The Rise and Fall of the British Army, 1975-2025
496 pages
Dr James WE Smith, King’s College London
The Rise and Fall of the British Army, 1975–2025 by Ben Barry is a well-crafted and presented work that represents a deliberate historiographical argument about stewardship of the British government cross government. The title sums up aptly what the reader can expect within the pages, although this reviewer always urges against the use of the moniker ‘Rise and Fall’ for the term is often used and abused, eventually masking getting to the root cause: acceptance of fate than realisation of all the moving parts.
The book’s quality reflects its author’s substantial professional and analytical experience – which is clearly evident throughout – dissecting the British Army’s transformative trajectory. The Rise and Fall of the British Army is both an authoritative history and a sombre diagnosis. Barry charts how the British Army moved from a peak of professionalism and operational success – from the Cold War and Northern Ireland through the 1982 Falklands War, the Gulf War, and later missions – to a weakened force hollowed out by post–Cold War complacency. Barry identifies the decisive turning point: government pursuits of a ‘peace dividend’ systematically eroded combat power precisely when ambitious deployments began. These campaigns exposed a chronic mismatch between political aims and military means, leaving soldiers to compensate for strategic austerity and material constraints with ingenuity and resilience. The book is strongest in showing that today’s Army remains capable at the human level but increasingly brittle as an institution, its future balanced precariously between renewal and further decline unless hard political choices are made.
Barry delivers incredibly well, exactly what is ‘on the tin’: a personal and analytical history of how the British Army went from a period of confident strength and capability in the 1980s to a much reduced and under-resourced force by 2025. Drawing on his own experience and detailed research, he meticulously documents how and why: throughout the Cold War, the Army systematically expanded its size, equipment, and operational proficiency; yet successive defence reviews and austerity measures after 1991 methodically reduced manpower and combat capability. Barry emphasises political leadership failures above that – although important – of chronic underfunding, procurement problems and the pressures of the demanding campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan which also weakened the Army’s readiness. Critically, he calls out issues of declining public support for military deployments. The author argues the Army is less prepared for high-intensity conflict and warns that reversing the decline will not only require serious investment, but also strategic clarity and renewed emphasis on core fighting capabilities.
There is criticism – aloof and jealously pointed – at the Royal Navy and RAF’s marginally better equipment management. This doesn’t substantially weaken the author’s argument. However, something sorely lacking is this: a fundamental question refused to answer by not just the title’s author but by much of Britain’s defence establishment. They avoid it because they fear where the thinking might lead. The question ‘what is the Army for?’ remains nebulous at best. Arguably, the text doesn’t engage very meaningfully with existing literature suggesting the Army’s role may differ from the ill-advised ‘continental commitment’ to Europe. This omission is particularly troubling given the author’s published timing, when the British government might seek to deploy troops in response to a potential Ukraine conflict. Such a move ignores historical insight and warnings that Britain is not a land-power: the great falsity that emerged after the 1945 and one few army enthusiasts will want to admit.
In short, this represents a thoughtful departure from Osprey Publishing’s traditional military outputs in their extensive catalogue and is most welcome. The author maintains clear prose with deliberate purpose, making a complex subject over a substantial period accessible. The book deserves recommendation to any audience interested in contemporary British defence policy and its evolving armed forces.
