Gothic architecture, architectural style in Europe that lasted from the mid-12th century to the 16th century, particularly a style of masonry building characterized by cavernous spaces with the expanse of walls broken up by overlaid tracery. In the 12th–13th century, feats of engineering permitted

Gothic art, the painting, sculpture, and architecture characteristic of the second of two great international eras that flourished in western and central Europe during the Middle Ages. Gothic art evolved from Romanesque art and lasted from the mid-12th century to as late as the end of the 16th

Germanic languages: …Germanic text is the (incomplete) Gothic Bible, translated about 350 ce by the Visigothic bishop Ulfilas (Wulfila) and written in a 27-letter alphabet of the translator’s own design. Later versions of the runic alphabet were used sparingly in England and Germany but more widely in Scandinavia—in the latter area down…

frame harp: …was superseded by the so-called Gothic harp, having a taller, shallow soundbox; a short, less deeply curved neck; and a more slender, almost straight forepillar. By the 16th century this instrument normally had gut strings. The earlier form gave rise to the medieval Irish harp, or clairseach, the second to…

Gothic language, extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths, who originally lived in southern Scandinavia but migrated to eastern Europe and then to southern and southwestern Europe. The language is especially important for the study of the history of the Germanic language family because

World War II: The Italian front, 1944: …another chain of defenses, the Gothic Line, running from the Tyrrhenian coast midway between Pisa and La Spezia, over the Apennines in a reversed S curve, to the Adriatic coast between Pesaro and Rimini.

biblical literature: The Gothic version: …all that is left of Gothic literature. The translation of the Old Testament has entirely disappeared except for fragments of Ezra and Nehemiah. Though a Greek base is certain, some scholars deny the attribution of these remnants to Ulfilas.

Gothic novel, European Romantic pseudomedieval fiction having a prevailing atmosphere of mystery and terror. Its heyday was the 1790s, but it underwent frequent revivals in subsequent centuries. Called Gothic because its imaginative impulse was drawn from medieval buildings and ruins, such novels

Barcelona: The city layout: …of the city lies the Gothic Quarter. Located between the Ramblas, a series of connected boulevards, going southeastward to the sea, and the Via Laietana, it is a close-packed maze of narrow streets punctuated by magnificent medieval buildings. The cathedral, episcopal palace, and churches bear witness to Barcelona’s importance as…

Gothic Revival, architectural style that drew its inspiration from medieval architecture and competed with the Neoclassical revivals in the United States and Great Britain. Only isolated examples of the style are to be found on the Continent. The earliest documented example of the revived use of

black letter, in calligraphy, a style of alphabet that was used for manuscript books and documents throughout Europe—especially in German-speaking countries—from the end of the 12th century to the 20th century. It is distinguished by a uniform treatment of vertical strokes that end on the baseline

Erik Gustaf Geijer: …founders, in 1811, of the Götiska Förbundet (“Gothic Society”), which aimed at furthering national feeling through historical study. In 1817 Geijer became professor of history at Uppsala University where he was in close contact with the New Romantic Group, which briefly led him into a political conservatism. His main historical…

Havergal Brian: His most famous work, Gothic Symphony (1919–27; first performance 1961), requires an orchestra of 200 performers and choirs of 400 to 600. Between 1959 and 1968—i.e., between the ages of 83 and 92—Brian wrote 20 more symphonies, bringing the total to 33.

Isabelline, vigorous, inventive, and cosmopolitan architectural style created during the joint reign of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, which in turn formed the basis for the Plateresque style. The Isabelline style is not a pure style in that but few of the buildings created during the

Goth, member of a Germanic people whose two branches, the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths, for centuries harassed the Roman Empire. According to their own legend, reported by the mid-6th-century Gothic historian Jordanes, the Goths originated in southern Scandinavia and crossed in three ships under

Wilhelm Streitberg: …Elementarbuch (1897; “Gothic Primer”), and Die gotische Bibel (1908–10; “The Gothic Bible”), which presents the extant biblical texts written in the Gothic language. During his academic career he held professorships at Freiburg (1889–98), Münster (1899–1909), Munich (1909–20), and Leipzig (1920 until his death).

Erik Gustaf Geijer: …founders, in 1811, of the Götiska Förbundet (“Gothic Society”), which aimed at furthering national feeling through historical study. In 1817 Geijer became professor of history at Uppsala University where he was in close contact with the New Romantic Group, which briefly led him into a political conservatism. His main historical…

Gotland, island, län (county), and coextensive landskap (province), Sweden, in the Baltic Sea. Several wide bays indent the island’s low coastline, which is characterized by limestone columns, while the interior is an undulating plateau of Silurian limestone, some of which lacks good drainage. Bogs

Baltic Sea: Physiography: …between Gotland and Latvia in Gotland Deep (817 feet [249 metres]); and also in the Gulf of Bothnia in the Åland Sea between Sweden and the Åland Islands. A deepwater channel also extends along most of the Gulf of Finland. The Baltic Sea proper contains a series of basins (e.g.,…

Silurian Period, in geologic time, the third period of the Paleozoic Era. It began 443.8 million years ago and ended 419.2 million years ago, extending from the close of the Ordovician Period to the beginning of the Devonian Period. During the Silurian, continental elevations were generally much

Gotō Islands, archipelago, northeastern East China Sea, lying off the western coast of Kyushu, Japan, and administratively part of Nagasaki ken (prefecture). The chain consists of more than 100 islands (about one-third of which are inhabited) that stretch about 60 miles (100 km) from northeast to

Gotō Shimpei was a statesman, who, together with General Kodama Gentarō, successfully modernized the Taiwanese economy and made the island of Taiwan a financially independent colony of Japan. After receiving his M.D. degree in Germany, Gotō became a member of the Public Health Bureau in Japan.

Gotō Shimpei was a statesman, who, together with General Kodama Gentarō, successfully modernized the Taiwanese economy and made the island of Taiwan a financially independent colony of Japan. After receiving his M.D. degree in Germany, Gotō became a member of the Public Health Bureau in Japan.

Gotō Shōjirō was one of the leaders of the Meiji Restoration, the 1868 overthrow of feudal authority in Japan, and a major proponent of restructuring the new government along Western parliamentary lines. He was the cofounder of the first political party in Japan. The chief councillor to the head of

Gotō Shōjirō was one of the leaders of the Meiji Restoration, the 1868 overthrow of feudal authority in Japan, and a major proponent of restructuring the new government along Western parliamentary lines. He was the cofounder of the first political party in Japan. The chief councillor to the head of

Gotō Islands, archipelago, northeastern East China Sea, lying off the western coast of Kyushu, Japan, and administratively part of Nagasaki ken (prefecture). The chain consists of more than 100 islands (about one-third of which are inhabited) that stretch about 60 miles (100 km) from northeast to

gotra, lineage segment within an Indian caste that prohibits intermarriage by virtue of the members’ descent from a common mythical ancestor, an important factor in determining possible Hindu marriage alliances. The name (Sanskrit: “cattle shed”) indicates that the contemporary lineage segment

Joseph Haydn: The late Esterházy and Viennese period: …nation the stirring song “Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser” (“God Save Emperor Francis”). It was used for more than a century as the national anthem of the Austrian monarchy and as the patriotic song “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles” (“Germany, Germany Above All Else”) in Germany, where it remains the…

Johann Sebastian Bach: The Mühlhausen period: …Gott ist mein König (God Is My King), of February 4, 1708, was printed at the expense of the city council and was the first of Bach’s compositions to be published. While at Mühlhausen, Bach copied music to enlarge the choir library, tried to encourage music in the surrounding…

Bob Dylan: …with his “gospel” song “Gotta Serve Somebody.”

Ragnarök, (Old Norse: “Doom of the Gods”), in Scandinavian mythology, the end of the world of gods and men. The Ragnarök is fully described only in the Icelandic poem Völuspá (“Sibyl’s Prophecy”), probably of the late 10th century, and in the 13th-century Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson (d. 1241),

Der Ring des Nibelungen: Walküre (“The Valkyrie”), Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung (“The Twilight of the Gods”), first performed in sequence at the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany, on August 13, 14, 16, and 17, 1876. Collectively they are often referred to as the Ring cycle.

Gottschalk Of Orbais was a monk, poet, and theologian whose teachings on predestination shook the Roman Catholic church in the 9th century. Of noble birth, Gottschalk was an oblate (i.e., a child dedicated to monastic life by its parents) in the Benedictine abbey of Fulda. Over the objection of his

Leopold Zunz: Zunz’s Gottesdienstlichen Vorträge der Juden, historisch entwickelt (1832; “The Worship Sermons of the Jews, Historically Developed”) is a historical analysis of Jewish homiletical literature and its evolutionary development up to the modern-day sermon. His revelations of the cultural depth of Jewish civilization in the European Middle…

Friends of God, medieval Christian fellowship that originated during the early part of the 14th century in Basel, Switz., and then spread to Germany and the Netherlands. Primarily a middle-class, democratic lay movement espousing a Christian life of love, piety, devotion, and holiness, the Friends

Chur: …was the centre of the Gotteshausbund (League of the House of God) against the power of the prince bishops and the Habsburgs in 1367, and it became the capital of the new canton of Graubünden in 1803. Notable landmarks include the Catholic Cathedral (1175–1282), the Episcopal (Bishop’s) Palace (rebuilt 1728–37),…

Travis Hirschi: …collaboration with the American criminologist Michael R. Gottfredson resulted in A General Theory of Crime (1990), which defined crime as “acts of force or fraud undertaken in pursuit of self-interest.” Arguing that all crime can be explained as a combination of criminal opportunity and low self-control, Gottfredson and Hirschi hypothesized…

Gottfried von Strassburg was one of the greatest medieval German poets, whose courtly epic Tristan und Isolde is the classic version of this famous love story. The dates of his birth and death are unknown, and the only information about him consists of references to him in the work of other poets

John McEnroe: …Chilean competitors with doubles partner Brian Gottfried and by winning the singles over John Lloyd and Buster Mottram, both from Great Britain. McEnroe subsequently led the U.S. team to four more Davis Cup titles.

Gotthard Base Tunnel, railway tunnel under the Saint-Gotthard Massif in the Lepontine Alps in southern Switzerland, the world’s longest and deepest railway tunnel. Opened in June 2016, the tunnel provided a high-speed rail link between northern and southern Europe, forming a mainline rail

Alfred Escher: …behind the construction of the Gotthard line, he helped secure the necessary German and Italian cooperation for the project in 1869–71, and in 1871–78 he presided over its direction.

mountain: The western segment of the system: …the Aare (or Aar) and Gotthard massifs in Switzerland. Moreover, with the elevation of the Alps above the Po plain of northern Italy, a southward overthrusting has carried the southern part of the Alps back onto the basin there as the Italian promontory has continued to penetrate into the rest…

Alfred Escher: …behind the construction of the Gotthard line, he helped secure the necessary German and Italian cooperation for the project in 1869–71, and in 1871–78 he presided over its direction.

Saint Gotthard ; canonized 1131; feast day May 4) was an abbot and archbishop, who helped foster the development of Hildesheim and who played an important role in the imperial campaign to reform and reorganize the Bavarian church. Gotthard was educated in the monastery school of Niederaltaich and

Jeremias Gotthelf was a Swiss novelist and short-story writer whose vivid narrative works extol the virtues of Bernese rural people and defend traditional church and family life. The son of a pastor, Bitzius studied theology at Bern and Göttingen and took part in the political activities that ended

John Travolta: …starring in such movies as Gotti (2018) and The Fanatic (2019), but most of his work during this period received tepid reviews.

John Gotti was an American organized-crime boss whose flamboyant lifestyle and frequent public trials made him a prominent figure in the 1980s and ’90s. Gotti was the fifth of 13 children born to John and Fannie Gotti, both of whom were children of Italian immigrants. As a teenager, Gotti became a

John Gotti was an American organized-crime boss whose flamboyant lifestyle and frequent public trials made him a prominent figure in the 1980s and ’90s. Gotti was the fifth of 13 children born to John and Fannie Gotti, both of whom were children of Italian immigrants. As a teenager, Gotti became a

Göttingen, city, Lower Saxony Land (state), central Germany. It lies on the Leine River, about 60 miles (100 km) south of Hannover. First mentioned as Gutingi in 953, it was chartered about 1211 and was a powerful member of the Hanseatic League in the 14th century. After accepting the Reformation

Werner Heisenberg: Postwar years: …as one of the “Göttingen 18” in 1957; following the government’s announcement that it was considering equipping the army with (American-built) nuclear weapons, this group of nuclear scientists issued a manifesto protesting the plan.

Göttinger Hain, a literary association of the German “sentimentality” era (1740–80), credited with the reawakening of themes of nature, friendship, and love in the German lyric and popular national poetry. Members were the young poets—mostly students at the University of Göttingen—H.C. Boie, J.H.

Göttinger Hain: The Göttinger Musenalmanach (“Göttingen Muses Journal”), published from 1770, became the literary organ for the circle and the archetype for many similar German literary journals.

Göttingen: …(1837) of seven professors, the Göttinger Sieben (“Göttingen Seven”), diminished its prosperity. Strong mathematics and physics faculties led to its revival in the late 19th century. The university library is one of the richest collections in Germany.

University of Göttingen, one of the most famous universities in Europe, founded in Göttingen, Germany, in 1737 by George II of England in his capacity as Elector of Hanover. In the late 18th century it was the centre of the Göttinger Hain (q.v.), a circle of poets who were forerunners of German

University of Göttingen, one of the most famous universities in Europe, founded in Göttingen, Germany, in 1737 by George II of England in his capacity as Elector of Hanover. In the late 18th century it was the centre of the Göttinger Hain (q.v.), a circle of poets who were forerunners of German

Göttinger Hain, a literary association of the German “sentimentality” era (1740–80), credited with the reawakening of themes of nature, friendship, and love in the German lyric and popular national poetry. Members were the young poets—mostly students at the University of Göttingen—H.C. Boie, J.H.

Göttinger Hain, a literary association of the German “sentimentality” era (1740–80), credited with the reawakening of themes of nature, friendship, and love in the German lyric and popular national poetry. Members were the young poets—mostly students at the University of Göttingen—H.C. Boie, J.H.

Göttinger Hain, a literary association of the German “sentimentality” era (1740–80), credited with the reawakening of themes of nature, friendship, and love in the German lyric and popular national poetry. Members were the young poets—mostly students at the University of Göttingen—H.C. Boie, J.H.

Göttinger Hain: The Göttinger Musenalmanach (“Göttingen Muses Journal”), published from 1770, became the literary organ for the circle and the archetype for many similar German literary journals.

Adolph Gottlieb was an American painter important as an early and outstanding member of the New York school of Abstract Expressionists. After study at the Art Students League of New York and in Paris, Gottlieb returned to New York in 1923 to attend Parsons School of Design, Cooper Union, and the

Television in the United States: The late shows: …their own late-night shows—including The Joey Bishop Show (ABC, 1967–69), The Dick Cavett Show (ABC, 1968–75), and The Merv Griffin Show (CBS, 1969–72)—but none could compete with The Tonight Show. In 1973 NBC introduced The Midnight Special (1973–81), a rock music variety show that ran from 1:00 am to 2:30…

The Flower Children: The hippies, says Lou Gottlieb, the doctor of music who formerly led the folk-singing trio called the Limeliters, are “the first wave of an approaching ocean of technologically unemployable people created by snowballing cybernation in American industry.”

The New Yorker: …when he was succeeded by Robert Gottlieb, formerly a book editor and executive at Alfred A. Knopf publishers. In 1992 a Briton, Tina Brown, formerly editor of Vanity Fair, replaced Gottlieb. Under Brown’s editorship, cosmetic changes to the magazine’s traditionally conservative layout were introduced, coverage of popular culture was enhanced,…

Jean Gottman was a French geographer who introduced the concept and term megalopolis for large urban configurations. A research assistant in human geography at the Sorbonne (1937–41), Gottman was consultant to the Foreign Economic Administration in Washington, D.C. (1942–44), and taught at Johns

Jean Gottman was a French geographer who introduced the concept and term megalopolis for large urban configurations. A research assistant in human geography at the Sorbonne (1937–41), Gottman was consultant to the Foreign Economic Administration in Washington, D.C. (1942–44), and taught at Johns

Hamburg: Evolution of the modern city: The Treaty of Gottorp, concluded with the Danes on May 27, 1768, released Hamburg from theoretical subjection to the king of Denmark and so paved its way to being acknowledged, in 1770, as an “immediate” imperial city of Germany (that is, having no overlord other than…

Gottschalk Of Orbais was a monk, poet, and theologian whose teachings on predestination shook the Roman Catholic church in the 9th century. Of noble birth, Gottschalk was an oblate (i.e., a child dedicated to monastic life by its parents) in the Benedictine abbey of Fulda. Over the objection of his

neuraminidase: Shortly thereafter, German-born British biochemist Alfred Gottschalk discovered that these receptor-destroying enzymes were neuraminidases. Today, these enzymes are known to occur as antigens (foreign proteins that stimulate the production of antibodies) on the surfaces of certain viruses, namely those of the families Orthomyxoviridae and Paramyxoviridae, as well as on the…

Laura Riding was an American poet, critic, and prose writer who was influential among the literary avant-garde during the 1920s and ’30s. From 1918 to 1921 Riding attended Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., and soon her poetry began to gain attention. Early on she came to be associated with the

Louis Moreau Gottschalk was the first American pianist to achieve international recognition and the first American composer to utilize Latin American and Creole folk themes and rhythms. Gottschalk was the son of an English-German father and a mother of French ancestry. A child prodigy on several

Johann Christoph Gottsched was a literary theorist, critic, and dramatist who introduced French 18th-century classical standards of taste into the literature and theatre of Germany. After studying at Königsberg, Gottsched was appointed professor of poetry at the University of Leipzig in 1730,

Icelandic literature: The Reformation in Iceland: …of the Old Testament and Oddur Gottskálksson’s Icelandic translation of the New Testament. In his psalmbook Þorláksson showed appreciation of Icelandic poetic tradition and adhered to Icelandic alliteration and form.

gottuvadyam, long-necked stringed instrument of the lute family. The gottuvadyam is a staple instrument of the Karnatak music tradition of India. It is similar to the vina in appearance and sound, although its fingerboard is not fretted. It has a pear-shaped wooden body, 6 main strings, and as many

gottuvadyam, long-necked stringed instrument of the lute family. The gottuvadyam is a staple instrument of the Karnatak music tradition of India. It is similar to the vina in appearance and sound, although its fingerboard is not fretted. It has a pear-shaped wooden body, 6 main strings, and as many

Klement Gottwald was a Czechoslovak Communist politician and journalist, successively deputy premier (1945–46), premier (1946–48), and president (1948–53) of Czechoslovakia. The illegitimate son of a peasant, Gottwald was sent to Vienna at the age of 12 to become an apprentice carpenter and

Zlín, city, south-central Czech Republic, on the Dřevnice River, near its confluence with the Morava River. Gottwaldov was created in 1948 through a merger of several communities surrounding Zlín, a 14th-century village that had grown rapidly after World War I. The consolidated town was named for

interest group: Common characteristics and the importance of interest groups: …canvassing neighbourhoods door-to-door, and organizing get-out-the-vote efforts on election day.

Götz von Berlichingen was an imperial knight (Reichsritter), romanticized in legend as a German Robin Hood and remembered as hero of J.W. von Goethe’s play Götz von Berlichingen. His iron hand was a substitute for a hand shot away in the siege of Landshut (1504). He served under various masters in

Götz von Berlichingen, drama in five acts by J.W. von Goethe, published in 1773 and performed in 1774. The pseudo-Shakespearean tragedy was the first major work of the Sturm und Drang movement. Intending the play as a drama to be read rather than performed, Goethe published it as a shortened

Götz von Berlichingen, drama in five acts by J.W. von Goethe, published in 1773 and performed in 1774. The pseudo-Shakespearean tragedy was the first major work of the Sturm und Drang movement. Intending the play as a drama to be read rather than performed, Goethe published it as a shortened

Götz von Berlichingen was an imperial knight (Reichsritter), romanticized in legend as a German Robin Hood and remembered as hero of J.W. von Goethe’s play Götz von Berlichingen. His iron hand was a substitute for a hand shot away in the siege of Landshut (1504). He served under various masters in

Hermann Götz was a composer whose only enduring work is his comic opera based on William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. In 1863 Götz became organist at Winterthur, Switz., and about that time formed a lasting friendship with Johannes Brahms. From 1870 he lived at Zürich, where he was music

East African lakes: Study and exploration: …in 1894, a German explorer, Adolf von Götzen, became the first European to visit Lake Kivu.

Berlin ware: Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky acquired the porcelain formula in 1761 and started a factory that he sold to the king in 1763, when it became the Royal factory, which, in 1918, became the State factory. It is impossible to identify 18th-century Berlin porcelain with complete certainty.…

Juan Perón: Early life and career: …of colonel, and joined the United Officers Group (Grupo de Oficiales Unidos; GOU), a secret military lodge that engineered the 1943 coup that overthrew the ineffective civilian government of Argentina. The military regimes of the following three years came increasingly under the influence of Perón, who had shrewdly requested for…

Hou Tu: …personified in the person of Gou Long, a hero related to Shen Nong, the legendary Chinese father of agriculture.

gouache, painting technique in which a gum or an opaque white pigment is added to watercolours to produce opacity. In watercolour the tiny particles of pigment become enmeshed in the fibre of the paper; in gouache the colour lies on the surface of the paper, forming a continuous layer, or coating.

Gouda, semisoft cow’s-milk cheese of the Netherlands, named for the town of its origin. Gouda is traditionally made in flat wheels of 10 to 12 pounds (4.5 to 5.4 kilograms), each with a thin natural rind coated in yellow paraffin. So-called baby Goudas are produced in smaller wheels of 10 to 20

Gouda, gemeente (municipality), western Netherlands, at the confluence of the Gouwe and IJssel rivers in a fertile polder district. Chartered in 1272, it was a centre of the medieval cloth trade and was known in the 17th and 18th centuries for its clay pipes (still produced). The city is famous for

Claude Goudimel was a French composer, editor, and publisher who is noted for his influential and popular settings of the metrical psalms. Little is known of Goudimel’s early life. He was a university student in Paris in 1549 when his first chansons were published. He began working for the

Hendrik Conscience: …of this last period are Het goudland (1862; “The Land of Gold”), the first Flemish adventure novel, and De kerels van Vlaanderen (1871; “The Boys of Flanders”), another historical novel. The publication of his 100th book in 1881 led to mass tributes to him in Brussels, and in 1883 the…

Samuel Abraham Goudsmit was a Dutch-born U.S. physicist who, with George E. Uhlenbeck (q.v.), a fellow graduate student at the University of Leiden, Neth., formulated (1925) the concept of electron spin, leading to major changes in atomic theory and quantum mechanics. Of this work Isidor I. Rabi, a

Frederic W. Goudy was an American printer and typographer who designed more than 100 typefaces outstanding for their strength and beauty. Goudy taught himself printing and typography while working as a bookkeeper. In 1895, in partnership with a teacher of English, C. Lauren Hooper, he set up the

Frederic W. Goudy was an American printer and typographer who designed more than 100 typefaces outstanding for their strength and beauty. Goudy taught himself printing and typography while working as a bookkeeper. In 1895, in partnership with a teacher of English, C. Lauren Hooper, he set up the

hand tool: Chisel: Gouges—i.e., chisels with concave instead of flat sections, able to scoop hollows or form holes with curved instead of flat walls—were also used during this period. Chisels and gouges of very hard stone were used to rough out both the exteriors and interiors of bowls…

Olympe de Gouges was a French social reformer and writer who challenged conventional views on a number of matters, especially the role of women as citizens. Many consider her among the world’s first feminists. Marie was born to Anne Olympe Mouisset Gouze, who was married to Pierre Gouze, a butcher;

Olympe de Gouges was a French social reformer and writer who challenged conventional views on a number of matters, especially the role of women as citizens. Many consider her among the world’s first feminists. Marie was born to Anne Olympe Mouisset Gouze, who was married to Pierre Gouze, a butcher;

Gough Island, island associated with the Tristan da Cunha island

Sir Hugh Gough was a British soldier prominent in the Peninsular War and in India, who was said to have commanded in more general actions than any British officer except the Duke of Wellington. The son of a lieutenant colonel in the Limerick city militia, Gough obtained a commission in the British

Sir Hugh Gough was a British soldier prominent in the Peninsular War and in India, who was said to have commanded in more general actions than any British officer except the Duke of Wellington. The son of a lieutenant colonel in the Limerick city militia, Gough obtained a commission in the British