Haig: Butcher of the Somme?

HAIG WAS A BUTCHER WHO THOUGHT NOTHING OF SENDING MEN TO THEIR DEATHS. DO YOU AGREE? Field Marshal Douglas Haig was a British senior officer during World War 1. He commanded the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 to the end of the War. This meant that he was in charge of the Battle of the Somme. His part in this battle has led to split hatfuls on him as an army officer. Some believe that his tactic was pathetic and he was mindlessly sending men to their deaths. However, some believe that the Somme was actu e precisey not a misadventure and that Haig employed a good tactic.I w bronchitic explored both sides of the argument and so conclude with my over all(prenominal) view on whether Haig was a boo-boo or not. 0 There are several grounds why Haig was or was not a butcher. Im tone ending to start off with a reason why I think he was a butcher. The reason was his location during the Battle of the Somme. He was situated in the luxuries of a chateau a whole fifty miles behind the line. This meant that, to be perfectly honest, Haig had future(a) to no idea as to what was red ink on in the battle. This is backed up by germ D where the differences between a rehearsal and a real attack.The Sergeant Major says that the absence of the superior general is one. This clearly shows that Haig was nowhere to be seen when war broke thus out showing his cowardice. My point near Haig having no idea close to what was going on is proved by get-go B where in that location is an extract written by Haig about the offset printing day of the attack. It is clear that he was not in that location and is clueless as the report is simply wrong. The fact that he was clueless and thought that the battle was going well meant that he didnt change his tactic. This was not actually his fault you could say he was ill informed.However, what facts say is that he wouldnt have to be informed at all if he was close to the battle and so would have know that his tactic was not workin g. Haigs perseverance of his tactic is what he is most criticised for and this mistake was very pr scourtable but for Haigs cowardice. Another reason that also supports Haig organism a butcher is his military strategy. This was just poor. He employed a tactic in which the purpose was to simply kill as many Germans as possible. However, as Source F describes, it is not a strategy at all, its slaughter. This, he knew would mean thither would be losses, too.He explains this in Source A where he says that the nation must be taught to bear losses. This may be him beingness a realist, however I reckon he is just using this statement to cover his back. So if there are many losses he cannot be blamed. However, even if there were almodal values going to be sacrifices I think that 20,000 British dead on the first morning with 600,000 Allies in total dead is more than anyone could have foreseen or accounted for. Furthermore, by and byward the ridiculous losses on the first morning alone, you would have thought that anyone would have made some big changes preferably tactics-wise.However, no, his perseverance or negligence is clear to see as the Somme bears huge casualties and is seen by most as slaughter of the British process. His plan of action was also pathetic as it involved many presumptions that were just wrong. He had presumed that the attack fire would completely destroy the crisp telegram so the troops would be able to just offer as they did, shoulder to shoulder across No Mans Land. However, all that happened to the barbed fit is that it was lifted up but then brought back down by the force of the explosions. So, if anything, it was in even more of a tangle than before. Source C backs this up.It states it was clear that there were no gaps in the electrify at the time of the attack. This slowed the men down, as they had to cut there way through it. This was not intend for. Haig had also counted on the German Trenches being obliterated. He had tho ught that, after the trip over No Mans Land, there would be very few opposing Germans. He thought that all of them would have been killed during the barrage and it wouldnt be able to be easier for the troops. This is what they were told. However, the Germans had made special trenches, which were reinforced with concrete. They were very deep too about 20 metres down.This meant that the Germans just hid in bunkers. Then, when they heard the bombing stop, they climbed out to there machine guns. Here, they just watched the British strolling towards the. They were sitting ducks. They Germans couldnt believe their luck as they mowed the British troops down. And then to think that Haig pursued this tactic and he gave reports like that in Source B where, after 20,000 British troops have died in just one morning, he writes that it was very successful and all went like clockwork. Butcher? I think so. However, despite everything I have said so removed some still dont think that Haig was a bu tcher.Im going to render you one of the reasons why they could possibly think this. This reason is how he was not informed well. His plan did not involve any soldier experience based knowledge. This was the reason that his presumptions were incorrect. He would have known that the barbed wire was never going to be destroyed by the barrage. Therefore (you would presume that) he wouldnt have involved this in his plan. Also, if he had known about the German trenches how they were reinforced and had bunkers to hide in during the barrage he wouldnt have involved that in his plan, either. Should he have asked or should he have been told?Either would have been better than brainlessly sending men to their deaths. It is also clear that the soldiers did know that the barrage was not going to have the desired affects. This is made clear in Source C where sequestered George Coppards interview is written down. He said any Tommy could have told them that shell fire lifts wire up and drops it d own, often in a worse tangle than before. So, he didnt really know how to tackle the plan he wanted to put into play. This was, debatably, not his fault. Therefore there is at least one reason why some believe that Haig was not a butcher.But, then again, some think that the Battle of the Somme was actually a success. They think that Haig, being the General, must have command us to the victory. I think, unless it won us the war, (which it clearly didnt) that many deaths cannot be in any way good. 0 To conclude, Im sure that you can guess my verdict. I believe that Haig was a butcher. I think he started out with the wrong mind-set not really caring about casualties. He thought that to win we just had to kill as many Germans as possible. This was the wrong way to go about it, I think. Secondly, His plan did not work.More than that, it resulted in 20,000 deaths on just one morning. He was pretty much clueless and so made many presumptions that were incorrect. He maybe could have known more if he wasnt cowering away 50 miles away from the battle in the luxuries of a castle. And finally, after all of the deaths I told you about on the first day of the Battle. He still pursued with that tactic. cardinal of my teachers used to tell me that the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. This is exactly what Haig did and it was on a massive scale. He was undoubtedly a butcher in my opinion.