was haig the butcher of the somme

[watson.fc]

Was Haig "Butcher of the Somme"?

[amarillis]

Yes - see this: http://www.worldwar1.com/biochaig.htm

[MFM]

No. Haig was a man of his time, but was quite willing to use any technology available to spare his troops. The late Victorian army ethos was very paternalistic towards its men, if harsh in the discipline. However, the Somme was forced upon Haig by the collapse of the French army after Verdun, and there was no option but to continue the campaign. Oddly enough, the Germans thought that they had barely scraped a draw, due to their losses. The Somme was bad. Ypres was unspeakable, and that should not have been allowed to happen.

MFM

[waldenman]

Even allowing for the different values of the time there's little doubt that Haig saw the common soldier as little more then "cannon fodder" in the greater scheme of things.
Remember that the German Kaiser was Queen Victorias grandson and cousin of King George V, who
was the British monarch during WW1.
That particular war was largely one dynasty against another and the ordinary man was seen merely as the tool to do the job.
The propaganda perpetuated by the upper classes to exhort the working man to do his duty for King and country was jingoistic nonsense. However it was very effective.
Haig was part of this "old guard" and a "grateful country"
(i.e. the establishment) gave him an Earldom and
�100,000 for services rendered.
To this day I will donate to the poppy fund but will not wear a poppy if it bears the words "Haig Foundation".

[heylo baybee]

Haig was the only man to put forward his ideas, he was willing to use new technology and he got no advice or feedback from his men as they where to scared of him. Haig didn�t know that all of the shells wouldn�t go off, he didn�t know the Germans plans and didn�t get told by anyone about them, he couldn�t help that his soldiers where not professional and he couldn�t help being born into a rich upper class family, especially at the time where only the certain classes talked to each other. Haig commented: � The men are in splendid spirits. Several have said they have never before been so instructed and informed of the nature of the operation before them.� From this we can see that his men were full of confidence with his tactics and communication. http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/History/Questio n77982.html �Haig was a man of his time, but was quite willing to use any technology available to spare his troops. The late Victorian army ethos was very paternalistic towards its men, if harsh in the discipline. However, the Somme was forced upon Haig by the collapse of the French army after Verdun, and there was no option but to continue the campaign. Oddly enough, the Germans thought that they had barely scraped a draw, due to their losses. The Somme was bad. Ypres was unspeakable, and that should not have been allowed to happen.� If Haig was not willing to use the technology we would not have what we have now as we wouldn�t know that the tanks didn�t work and the shells where untemitant.