Chesney Gold Medal-x

The Chesney Gold Medal is the highest award in the gift of the Council of the Royal United Services Institute. 

The purpose of the award is to mark a lifetime distinguished contribution to international defence and security, to the benefit of the United Kingdom and/or the Western Alliance. Serving politicians are ineligible for the award.

The Chesney Gold Medal was established in 1899 to honour the memory of General Sir George Chesney, with the periodic award to the author of any ‘especially eminent work calculated to advance the military sciences and knowledge.’

In 2000, the Council updated the award, so that henceforth ‘the medal should be awarded from time to time to the originator of distinguished or authoritative work or works that have added to knowledge or achieved advances in the defence and international security fields to the benefit of the United Kingdom and/or the Western Alliance. Serving politicians are ineligible for the award.’

It was first awarded in 1900 to Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan USN, arguably the maritime equivalent of Clausewitz, and has been awarded thirty-four times since, including to Winston Churchill in 1950, Baroness Thatcher in 2000 and Henry Kissinger in 2015. 

Past recipients

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2015: Henry Kissinger

2013: General David H Petraeus (Retd)

2006 Sir Lawrence FREEDMAN 2000 Baroness THATCHER 1997 The Marquess of ANGLESEY 1991 Correlli BARNETT 1985 General Sir John HACKETT 1981 John TERRAIN and Ronald LEWIN 1975 Captain Stephen W ROSKILL RN 1973 Professor Michael HOWARD 1968 Professor Arthur J MARDER 1965 Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John SLESSOR 1963 Major General J F C FULLER and Captain Sir Basil LIDDELL HART 1955 Sir Arthur BRYANT 1950 The Rt Hon Winston S CHURCHILL 1936 Professor Spenser WILKINSON 1932 Colonel C de W CROOKSHANK MP 1931 Commander C N ROBINSON 1930 Dr C E W BEAN 1929 Colonel H C WYLLY 1928 L G CARR-LAUGHTON 1927 Brigadier-General Sir James E EDMONDS 1926 Vice Admiral Sir Herbert RICHMOND 1925 Captain Sir George ARTHUR 1924 Professor G A R CALLENDER 1921 Major General Sir Charles CALLWELL 1919 Major General E D SWINTON 1914 Sir Julian CORBETT 1913 Colonel Sir Lonsdale Augustus HALE 1911 Professor C W C OMAN 1910 Sir John Knox LAUGHTON 1909 The Hon J W FORTESCUE 1907 Major General Sir Frederick MAURICE 1900 Captain Alfred Thayer MAHAN USN