Wolsey, Wilson and the failure of the Khartoum campaign : an exercise in scapegoating and abrogation of command responsibility
Journal: CERES (Cranfield University)
Year: 2014

This thesis is an exercise in military history and takes the form of an investigation into a notable late-nineteenth century blunder; the British Army’s failure to relieve Gordon at Khartoum. It seeks to lay bare operational realities which to date have been obfuscated by substantially successful acts of scapegoating and cover-up. Although political procrastination in Whitehall did not abate until August, the thesis contends that a timely operation of war would still have been possible, if only