Field Marshall Haig: the Butcher of the Somme In order to answer the main essay question on whether or not Field Marshall Haig was the Butcher of the Somme I will include points for and against and also quotes to sum up and give a complete answer on my opinion of Field Marshall Haig. When field Marshall Haig was appointed commander of the British forces, he was 54 years old. Before this time Haig had had a long and successful career in the military and 15 years previous he had been a celebrated Calvary commander in the Boer war. Haig believed that the only way you could win a battle was through “…grit, determination…morale…” Even though hundreds and thousands of men had been killed, in December 1915, the western front was still stalemate. It was debated as to how well the British army was being led and in the same month, a new commander was appointed, General Haig. However experienced Haig was, he now encountered an even worse and more complex problem – trench warfare. Since generals had no idea of how to fight against trench warfare they simply used methods of fighting and tactics that they had used in past wars. General Haig used the same plans for this war that he had devised for the battle of Nueve Chapelle. Haig’s plans were very thorough and used as much intelligence that was available at the time. He used aerial observation, photography, ground patrols and interrogation of prisoners. Haig’s plan was to- 1. Begin with an artillery bombardment to destroy the German barbed wire in front of their trenches. 2. Then there would be a mass infantry attack over No Man’s land on the German tren... ... middle of paper ... ...ajority of the soldiers were new and had absolutely no idea about the state of affairs they were going to go through, nor were they trained for an event this intense. After Haig had been in many wars and fought for most of his life I believe that the amount of training he gave the troops was poor and inadequate for a man of his experience. The men were simply led on false pretences and made to believe that the war wasn’t going to be that bad, whereas if Haig had made it worse than he knew it was going to be then they would have displayed better fighting qualities and would have been fully prepared. Another focal point that suggests against Haig; is that even when it was clear that his plan wasn’t working he stuck to it and didn’t think about trying to change his ideas to suit the new type of trench warfare.
I believe that even though most of the sources tell us that Haig was a
Operational leaders see how the individual components of an organization fit together and use those individuals work to make a larger outcome. When they focus on a problem, they think of what works best within the process and systems to make an impact on the situation. These types of leaders play a big part in making sure that things get done in an effective and functioning manner. According to the Army Doctrine ADP 6-0, the Army over time has strayed away from operational leaders and adapted Mission Command, which gives leaders the ability at the lowest level the capability to exercise disciplined initiative in an act of carrying out the larger mission . Mission Command is made up of the following six steps: Understanding, Visualize, Describe, Direct, Lead and Assess, in which a commander is responsible for. General Patton understood the intent of the Battle of the Bulge on different levels, he was able to form a mental image for the course of actions for the allies, enemies and lead his Army into combat while guiding his officers and soldiers to succeed in meeting his intent. The Battle of the Bulge is where General Patton gained one of his greatest military achievements by using his tactical leadership and logistical genius, which in return helped him turn around the main forces and forced the Germans to drive back in their final counter-offensive. General Patton strongly exercised Mission Command by understanding, visualizing, leading, and commanding what was known as the largest and bloodiest battle during World War II.
All Quiet On The Western Front and Gallipoli are two stories independent of each other that chronicle the experiences of two separate young men in the same war. Paul Baumer, a nineteen-year old German soldier, narrates the story of All Quiet On The Western Front. This tragic story begins with Baumer in training camp and concludes with his untimely death. Archy, an eighteen-year old Australian athlete, is the main character in Gallipoli. Gallipoli, a peninsula in Turkey, becomes the background for another account of a young life wasted. Although these two young men are from opposing forces of the war and lived on opposite sides of the equator, they are alike in every way else.
All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Remarque, is a classic anti-war novel about the personal struggles and experiences encountered by a group of young German soldiers as they fight to survive the horrors of World War One. Remarque demonstrates, through the eyes of Paul Baumer, a young German soldier, how the war destroyed an entire generation of men by making them incapable of reintegrating into society because they could no longer relate to older generations, only to fellow soldiers.
Erich Maria Remarque’s classic novel All Quiet on the Western Front is based on World War I; it portrays themes involving suffering, comradeship, chance and dehumanization. The novel is narrated by Paul, a young soldier in the German military, who fights on the western front during The Great War. Like many German soldiers, Paul and his fellow friends join the war after listening to the patriotic language of the older generation and particularly Kantorek, a high school history teacher. After being exposed to unbelievable scenes on the front, Paul and his fellow friends realize that war is not as glorifying and heroic as the older generation has made it sound. Paul and his co-soldiers continuously see horrors of war leading them to become hardened, robot-like objects with one goal: the will to survive.
“What is it good for, absolutely nothing, huh, war” (Edwin Starr). The Horror of war, effects of war on the soldier, and nationalism are all themes in “ All Quiet on the Western Front”. World War 1 , is basically about the war that started over the killing of the archduke Franz Ferdinand.The war then escalated between 28 countries. The novel is about a guy named Paul and his school friends who were all persuaded to enlist to fight in World War 1. Paul and his company no nothing about what war is really like. They know nothing about the horrors of war.
The Battle: The Story of the Bulge is not a book about how the American’s used sheer numbers and force to overcome the Germans. It is a story of how the GI, who was independent, cocky, and had poor garrison etiquette, overcame the odds and became an unlikely strong adversary thus winning the battle. I can relate to the GI because I find myself at times to be cocky and not always wanting to take orders I don’t agree with. I think this relation helped me to understand some of the emotions the soldiers expressed throughout the
While soldiers are often perceived as glorious heroes in romantic literature, this is not always true as the trauma of fighting in war has many detrimental side effects. In Erich Maria Remarque 's All Quiet On The Western Front, the story of a young German soldier is told as he adapts to the harsh life of a World War I soldier. Fighting along the Western Front, nineteen year old Paul Baumer and his comrades begin to experience some of the hardest things that war has to offer. Paul’s old self gradually begins to deteriorate as he is awakened to the harsh reality of World War 1, depriving him from his childhood, numbing all normal human emotions and distancing future, reducing the quality of his life.
"...no nation is rich enough to pay for both war and civilization. We must make our choice; we cannot have both."
control was also a factor that can be said to make Haig a good war
After researching each side, I must say I am against BSL but will strive to present both sides as objectively as possible.
Throughout their lives, people must deal with the horrific and violent side of humanity. The side of humanity is shown through the act of war. This is shown in Erich Remarque’s novel, “All Quiet on the Western Front”. War is by far the most horrible thing that the human race has to go through. The participants in the war suffer irreversible damage by the atrocities they witness and the things they go through.
This essay will explain both sides of the views and using critical thinking will uncover the real message the author intended to portray.
Preview of main points: Today, I will discuss the pros and cons and the history
Both sides of the issue are supported by studies, facts and opinions. Therefore, your stance on the issue is yours to decide.