tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138458.post2362859405812949055..comments2024-02-23T13:15:42.158+13:00Comments on Dissecting Leftism: JRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00829082699850674281noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138458.post-9427827715049902202015-02-27T17:11:50.958+13:002015-02-27T17:11:50.958+13:00Regarding G&S's "Modern Major General...Regarding G&S's "Modern Major General; an important cultural cue is that, not too long before the G&S era, the Army had undergone a series of major reforms, including the end of the system of purchase of commissions. In order to do this, the government was obliged to purchase back all the commissions outstanding. However, it had always been try that once an officer was promoted to a certain point, his commission was no longer salable. For most of the land forces, that point was Major General. So, to save money, the Army promoted a large swath of soon-to-be-retired officers who would otherwise have been passed over to Major General, and promptly booted them out. Hence, the rank was something of a staring joke in the late Victorian culture, as the "Colonel Blimps" of the era between the World Wars would be later.<br /><br />Wikipedia goes through this, if I recall correctly, but I learned it from a fascinating little book named MR. KIPLING'S ARMY.C. S. P. Schofieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18307088118631856756noreply@blogger.com