Astana International University

General William
Howe
Prepared by Tuken Gulim
General Information

FULL NAME
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe

DATE OF BIRTH - DEATH

August 10, 1729 - July 12, 1814

TITLE
Commander-in-chief of the British army

CAMPAIGNS
War of the Austrian Succession; Seven Years’ War; The captures
of Louisbourg, Belle Île and Havana; American Revolutionary War
Family Background
The upper crust of
British society
Howe’s father, grandfather, great-
grandfather, and great-great-
grandfather had all represented
their town (Nottinghamshire) in the
House of Commons - eventually
earning the title of viscount in the
Irish Peerage.
His mother was a
relative of the Royal
Family
Charlotte was the daughter of
Sophia von Kielmannsegg, an
illegitimate half-sister of King
George I himself.
He had 3 brothers
His eldest brother, George, joined
the army, Richard joined the navy
and eventually rose to the rank of
Admiral of the Fleet, whereas
Thomas worked for the East India
Company and became a noted
explorer.
Education and the beginning of
the military path

1. He attended the prestigious Eton school

2. 1746 - Purchased a commission as a dragoon officer, serving mainly in Flanders

3. 1755 - the Conquest of Canada. Commanded an infantry unit at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham

4. Rised to the rank of General by the war’s end

5. Bunker Hill - his first action in the war. He personally led no less than three assaults at the entrenched
colonials.
 The Battle of Long Island

On October 11th, 1775 Howe became August 27, 1776

command over all British troops in
Washington confronted Howe’s invasion force in
North America late August. Howe smashed Washington at the
Battle of Long Island, inflicting over 2,000
Henry Knox managed to fortify Dorchester Heights
casualties and putting Washington on the run. For
with a battery on March 4th, 1776. Howe made the
this victory, Howe received a knighthood in the
decision to abandon the city and retreat to
Order of the Bath as New York City became the
Canada. With the arrival of fresh British and
new British headquarters and remained in their
Hessian reinforcements, he moved against New
hands for the rest of the war.
York City in coordination with his admiral brother

Richard.
 The Battle of Brandywine
Howe set his sights on the
capital the rebellion:
Philadelphia.
So he landed in Head-of-Elkand with army
marched north to Pennsylvania. Outside the
city, Howe encountered Washington’s
renewed Continental Army once more on
September 11th, 1777.
This was the largest engagement His victory appeared to be
on North American soil for the complete
entire war
Two weeks later, Howe and his army entered
Howe exploited a critical flaw in Washington’s and occupied Philadelphia without a fight,
troop deployment, giving him the chance to then defeated Washington once more at
outflank and drive the enemy from the field. Germantown in October
 But despite this string of victories,
Howe’s strategy laid the foundation for
Britain’s ultimate defeat

By the time Howe

British General John Meanwhile, Howe seemed
received word of approval
Burgoyne had hoped more than willing to
for his resignation and
for his support winter in Philadelphia
evacuated the city, he
had failed to accomplish
Abandoned by Howe, It earned him the anger of a any of his strategic aims
Burgoyne soon met total few of his allies, including
defeat at the hands of former delegate to Continental Washington and his army
Horatio Gates and Congress Joseph Galloway, remained unbroken and
Benedict Arnold at who testified to Parliament Continental Congress did not
Saratoga, which convinced that the general had passed disperse but quickly relocated
France to enter the war on up several golden to nearby Lancaster.
America’s behalf. opportunities to destroy
Washington’s army and
capture him.
Last years of life

Back Home Howe never saw action again

Upon returning to New York, Howe relinquished He served in various bureaucratic functions
command of North America to Sir Henry Clinton and
instead.
made the trip back home to England.

He passed away, childless despite a

long marriage to a woman named
Frances Connelly, in 1814.
 https://www.britannica.com/biography/Willia
m-Howe-5th-Viscount-Howe

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographi

Literature es/william-howe

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-
history/howe-named-commander-in-chief-
of-british-army
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