Britain's Military Use of Horses, 1914-1918

Abstract

Between 1914 and 1918 the success of the British war effort was heavily dependent on the horse. Warfare in the early twentieth century employed horses at least as intensively as did the economy in peacetime. As war became more capital-intensive, an increasing burden was placed on the military transport services. Motorized transport was somewhat more reliable than it had been at the start of the century, but there was still an urgent demand for large numbers of draught- and pack-animals. Vast sums were spent buying and shipping animals from far-flung corners of the globe to the battlefields. Britain, with its great empire and command of the oceans, was at a distinct advantage in this branch of logistics. The war created an international equine economy.

Keywords: War effort, Horses, Capital-intensive, Transport, Equine economy

JEL Classification: N44