The Committee of Imperial Defence before 1914

The defence of the country against possible invasion, the protection of the far-flung boundaries of the Commonwealth overseas, the maintenance of order in colonies, protectorates and trust territories, and the use of armed forces for the fulfilment of treaty obligations, are among the most important functions which the Government has or may have to exercise. For these purposes there are three armed forces in a state of preparation for war; and, if war breaks out, they are rapidly expanded by voluntary enlistment or conscription. Indeed, in such a war as that of 1914 to 1918 or 1939 to 1945 all the energies of the Government may be directed towards bringing the war to a successful conclusion.

The three forces are under the control of separate ministers. From 1936 to 1940 there was a Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence, and since 1940 there has been a Minister of Defence. Since 1946 he has been charged with specific functions under the defence scheme mentioned later. There are, however, many other departments concerned with defence problems, and when war breaks out the whole policy of the Government must be attuned to war. In January 1904 Lord Esher's War Office (Reconstitution) Committee, in its first report, set out the nature of the administrative problem of defence:

There are…no means of co-ordinating defence problems, for dealing with them as a whole, for defining the proper functions of the various elements, and for ensuring that, on the one hand, peace preparations are carried out upon a consistent plan, and, on the other hand, that in times of emergency a definite war policy, based upon solid data, can be formulated.