Lord Kitchener's Volunteer Army

Lord Kitchener's Volunteer Army was a large-scale recruitment effort launched at the start of World War I in 1914. It aimed to rapidly build a volunteer force of civilians eager to serve. Kitchener, the British Secretary of State for War, designed a patriotic campaign encouraging men to join the army voluntarily, emphasizing duty and national pride. This effort complemented the regular army, enabling Britain to quickly mobilize a substantial fighting force without immediate reliance on conscription. The Volunteer Army played a crucial role in expanding Britain’s military capacity early in the war.