GCSE Assignment: Haig

Source a: The Effects of the Battle of the Somme, according to General Haig

A considerable portion of the German soldiers are now practically beaten men, ready to surrender if they could, thoroughly tired of the war and expecting nothing but defeat.   It is true that the amount of ground we have gained is not great.   That s nothing.   We have proved our ability to force the enemy out of strong defensive positions and to defeat him.   The German casualties have been greater than ours.

Part of a report written in December 1916, sent by Haig to the British Cabinet about the aftermath of the Battle of the Somme.

Source b: A View of Haig

This poster shows a caricature of Haig, with the words: ‘Your Country Needs Me… like a hole in the head – which is what most of you are going to get’.   It is taken from the book General Haig’s Private War.

Source c: Haig’s own views on the Somme and trench warfare

i)   The nation must be taught to bear losses.   No amount of skill on the part of the higher commanders, no training, however good, on the part of the officers and men, no superiority of arms and ammunition, however great, will enable victories to be won without the sacrifice of men’s lives.   The nation must be prepared to see heavy casualty lists.

Written by Haig in June 1916, before the Battle of the Somme.

ii)   The men are in splendid spirits.   Several have said that they have never before been so instructed and informed of the nature of the operation before them.   The barbed wire has never been so well cut nor the artillery preparation so thorough.   All the commanders are full of confidence.

Written by Haig on 30^th June, 1916, the day before the attack began.

Question: how does this compare to the memories of men who were there?   Why might Haig have got the impression that all the men were confident and felt well-prepared?

iii)   Very successful attack this morning…   All went like clockwork…   The battle is going very well for us and already the Germans are surrendering freely.   The enemy is so short of men that he is collecting them from all parts of the line.   Our troops are in wonderful spirits and confidence.

Written by Haig on 1^st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Question: how does this compare to your knowledge of how the battle went?   How do you explain this statement from Haig?

Source d: Field Marshall Haig as a military commander

Silent, humourless and reserved, Haig was also shrewd and ambitious and had great self-confidence.   Perhaps his greatest failing was his constant, often misplaced, optimism, which seemed to stem from his belief that he had been chosen by God to serve his country.   It was probably this inability to recognise defeat that led to his continuing attacks on the Somme and Passchendaele.

Written by the modern historian, Anthony Livesey, Great Battles of World War I (1989).  

Note: this is an appalling piece of writing – notice how the writer drives on through a series of questionable claims and ‘possiblys’ to his utterly questionable conclusion.

Source e: The Prime Minister’s view of what happened on the Western Front

The tale of these battles… is the story of the million who would rather die than call themselves cowards – even to themselves – and also of the two or three individuals who would rather the million perish than they as leaders should admit – even to themselves – that they were blunderers.   Ought I to have vetoed it?   Ought I not to have resigned than allow this slaughter of brave men?   I have always felt there are solid grounds for criticism in that respect.   My only justification is that Haig promised not to press the attack if it became clear that he could not attain his objectives by continuing the offensive.

Lloyd George, War Memoirs (published after the War)

Livesey (Source D) claimed that it was Haig’s ‘misplaced optimism’ and ‘inability to recognise defeat’ that kept him going; what does Lloyd George suggest kept Haig attacking?   The Battle lasted 4 months; Lloyd George could have dismissed Haig; what do you think of the excuse he gives for not doing so?

Source f: Was Haig right to press on with the Battle of the Somme?

As to whether it were wise or foolish to give battle on the Somme, there can surely be only one opinion.   To have refused to fight then and there would have meant the abandonment of Verdun to its fate and the breakdown of co-operation with the French.

From the biography of Haig, officially authorised by Haig’s family, by Duff Cooper, Haig (1935)

Question: do you agree that Haig had no alternative but to fight on the Somme?   And if he HAD to fight, did he HAVE to sacrifice so many men?

Source g: A modern assessment of Haig – was he totally at fault?

Blaming Haig the individual for the failings of the British war effort is putting too much of a burden of guilt on one man.   Haig was the product of his time, of his upbringing, education, training and previous, military experience.   One argument goes that he was, ultimately, victorious and, even if he had been replaced, would there have been anyone better for the job?   Even on the Somme a German officer called the battlefield ‘the muddy grave of the German army’.   This was the same battle in which Haig’s mistakes contributed to the half a million casualties suffered by the Allies.

From an article in the magazine Hindsight, by S Warburton (April 1998)

Question: Warburton argues that Haig’s actions were simply ‘a product of his education and experience’, and that he won in the end – does that make the millions of casualties alright, then?