Sir douglas haig biography channel

He was the first English monarch who really understood how an army works. His reputation as a great British commander was cemented by his tactical knowledge, ability to get on with foreign allies and care for the common soldier. Churchill always wanted to be on the winning side. John Churchill son of an earlier Sir Winston Churchill rose to great fame and wealth.

Locations for this film are the magnificent Blenheim Palace that a grateful monarch had built for him and the site of two of his battles, Malplaquet and Blenheim itself. Major Gordon Corrigan investigates the life and legacy of Admiral Horatio Nelson to commemorate the th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, in which the leader guided his fleet to victory but was shot dead in the final hours of fighting.

Horatio, Admiral Lord Nelson, was a master of public relations. His victories were great and he was a national hero when one was badly needed. As planned, Haig's Aldershot command was formed into I Corps. In a letter to Haldane 4 AugustHaig predicted that the war would last for months if not years; Haig wanted Haldane to delay sending the BEF to France until the Territorial Army had been mobilised and incorporated.

There were no other contingency plans — Haig and Kitchener proposed that the BEF would be better positioned to counter-attack in Amiens. Sir John French suggested landing at Antwerpwhich was vetoed by Winston Churchill as the Royal Navy could not guarantee safe passage. A critical biographer writes that Haig was "more clear-sighted than many of his colleagues".

In his much-criticised memoirsFrench claimed that Haig had wanted to postpone sending the BEF, which may be partly true given what Haig had written to Haldane. Haig was so angry at this claim that he asked Cabinet Secretary Maurice Hankey to correct French's "inaccuracies". However Haig also rewrote his diary from this period, possibly to show himself in a better light and French in a poor one.

The original manuscript diary does not survive but there is no positive evidence that it was destroyed, and it is just as likely that the extant typed version was prepared from dictation or notes now lost. Haig predicted that the war would last several years and that an army of a million men, trained by officers and NCOs withdrawn from the BEF, would be needed.

Haig had been appointed aide-de-camp to King George V in February He later claimed that these doubts had gone back to the Boer War but there appears to have been an element of later embellishment about this; Haig had in fact praised French during the Boer War and had welcomed his appointment as CIGS in Haig crossed over to Le Havre. Haig was irritated by Sir John French, who ignored intelligence reports of German forces streaming westwards from Brussels, threatening an encirclement from the British left.

The two corps were supposed to meet at Le Cateau but I Corps under Haig were stopped at Landreciesleaving a large gap between the two. Haig's reactions to his corps' skirmish with German forces at Landrecies during which Haig led his staff into the street, revolvers drawn, promising to "sell our lives dearly" caused him to send an exaggerated report to French, which caused French to panic.

This battle slowed the German sir douglas haig biography channel. However, a critical biographer writes that too much has been made of the "moment of panic" at Landrecies, and that the mile km retreat, over a period of 13 days, is a tribute to the "steady and competent leadership" of Haig and Smith-Dorrien. Haig was irritated by the high-handed behaviour of the French, seizing roads which they had promised for British use and refusing to promise to cover the British right flank.

He complained privately of French unreliability and lack of fighting competence, a complaint which he would keep up for the next four years. He wrote to his wife that he wished the British were operating independently from Antwerp, a proposal which he had rejected as "reckless" when Sir John French had made it at the War Council on 4 August.

On 1 September, Lord Kitchener intervened by visiting French and ordering him to re-enter the battle and coordinate with Joffre's forces. The battle to defend Paris began on 5 September and became known as the first Battle of the Marne. Haig had wanted to rest his corps but was happy to resume the offensive when ordered. He drove on his subordinates when he thought them lacking in "fighting spirit".

Although Sir John French praised Haig's leadership of his corps, Haig was privately contemptuous of French's overconfidence prior to Mons and excessive caution thereafter. I Corps marched headlong into a thrust westward by fresh German forces, resulting in the First Battle of Ypres. German forces, equipped with heavy guns a large number for this stage in the waroutnumbered I Corps by two to one and came close to success.

At one point Haig mounted his horse to encourage his men, who were retreating around Gheluvelt, although the town had just been recaptured by a battalion of the Worcesters. Haig was also influenced by the fact that the Germans had called off their offensive when they were on the verge of success, concluding that attacks needed to be kept up so long as there was any chance of success.

After a fortnight of intense fighting I Corps had been reduced from 18, men to just under 3, effectives by 12 November. Haig travelled to London on French's behalf to consult Kitchener about the plan to expand the BEF and reorganise it into two armies. At this point it was thought that the war would end once the Germans were defeated by the Russians at Lodz and the difficulties of attacking on the Western Front were not yet appreciated.

This was also the view of Lord Kitchener, so Robertson received the promotion. At Neuve Chapelle, Haig wanted a quick bombardment and his subordinate Henry Rawlinson a longer and more methodical one. Shortage of shells meant that only a thirty-five-minute bombardment was possible but the small front of the attack gave it the concentration to succeed.

Haig was greatly interested in the potential of aircraft and met Major Trenchard of the Royal Flying Corps to organise photographic air reconnaissance and a map of German lines was obtained; aircraft were also used for artillery spotting. Casualties were around 12, on each side. On Rawlinson's suggestion Haig came close to sacking Major-General Joey Davies until it was found that Davies had followed Rawlinson's orders; Haig reprimanded Rawlinson but thought him too valuable to sack.

This may have made Rawlinson reluctant to stand up to Haig thereafter. It was believed on the British side that the lessons of Neuve Chapelle had been learned — reserves were ready to exploit and mortars were ready to support attackers who had advanced beyond artillery cover — and that this time success would be complete not partial.

The attack was less successful than Neuve Chapelle as the bombardment was over a wider front and against stronger defences; Haig was still focussed on winning a decisive victory by capturing key ground, rather than amassing firepower to inflict maximum damage. Lack of shells at these offensives was, along with Admiral Fisher 's resignation over the failed Dardanelles Campaigna cause of the fall of the Liberal Government 19 May.

Haig did not approve of the Northcliffe press attacks on Kitchener, whom he thought a powerful military voice against the folly of civilians like Churchill despite the fact that Kitchener was an opponent of the strong General Staff which Haig wanted to see. French also communicated with Conservative leaders and to David Lloyd George who became Minister of Munitions in the new coalition government.

Haig was asked by Clive Wigram one of the King's press staff to smooth relations between French and Kitchener. At Robertson's suggestion, Haig received Kitchener at his HQ despite French's attempt to block the meetingwhere they shared their concerns about French. Over lunch with the King and Kitchener, Haig remarked that the best time to sack French would have been after the retreat to the Marne; it was agreed that the men would correspond in confidence.

Haig had long thought French petty, jealous, unbalanced, overly quick to meddle in party politics and easily manipulated by Henry Wilson. The war was not going well — besides the failure at Cape Helles landing 25 AprilBulgaria had joined the Central Powers Serbia was soon overrun. Allied attacks in the west were needed to take pressure off the Russians, who were being flung out of Poland.

The original plan was to attack in July. Haig inspected the Loos area 24 June and expressed dissatisfaction with the ground. French and Haig would have preferred to renew the attack at Aubers Ridge. French wrote to Joffre saying he was willing to go along with these plans for the sake of Anglo-French cooperation, but then wrote to Joffre again suggesting an artillery bombardment with only limited British infantry attacks.

Kitchener listened sympathetically to Joffre's suggestion that in future Joffre should set the size, dates and objectives of British offensives, although he only agreed for the Loos attack for the moment. It is unclear exactly why Kitchener and then Haig agreed to go along with Joffre's wishes — possibly the disastrous plight of the Russians, but it may be that a promise that poison gas could be used may have persuaded Haig.

The French then postponed the attack as they picked new attacking ground in Champagne and arranged for extra shelling at Vimy, in both cases because of the very reasons — German-held villages and other obstructions — to which the British generals had objected. Only guns were available, too few for concentrated bombardment over a frontage far wider than at Neuve Chapelle.

Haig had persuaded himself that decisive victory was possible, and it may be that French wanted to keep control of the reserve to stop them being thrown into battle needlessly. Battle began 25 September after Haig ordered the release of chlorine gas. The attack failed in the north against the Hohenzollern Redoubt but broke through the German first line in the centre.

The reserves were tired after night marches to reach the front in secrecy and were not available until 2 pm, but were thrown into battle without success on the second day. Haig wrote a detailed letter to Kitchener claiming "complete" success on the first day and complaining that the reserves had not been placed as close to the front as agreed and that French had not released control of them when requested.

Haig strengthened his case by reports that captured enemy officers had been astonished at the British failure to exploit the attack and by complaining about the government's foot-dragging at introducing conscription and the commitment of troops to sideshows like Salonika and Suvla Bay. The failure of Loos was debated in the British press.

Lord Stamfordhamthe King's Secretary, telephoned Robertson to ask his opinion of French and Robertson conferred with Haig — who was pushing for Robertson to be appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff — before giving his opinion. The King also discussed the matter with Haig over dinner on a visit to the front 24 October. Haig again told him that French should have been sacked in August Four days later the King, whilst inspecting troops, was injured when thrown by one of Haig's horses and had to be evacuated to England on a stretcher, which embarrassed Haig.

French had his orders releasing the reserves published in The Times 2 Novemberwith an article by Repington blaming Haig. Haig demanded a correction of French's "inaccuracies", whereupon French ordered Haig to cease all correspondence on this matter. Haig met with the Prime Minister, H. Rumours were rife that French was to be sacked.

Kitchener returned to London 3 Dec and at a meeting with Haig that day, told him that he was to recommend to Asquith that Haig replace French. Haig and Robertson hoped that this would be the start of a new and more professional management of the war. For the first time 2 January Haig attended church service with George Duncan, who was to have great influence over him.

Haig saw himself as God's servant and was keen to have clergymen sent out whose sermons would remind the men that the war dead were martyrs in a just cause. Robertson and Kitchener wanted to concentrate on the Western Front, unlike many in the Cabinet who preferred Salonika or Mesopotamia. Haig and Robertson were aware that Britain would have to take on more of the offensive burden, as France was beginning to run out of men, but thought that the Germans might retreat in the west so they could concentrate on beating the Russians.

Haig thought that the Germans had already had plenty of "wearing out", that a decisive victory was possible in and urged Robertson to recruit more cavalry. Haig's preference was to regain control of the Belgian coast by attacking in Flanders, to bring the coast and the naval bases at Bruges, Zeebrugge and Ostend into Allied hands and where the Germans would suffer great loss if they were reluctant to retreat.

Lloyd George visited Haig at GHQ and afterwards wrote to Haig, to say that he had been impressed by his "grip" and by the "trained thought of a great soldier". Subsequent relations between the two men were not to be so cordial. Haig thought Lloyd George "shifty and unreliable". For his residence Haig commandeered Beaurepaire House a few kilometres away.

Haig decided that Verdun had "worn down" the Germans enough and that a decisive victory was possible at once. The Cabinet were less optimistic; Kitchener would have preferred smaller, purely attritional attacks but sided with Robertson in telling the Cabinet that the Somme offensive should go ahead. Haig attended a Cabinet meeting in London 15 April where the politicians were more concerned with the political crisis over the introduction of conscription.

The French had already insisted on an Anglo-French attack at the Somme, where British and French troops were adjacent, to relieve the pressure on the French Army at Verdun, although the French component of the attack was gradually reduced as reinforcements went to Verdun. Haig wanted to delay until 15 August, to allow for more training and more artillery to be available.

When told of this Joffre shouted at Haig that "the French Army would cease to exist" and had to be calmed with "liberal doses of brandy". The British refused to agree to French demands for a joint Anglo-French offensive from the Salonika bridgehead. Eventually, perhaps influenced by reports of French troop disturbances at Verdun, Haig agreed to attack on 29 June later put back until 1 July.

The government was concerned at the volume of shipping space being used for fodder and wanted to cut the number of cavalry divisions. Haig opposed this, believing that cavalry would still be needed to exploit the imminent victory. Most of the fodder was for the horses, donkeys and mules which the BEF used to move supplies and heavy equipment. Discussing this matter with the King, Haig told him that Germany would collapse by the end of Lloyd George thought Haig's letter "perfectly insolent" and that the government "had the right to investigate any matter connected with the war that they pleased".

Although too much shrapnel was used in the initial bombardment for 1 July, Haig was not entirely to blame for this — as early as January Haig had been impressed by evidence of the effectiveness of high explosive shells and had demanded as many of them as possible from van Donop Head of Ordnance in Britain. On 1 JanuaryHaig was made a field marshal.

The failure of the Nivelle Offensive in April which Haig had been required to support with a British offensive at Arras and the subsequent French mutiny and political crisis, discredited Lloyd George's plans for Anglo-French co-operation. During the second half ofHaig conducted an offensive at Passchendaele the Third Battle of Ypres. Haig hoped to liberate the North Sea coast of Belgium from which German U-boats were operating, provided that there was assistance from the French, support from Britain and that Russia stayed in the war.

The Admiralty, led by John Jellicoebelieved that the U-boat threat could jeopardise Britain's ability to continue fighting. Another objective was to commit German resources to Belgian Flanders, away from the Aisne sector in France, where the French mutiny had been worst, to give the French Army time to recover. If this happened the German troops located on the Eastern Front would be transferred to the west by late or earlymaking a decisive victory much more difficult.

The Third Battle of Ypres caused the British far fewer casualties than the Battle of the Somme and the substantial success of the occupation of the ridges around Ypres, the first stage of the offensive strategy and inflicted comparable losses on the Germans, who were far less capable of replacing losses and which contributed to their defeat in By the end ofLloyd George felt able to assert authority over the generals and at the end of the year was able to sack the First Sea Lord Admiral Jellicoe.

His speech angered several leading politicians and Derby assured Haig of his backing. Haig had informed the War Office 5 June that "events have proved the utility of Tanks". The first day objective was the high ground around Bourlon Wood and Haig was to review progress after 48 hours. The Third Army attacked at Cambrai early on 20 November with 1, guns using a surprise predicted barrage rather than a preliminary bombardment and nine tank battalions.

The 51st Highland Division was held up at Flesquieres village, which fell the following day. Haig's intelligence chief Brigadier-General Charteris told him that the Germans would not be able to reinforce for 48 hours and James Marshall-Cornwall, then a junior intelligence officer, later an admiring biographer of Haig, alleged that Charteris refused to have reported fresh German divisions shown on the situation map as he did not want to weaken Haig's resolution.

Haig visited the battlefield 21 Novemberinspecting the fighting at Bourlon Wood through his binoculars. He thought the attacks "feeble and uncoordinated" and was disappointed at the lack of grip by corps and division commanders and encountering 1st Cavalry Division, which had been ordered to fall back, resisted the temptation to countermand the order.

At around 9 pm he decided to continue the attack on Bourlon Wood, a decision which has been much criticised but which made good military sense at the time and was supported by Byng, although the political need for a clear victory may have been a factor. Bourlon Wood fell on 23 November but German counter-attacks had begun. Haig arrived at a Third Army planning meeting 26 November and ordered further attacks the following day but then had to bow to Byng deciding to go onto the defensive.

Haig complained that the lack of extra divisions had prevented a breakthrough, a view described by one biographer as "self-deception, pure and simple". Some of the gains were retaken after 30 November, when the Germans made their first counter-offensive against the British sinceusing new Sturmtruppen tactics. GHQ intelligence had failed to piece together warnings.

British casualties had mounted to over 40, by 3 December, with German losses somewhat less. Asked to provide a statement to the House of Commons, Haig attributed the German success to "one cause and one alone Robertson had arrived at Haig's Headquarters with orders signed by Derby for his dismissal, in case Haig refused to do as he was asked.

A common criticism is that Haig only accepted intelligence from Charteris who told him what he wanted to hear and did not cross-check it with other intelligence. Over lunch at 10 Downing Street with Derby and Lloyd George in January, Haig predicted that the war would end within a year because of the "internal state of Germany". Wedgwood openly demanded a change of command.

It was agreed that an Allied General Reserve be set up, under Foch with Henry Wilson as his deputy; Haig was reluctant to hand over divisions and argued against a common command, claiming that it would be "unconstitutional" for him to take orders from a foreign general, and that he did not have the reserves to spare. Milner thought Haig's stance "desperately stupid".

Derby summoned Haig to London, expecting him to support him in backing Robertson. However, he accepted that the War Cabinet must ultimately make the decision, and according to Lloyd George "put up no fight for Robertson" and persuaded Derby not to resign. Haig thought Robertson egotistical, coarse, power-crazed and not "a gentleman" and was unhappy at the way Robertson had allowed divisions to be diverted.

As late as 17 March, Cox, who had replaced Charteris as Intelligence Chief, predicted that the German Offensive was not yet immediately imminent. By 20 March, deployment of German trench mortars had been reported by deserters, and British artillery began some spoiling fire. Germany launched an attack, "Michael" 21 Marchwith a force larger than the entire BEF and enjoying superiority of over Hubert Gough's Fifth Army, which were spread thinly over line recently taken over from the French.

The Third Army retreated as planned from the Flesquieres Salient. With three-quarters of the mile front under attack, the British troops fought hard and the Germans failed to reach their first-day objectives. The Germans did not initially realise the importance of Amiens as an objective. Haig did not speak to or visit Gough until 23 March. That day Haig arranged for reserves to be sent down from Flanders.

Formal orders were issued to the Fifth Army to maintain contact with the Third Army to their north and the French to their south. A retreat on the ports does not seem to have been decided until some days after 21 March. This is one of the occasions where doubt has been cast on the authenticity of Haig's diary. Haig's letter of 25 March, sent via Weygandasked for 20 French divisions to cover the southern British flank as the BEF fought its way back "covering the Channel Ports".

Sheffield argues that orders to Third Army were not a precursor to retreat but "a means to an end", pointing to orders for, if needs be, a counterattack onto the northern flank of the German attackers, [ ] and also argues that although GHQ had a duty to consider contingency plans, unlike inevacuation was never actually likely. At the Doullens Conference 26 MarchHaig accepted the appointment of Foch to coordinate reserves of all nationalities wherever he saw fit.

A Canadian brigade took part in an action at Moreuil Wood. Attacks on 4 April Villers-Bretonneux, east of Amiens and 5 April on the Third Army front were beaten back by British and Australian forces, although contingency plans were still being prepared to cover Rouen and Le Havre in case Amiens fell. His objects are to separate us from the French, to take the Channel Ports and destroy the British Army.

In spite of throwing already Divisions into the battle and enduring the most reckless sacrifice of human life, he has as yet made little progress towards his goals. We owe this to the determined fighting and self-sacrifice of our troops. Words fail me to express the admiration which I feel for the splendid resistance offered by all ranks of our Army under the most trying circumstances.

Many amongst us now are tired. To those I would say that Victory will belong to the side which holds out the longest. The French Army is moving rapidly and in great force to our support. There is no other course open to us but to fight it out. Every position must be held to the last man: there must be no retirement. With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause each one of us must fight on to the end.

The safety of our homes and the Freedom of mankind alike depend upon the conduct of each one of us at this critical moment. Signed D. Haig F. Lloyd George demanded Haig sack Gough, and when Haig was reluctant he was given a direct order to do so by Derby. A night attack on 13th July did achieve a temporary breakthrough but German reinforcements arrived in time to close the gap.

Haig believed that the Germans were close to the point of exhaustion and continued to order further attacks expected each one to achieve the necessary breakthrough. Although small victories were achieved, for example, the capture of Pozieres on 23rd July, these gains could not be successfully followed up. Colonel Charles Repingtonthe military correspondent of The Timeshad a meeting with Haig during the offensive at the Somme: "He explained things on the map.

It is staff work rather than generalship which is necessary for this kind of fighting. He laid great stress on his raids, and he showed me on a map where these had taken place. He said that he welcomed criticisms, but when I mentioned the criticisms which I had heard of his misuse of artillery on July 1, he did not appear to relish it, and denied its truth.

As he was not prepared to talk of things of real interest, I said very little, and left him to do the talking. I also had a strong feeling that the tactics of July 1 had been bad. I don't know which of us was the most glad to be rid of the other. Though one of the intelligence officer's duties may be to help maintain his commander's morale, Charteris crossed the frontier between optimism and delusion.

Despite using tanks for the first time, Micheler's 12 divisions gained only a few kilometres. However, heavy snow forced Haig to abandon his gains. Woodwardhas pointed out: "British losses on the first day of the Somme offensive - almost 60, casualties - shocked Robertson. Haig's one-step breakthrough attempt was the antithesis of Robertson's cautious approach of exhausting the enemy with artillery and limited advances.

Although he secretly discussed more prudent tactics with Haig's subordinates he defended the BEF's operations in London. The British offensive, despite its limited results, was having a positive effect in conjunction with the other allied attacks under way against the central powers. The continuation of Haig's offensive into the autumn, however, was not so easy to justify.

Captain Charles Hudson was one of those officers who took part in the battle. He later wrote: "It is difficult to see how Haig, as Commander-in-Chief sir douglas haig biography channel in the atmosphere he did, so divorced from the fighting troops, could fulfil the tremendous task that was laid upon him effectively. I did not believe then, and I do not believe now that the enormous casualties were justified.

Throughout the war huge bombardments failed again and again yet we persisted in employing the same hopeless method of attack. Many other methods were possible, some were in fact used but only half-heartedly. Private James Lovegrove was also highly critical of Haig's tactics: "The military commanders had no respect for human life.

General Douglas Haig Of course, he was carrying out government policy, because after the war he was knighted and given a lump sum and a massive life-pension. I blame the public schools who bred these ego maniacs. They should never have been in charge of men. With the winter weather deteriorating General Haig now brought an end to the Somme Offensive.

Since the 1st July, the British has sufferedcasualties. The French lost nearlyand it is estimated that German casualties were in the region ofAllied forces gained some land but it reached only 12km at its deepest points. Haig wrote at the time: "The results of the Somme fully justify confidence in our ability to master the enemy's power of resistance.

Encouraged by the gains made at the offensive at Messines in JuneHaig became convinced that the German Army was now close to collapse and once again made plans for a major offensive to obtain the necessary breakthrough. After a 10 day preliminary bombardment, with 3, guns firing 4. Allied attacks on the German front-line continued despite very heavy rain that turned the Ypres lowlands into a swamp.

The situation was made sir douglas haig biography channel by the fact that the British heavy bombardment had destroyed the drainage system in the area. This heavy mud created terrible problems for the infantry and the use of tanks became impossible. As William Beach Thomasa journalist working for The Daily Mailpointed out: "Floods of rain and a blanket of mist have doused and cloaked the whole of the Flanders plain.

The newest shell-holes, already half-filled with soakage, are now flooded to the brim. The rain has so fouled this low, stoneless ground, spoiled of all natural drainage by shell-fire, that we experienced the double value of the early work, for today moving heavy material was extremely difficult and the men could scarcely walk in full equipment, much less dig.

Every man was soaked through and was standing or sleeping in a marsh. It was a work of energy to keep a rifle in a state fit to use. Lieutenant Robert Sherriff was a junior officer at Passchendaele : "The living conditions in our camp were sordid beyond belief. The cookhouse was flooded, and most of the food was uneatable. There was nothing but sodden biscuits and cold stew.

The cooks tried to supply bacon for breakfast, but the men complained that it smelled like dead men. The German Fourth Army held off the main British advance and restricted the British to small gains on the left of the line. Haig now called off the attacks and did not resume the offensive until the 26th September. An attack on 4th October enabled the British forces to take possession of the ridge east of Ypres.

Despite the return of heavy rain, Haig ordered further attacks towards the Passchendaele Ridge. Attacks on the 9th and 12th October were unsuccessful. As well as the heavy mud, the advancing British soldiers had to endure mustard gas attacks. Three more attacks took place in October and on the 6th November the village of Passchendaele was finally taken by British and Canadian infantry.

The offensive cost the British Army aboutcasualties and Haig was severely criticised for continuing with the attacks long after the operation had lost any real strategic value. The former lived in comfort, which became greater as the distance of their headquarters behind the lines increased. There was no harm in this provided there was touch and sympathy between the staff and the troops.

This was often lacking. The frightful casualties appalled me. There is a story of Sir Douglas Haig's Chief of Staff who was to return to England after the heavy fighting during the winter of on the Passchendaele front. Before leaving he said he would like to visit the Passchendaele Ridge and see the country. When he saw the mud and the ghastly conditions under which the soldiers had fought and died.

Why was I never told about this before? Haig's biographer, Trevor Wilsonhas defended his tactics during the First World War : "Haig's critics have rarely acknowledged the formidable problems which confronted him. He was required - by his political masters, by a vociferous media, and by the determination of the British public - not just to hold the line but to get on and win the war: that is, to carry the struggle to the enemy and drive the invader from the soil of France and Belgium.

Yet consequent upon the relative equality of manpower and industrial resources between the two sides, and upon the clear advantages which developments in weaponry had bestowed upon the defender, there was no sure path to victory on offer, and any offensive operation was bound to bring heavy loss of life upon the attacking forces.

Nor do Haig's critics usually notice the respects in which he responded positively to the changing face of warfare. For example, he embraced with enthusiasm both new devices of battle, such as tanks and aircraft, and new methods of employing established weaponry, such as striking innovations for increasing the effectiveness of artillery: aerial photography, sound-ranging, and flash-spotting.

However, he changed his mind and decided to launch the Cambrai Offensive. In September a munity took place at Etaples. Private William Brooks was one of those who was present at these disturbances: "There was a big riot by the Australians at a place called Etaples. They called it collective indiscipline, what it was was mutiny. It went on for days.

I think a couple of military police got killed. Field Marshall Haig would have shot the leaders but dared not of course because they were Aussies. Haig's nickname was the butcher. He'd think nothing of sending thousands of men to certain death. The utter waste and disregard for human life and human suffering by the so-called educated classes who ran the country.

What a wicked waste of life. I'd hate to be in their shoes when they face their Maker. Lieutenant James Marshall-Cornwall discovered captured documents that three German divisions from the Russian front had arrived to strengthen the Cambrai sector. Charteris told Marshall-Cornwall: "This is a bluff put up by the Germans to deceive us.

Sir douglas haig biography channel

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