April 3, 1990; p. 291
• On reform of the General Staff, while he was Minister of Defence Procurement.
• On reform of the General Staff, while he was Minister of Defence Procurement.
“
I want to fire the whole lot. Instantly. Out, out. No "District" commands, no golden bowlers, nothing. Out … If I could, I'd do what Stalin did to Tukhachevsky.
— Alan Clark
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I want to fire the whole lot. Instantly. Out, out. No "District" commands, no golden bowlers, nothing. Out … If I could, I'd do what Stalin did to Tukhachevsky." in the context of "April 3, 1990; p. 291
• On reform of the General Staff, while he was Minister of Defence Procurement." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Alan Clark" (Quotes, Diaries: In Power (1993): Originally published without sub-title as Diaries, they cover the years 1983 to 1991. .)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Alan Clark
Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark (April 13, 1928 – September 5, 1999) was a British Conservative politician, historian and diarist. The son of art historian Kenneth Clark, he read modern history at Oxford and qualified as a Barrister, but never practiced. His book "The Donkeys" (1961) argued that British troops were poorly led in the First World War. Clark became Conservative Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton in 1974, and served in the government of Margaret Thatcher. After standing down from Parliament in 1992, his diaries (covering his ministerial career) were published the following year and became an instant classic for their combination of political intrigue, high living, and Clark's many sexual exploits with women. He was elected to Parliament again in 1997.
About Alan Clark
Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark (April 13, 1928 – September 5, 1999) was a British Conservative politician, historian and diarist. The son of art historian Kenneth Clark, he read modern history at Oxford and qualified as a Barrister, but never practiced. His book "The Donkeys" (1961) argued that British troops were poorly led in the First World War. Clark became Conservative Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton in 1974, and served in the government of Margaret Thatcher. After standing down from Parliament in 1992, his diaries (covering his ministerial career) were published the following year and became an instant classic for their combination of political intrigue, high living, and Clark's many sexual exploits with women. He was elected to Parliament again in 1997.
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