Douglas Haig's Great Contribution to World War I Essays

Another source which supports the interpretation that British generals were incompetent is source B1. John Laffin worked as a tour guide in Australia. His parents both served witht he Australians in Gallipoli and France as nursing cops. Even though he didn’t have a history degree, he was a military historian who earned his living taking people on battlefield tours. He researched the war from the soldier’s viewpoint and wrote a successful history book titled “British Butchers and Bunglers of World War One” – a very emotive polemic title - which released to the public in 2003. The book aims to expose the guilt of ‘uncaring and stupid’ generals. The passage from the book says that Haig and other stupid generals must be blamed for ‘wilful blunders and wicked butchery’ and that there can never be forgiveness for their ‘sheer incompetence’. This source lacks reliability as it has been written in confidence with other sources he has researched online. Laffin only presents one side of the argument and doesn’t discuss the situation in Verdun. The passage of the book was written in 2003 – 80 years later from World War 1. However, his job as a tour guide in battlefields gives him an advantage over other historians. This source is supported by other historians (B8 an B1) and soldiers (B2). This interpretation is contradicted by sources like (B14).

     World War I was the result of leaders' aggression towards other countries which was supported by the rising nationalism of the European nations. Economic and imperial competition and fear of war prompted military alliances and an arms race, which further escalated the tension contributing to the outbreak of war. One cause of the World War was militarism, which is a policy in which military preparedness is of primary significance to a situation. Another cause of the World War was nationalism. Nationalism is the pride and devotion form one towards his/her country. It played a great part in the causes of World War 1 because citizens wanted to stand up for their country, and fight for them. The third

As the author of this article, I had the extreme pleasure of interviewing a most prestigious man, one who has suffered grave injury at the hands of the British and has proven his heroism and valor in the face of battle. General Benedict Arnold was a Patriot long before the war for American Independence and is a member of the Sons of Liberty. Arnold helped to smuggle trade goods and was nearly turned in by one of his own men. It makes the heart quake to think of what may have happened to this great man had he been captured by the British. (Gaines 2001, p. 27; Tonsetic 2013)

Pascal Jean Daigle was one of countless soldiers that fought and died for Canada in the First World War, which spanned from July 28th, 1914 until November 11th, 1918. The First World War acted as a breaking point for the tremendous amount of tension building up in the European Union and was the first time that our global community came together and converged against one common enemy. This time of war brought many deaths and affected millions of people. While this war hurt so many, it showed the enemies of the Allied Forces that the Allies were not a force to be thought of lightly and that together countries are much stronger than when separated. World War one is commonly known for its bloody battlefields, the closest thing humans have seen to hell on earth. The fields were scattered with dead bodies, and behind every single body was a family praying that their father, husband, or brother would come home. In the year of 1915, when Pascal enlisted, conscription was not formally introduced by the government. But by the work of propaganda and pressure from society it was very common for a young man like Pascal to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). Contrary to Pascal’s life at war and in training, his life previous to the World War was quite slow paced.

He was placed in command of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Prior to the landings on the Gallipoli peninsula, the general decided to split his forces. As Powles described:

     Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie was the most capable soldier that Canada has produced. Certainly, he did not look like the great soldier he had become. A very tall man, at six-foot-four, he was also somewhat overweight. Through his successes as the Commander of the Canadian Corps, he knew how to delegate authority and stand by the decisions of his subordinates.

His impacts in the colonies are shown mostly through his time at war. Recently, in the Battle of Saratoga, Benedict Arnold was sent to help Horatio Gates as an infantry commander and all around second in command. During these battles, Benedict had definitely expressed his opinion to General Gates and admits to speaking this way to his officer. In the Battle of Saratoga, he realized that his troops needed to go into the woods a fight the British, but General Gates only wanted to wait. Benedict Arnold eventually convinced General Gates to let them fight, so they did as they were told and went to the British. They fought “as the best soldiers they could be,” but General Gates broke off the battle, letting British General John Burgoyne keep the land and the confidence. Benedict, then, fought Burgoyne again, on October 7th. Because of his behavior in the first battle, Benedict Arnold was told by the general to stay in his headquarters, rather than

This paper will review the actions of American forces during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Upon the arrival of American forces to France in June 1917, an inexperienced combat force quickly transformed in just 15 months and abruptly ended the war after a 47 day campaign. They were led by General John J. Pershing, fighting against an experienced German foe who had been in battle for over three years prior to their arrival. The American forces involved consisted of the U.S. 1st Army, which was centered in the offensive and part of the overall Allied Expeditionary Force. French forces took part in the offensive to the west, British forces fought to the east. The offensive was named after the very thick Argonne Forest was to the west and

Douglas MacArthur was a US soldier, born in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. The son of a Union army hero during the Civil War (they are the only father and son to win the Congressional Medal of Honor) and a mother ambitious for his success, he trained at West Point (1903), rose steadily in the army, and demonstrated his bravado on a secret mission to Mexico (1914). In World War 1 he commanded a brigade in combat in France (1918), where he earned a reputation for bravery (wounded three times) as well as foppery - he carried a muffler and a riding crop into the line, but not a helmet or a gas mask. After serving as the superintendent of West Point (1919–22), he completed his second tour of duty in the Philippines.

At the start of World War I in 1914, Currie was chosen to command the 2nd Infantry Brigade. By February of 1915, he and his men were fighting in France. In the face of German poison gas attacks, Currie and his brigade held their line against the advancing German troops. As a result, he was promoted to major-general and commander of the 1st Canadian Division. He was also given the first order of knighthood, the Companionship of the Bath, a great honor bestowed to soldiers demonstrating the highest caliber of service. Additionally, the French government made him a commander of the Legion of Honor. At the battles of Festubert and Givenchy in 1915, Currie led the 2nd Brigade. He then became commander-in-chief of the Canadian Corps. Shortly after this, King George V of England made him a Knight-Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. During the war, Currie wrote an analysis on his strategies in battle, which became required for study

Curtis LeMay: Curtis LeMay was a U.S. Air Force General during WWII, who pioneered routs from North America to Africa and England, developed new formation procedures and bombing techniques for B-17 bombers in the Western Theatre, and led the Regensburg raid deep mover Germany (8). He was transferred to the Pacific front in July of 1944, where he ascended to the position of chief of staff of the Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific (8). At the conclusion of the war he set a new flight record by piloting a B-29 from Hokkaido, Japan, to Chicago, non-stop (8). He was significant to the war because of his involvement and leadership of the U.S. Air Force, as air supremacy came to be a major factor in which side would win the

Nicholas C. Holy is a professor at George Washington University. First of all, his article John Burgoyne presented a brief biography regarding General Burgoyne’s military career. Although the article did not gave a detailed biography of Burgoyne’s life, it provided vital information regarding his military history, and the totality of the article all directly leads to Burgoyne’s failure at the Battle of Saratoga. Additionally, Holy’s comprehensive research skills was demonstrated undoubtedly when the article informs the audience each specific small battle that lead to the Battle of Saratoga. Furthermore, the article was extremely concise by listing all the dates and the locations of the Battle. Aside from all these positive factors, the element

In this essay I will be exploring whether Douglas Haig played a significant role during World War One. I will argue that Haig was quite significant, however some things that he did overpower peoples views of him as a vertus leader - The Somme. The issue of Douglas Haig’s role as a British general during World War One, during the Battle of the Somme in 1916, leading the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) at the start of the war and his many other roles, has been thoroughly questioned by many historians to date. Through different views and opinions, Haig’s skills have been both celebrated and criticised; over the years he has been viewed as both “Architect of Victory and the Butcher of the Somme”, with much evidence supporting both arguments. His role my opinion I believe that Douglas Haig did play a slightly significant role during World War and that people overlook some of his great things.

WORLD WAR ONE      There has always been wars, and there will always be wars. Most wars leave a huge impact on the history of that nation, especialy if it involves more than one. In 1914, long-standing rivalries among European nations exploded into war. World War one, as it is now called, cost millions of lives. Such a war, has left a deep intentaion on the American history.

The battle of the Somme was the battle fought in World War 1. The battle of the Somme began when the French army required help from the British army to help fight the battle, Battle of Verdun, against the Germans. Britain went to the River Somme which distracted Germany so the German army divided in order to fight the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Verdun at the same time. The battle of the Somme was fought by the British Empire against the German Empire. The British Empire was led by General Douglas Haig. General Douglas Haig was the senior officer and he led the western front from the late 1915 until the end of the war. General Douglas Haig served as the commander of the British Army for 3 years (1918-1921). Sadly 10 years after the war Haig passed away. The phrase ‘butcher of the Somme’ was given to General Douglas Haig. The phrase is given to General Douglas Haig as many people believe that he was responsible for the deaths of many innocent soldiers. The phrase ‘butcher of the Somme’ means how many soldiers died during the battle of the Somme due to the tactics General Douglas Haig used. Is General Douglas Haig a hero or butcher?