| Popis: |
The ‘New Geography’ in England, usually identified with the establishment of geographical teaching in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in 1887–1888, was based on Mackinder's interpretation of the subject in his paper ‘On the scope and methods of geography’ in 1887. Geography was also of concern in areas of national life other than purely academic, however, notably in the military, colonial administration and commerce. British reverses in the South African War (1899–1902), followed by the Russian defeat in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), focused attention on the importance of geography in the Army in the period 1899–1914. Existing deficiencies were savagely denounced in an article in The Times by Colonel C.A.C. Repington on ‘Geography and war’ in November 1904. Recognition of the importance of geography and cartography coincided with the reform of Army administration, especially the formation of the General Staff in 1906, and a new emphasis on the professional training of Army officers. The ‘New Geography’ thus, found a practical role in the ‘New Army’, complementary to that conventionally understood in the universities. The conduct of the Tibet expedition under Younghusband in 1903–1904 symbolizes this new attention to geographical matters in the Army of the day. |
