Did Earl Haig get a bad press ? - I think so.In 1916, criticism of General Douglas Haig came from no less a source than Lloyd-George. [The self-aggrandising Welsh Wizard was never averse to a little publicity.
It is most interesting however, that when he became PM, he changed NOTHING at the front which speaks volumes about the conduct of WW 1.
You can only play the hand of cards dealt to you. Haig did not invent trench warfare: Haig knew that without these dreadful, over-the-top assaults you would inevitably lose.
It was hoped that the unprecedented barrrage, which preceded the July the 1st assaults on the Somme, would have made it easy for the infantry - tragically, this was not so.
The Somme would have still happened with or without Haig. It was at the behest of the French, anxious to relieve pressure on Verdun, which meant that the British were effectively forced into the battle.
I have recently watched the mammoth BBC series, 'The Great War' , my viewing compacted into just 3 days. This profound series, of immense quality, does not leave the impression that: 1] This war could have been avoided given the imperialistic tendencies of Germany as seen in the Schlieffen plan which had prepared for the war as early as 1905 and 2] That once trench warfare arrived, and stalemate was reached, that there was any other realistic way forward.
What seems to have been forgotten by those historians, so often of leftist persuasions, is that Haig and his Army - the British Army, WON World War 1. Over 100,000 ex soldiers walked from Edinburgh to Dryburgh for his funeral. A million people viewed him lying in state.He led his army to the greatest series of victories ever. Also something few seem to know, he offered to resign - presumably in view of the slaughter over which he was compelled to preside. There was however, simply no one to take his place.
I have read about Haig over years and seen other TV programmes which were most opposed to his leadership but this was done by emotively suggesting that the generals, and particularly he, adopted a cavalier attitude to life.
This was simply not in Haig's nature. The Aisne Campaign under French general Robert Nivelle does meet the criteria of being 'cavalier' in all respects; an accusation which could not easily have been levelled at Joffre, Foch and Petain who were pretty much all in the same boat as Haig.
One more attempt to destroy a British great? - Probably so!
Now to the major point.
What I would like to hear from those who criticise Haig, is what their alternative would have been; how they would have lessened the butchery whilst still GUARANTEEING the victory which had to be won.
Criticism is all very well, but there must be other options available to the target if criticism is to be valid.
