of the war, with the passage of time and changes in circumstances, it still attracts numerous military strategists and historians from China and abroad to explore and write about it with its grandeur, profound connotations, and rich heritage. World War II provided countless soldiers with opportunities to showcase their talents and demonstrate their abilities, giving rise to a generation of outstanding generals. Among the anti-fascist camp, a group of brilliant generals with remarkable achievements emerged, who will be remembered for their glorious deeds for generations to come. The "Illustrated Series of International Figures in World War II" consists of 15 volumes, featuring 15 renowned figures, covering most of the representative individuals who played decisive roles in politics and military affairs on both sides of World War II. These include "The Three of World War II" and "The Three of World War II," written by the popular international affairs expert and best-selling author Jie Lifu, as well as other books on famous generals of World War II compiled by military historians. Bernard Law Montgomery was born on November 17, 1887, into a clergyman's family in London, England. At the age of 19, he entered the Sandhurst Royal Military College and graduated the following year, joining the British army in India as a captain in a platoon, thus beginning his long military career. In August 1914, he was promoted to major and participated in World War I. In the later stages of the war, he served as a staff captain in the headquarters. In January 1920, Montgomery entered the Camberley Staff College for advanced studies and graduated in December of the same year. He was assigned to the 17th Infantry Brigade as a major staff officer and participated in the Irish War. In January 1926, he was transferred back to the Staff College as a lecturer. In 1930, he was assigned by the War Office to revise the infantry training manual, where he particularly emphasized the offensive power of tanks. In October 1938, Montgomery was transferred to Palestine to command the newly formed 8th Division, being promoted to major general. In August 1938, he took over as commander of the British Expeditionary Force's 3rd Division. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and World War II broke out. Montgomery led the 3rd Division across the channel to fight on the continent of Western Europe, participating in battles in France and Belgium. After suffering setbacks, he retreated with the British army from Dunkirk. After returning to the UK, he successively held positions such as commander of the 5th Army, commander of the 12th Army, and commander of the Southeastern Defense Area. In August 1942, Montgomery was appointed commander of the British Middle Eastern Army's 8th Army. Upon taking office, he began to establish a reserve army equipped with advanced armored weapons and an armored corps. To address the low morale of the troops, he delivered a speech to the officers and men: "We must hold the line here, there will be no further retreats or withdrawals." "Every single person must be determined to fight bravely, even the chaplain with the army must fight." His speech greatly boosted the morale of the troops. He alsoly replaced a number of incompetent officers, bringing in a group of energetic and capable commanders to strengthen the personnel and equipment of the army, giving the 8th Army a new face. He adopted a strategy of waiting for the enemy to exhaust themselves while maintaining a defensive posture, using the tactics of from World War II to counter Rommel, forcing Rommel into a long and costly war of attrition that Rommel, with insufficient supplies, was unwilling to engage in. This strategy made him the nemesis of Rommel, the "Desert Fox." Montgomery was skilled in formulating operational plans based on strategic situations and offensive requirements. He believed: "Based on the training level of the 8th Army, it is not advisable to recklessly let them engage the enemy." He firmly refused Churchill's request to launch an early offensive, insisting on waiting until the troops were fully prepared and trained before proceeding. For this, he even considered resigning to resist. In October 1942, after thorough preparation, Montgomery launched the "Lightfoot" offensive against Rommel's German and Italian forces at the Alamein Front. Due to the British army's superiority in both personnel and equipment, Rommel's Afrika Korps suffered heavy losses and was forced to withdraw from Egypt. However, Montgomery failed to promptly detect Rommel's withdrawal and, after realizing it, was too cautious in pursuing, missing the opportunity to completely destroy Rommel's retreating forces. The victory in the Alamein campaign turned the tide of the war in North Africa, and Montgomery was promoted to field marshal and awarded the Order of the Bath for his meritorious service. After the African campaign ended, Montgomery coordinated with the U.S. General Patton in the amphibious landing on Sicily and then advanced into Italy. He then led the Allied 21st Army Group in the D-Day landings in Normandy, after which he fought across Northwest Europe, participating in the Battle of the Scheldt and the Battle of the Ardennes. On September 1, 1944, Montgomery was promoted to field marshal by the British monarchy. In March 1945, Montgomery led the Anglo-American forces to cross the Rhine River and then marched day and night toward the Baltic Sea. In May, the 1.5 million German troops stationed in the Netherlands, Northwest Germany, and Denmark surrendered to Montgomery. After the end of the European war, Montgomery was appointed commander of the British occupation forces in Germany and the British representative to the Allied Control Council for Germany. In January 1946, Montgomery was promoted to Chief of the General Staff of the British Army. In October 1948, he became the permanent chairman of the Military Committee of the Council of Europe. Upon taking office, he vigorously pushed for the United States to join the system. In April 1949, the United States signed the North Atlantic Treaty with 11 Western European countries, forming a defense alliance of 12 nations. On April 2, 1951, the Supreme Headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was officially established, with General Eisenhower of the United States appointed as Supreme Commander and Montgomery as Deputy Supreme Commander. In September 1958, Montgomery retired from NATO. Upon returning home, he began writing his memoirs and publishing books. He wrote works such as "The Memoirs of Field Marshal Montgomery," "The Art of Command," "From Alamein to Sangro," and "From Normandy to the Baltic." Between 1960 and 1961, Field Marshal Montgomery visited China twice, proposing that "recognizing one China is one of the principles to ease international tensions," which was appreciated by the Chinese government. On March 24, 1976, Montgomery died in Aldershot at the age of 89.