The Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, later Commander-in-Chief, British Army, or just the Commander-in-Chief , was the professional head of the English Army from 1660 to 1707 and of the British Army from 1707 until 1904. In earlier times, supreme command of the Army had been exercised by the monarch in person. After 1660 it became rare for British sovereigns to lead their troops in battle ; instead, it became normative for command to be delegated to an individual, who usually held the appointment of Captain General or Commander-in-Chef of the Forces.. The office was not always filled: for example, James II and William III both functioned themselves as Commander-in-Chief; at other times the appointment simply lapsed. Instead, the British Army was represented variously and tenuously in government by the Paymaster of the Forces, the Master-General of the Ordnance, the Secretary at War and the Secretary of State for War. The appointment of Commander-in-Chief remained in the personal gift of the monarch, and its independence was guarded by Queen Victoria as emblematic of the notion that command of the Army was vested in the Crown; during her reign, however, the office was made much more clearly subordinate to the Secretary of State for War. The office was replaced in 1904 with the creation of the Army Council and the appointment of Chief of the General Staff. The title reverted to the monarch, who remains "Commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces".
Republican origins
In 1645, after the outbreak of the English Civil War, Parliament appointed Thomas Fairfax "Captain General and Commander-in-Chief of all the armies and forces raised and to be raised within the Commonwealth of England". Thomas Fairfax was the senior-most military officer, having no superior, and held great personal control over the army and its officers. Lord Fairfax was styled "Lord General". None of his successors would use this title. In 1650, Fairfax resigned his post, shortly before the Scottish campaign of the War. Oliver Cromwell, Fairfax's Lieutenant-General, succeeded him as Commander-in-chief of the Forces. Under Cromwell, the Commander-in-Chief was de factohead of state, especially after the dismissal of the Long Parliament. Cromwell held the office until 1653, when he was elected Lord Protector. On 21 February 1660, the reconstituted Long Parliament resolved "that General George Monck be constituted and appointed Captain-General and Commander in Chief, under Parliament, of all the Land-Forces of England, Scotland and Ireland".
Post-Restoration origins
After Monck's death, the post, which gave the holder significant military power, was abolished until James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth successfully petitioned Charles II and was granted it in 1674. After Monmouth's execution the post was again not filled until 1690, when it was bestowed upon John Churchill, Earl of Marlborough, during the King's absence in Ireland. It was likewise conferred on Meinhardt Schomberg, Duke of Schomberg the following year during the King's absence in Flanders, Marlborough having fallen from favour.
Later history
With the appointment of General Lord Jeffrey Amherst in 1793, the Commander-in-Chief was given authority over matters of discipline, over supplies, training and promotions in the British Army. The establishment of a military staff took place under the oversight of his successor, Frederick, Duke of York. With the demise of the Board of Ordnance in the wake of the Crimean War the Commander-in-Chief assumed command of the Ordnance troops: the Royal Regiment of Artillery and the Corps of Royal Engineers. The momentum of reform at this time, however, was toward increasing the authority of the Secretary of State for War. From the passing of the War Office Act 1870, as part of the Cardwell Reforms, the Commander-in-Chief was made clearly subordinate to the Secretary of State, to serve as the latter's principal military adviser, and was made to move out of his traditional office above the arch at Horse Guards and into the War Office. Nevertheless, in 1888 he is still described as having responsibility for all personnel and matériel issues for the army and auxiliary forces, and in 1895 he took on the responsibilities of chief of staff. The post was finally abolished by recommendation of the Esher Report, set up in the wake of the Second Boer War, which established the office of Chief of the General Staff.
Appointees
The following table lists all those who have held the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Forces or its preceding positions. Ranks and honours are as at the completion of their tenure:
† denotes people who died in office. !colspan=7|Parliamentary General-in-Chief Command !colspan=7|General-in-Chief Command !colspan=7|Commander-in-Chief
