The First world war - source questions on Field Marshall Haig.

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Assignment 2: The First world war – source questions on Field Marshall Haig.

Answer A:

  Source A does not necessarily prove that Haig did not care about the lives of his men. What it suggests is that Haig was to use tactics, which would involve the death of a fair number of men, no matter what their level of training was. It is clear that Haig intended to use the lives of his men to win battles; he says, “Will enable victories to be won, without the sacrifice of men’s lives.” The source does imply that Haig did not value the lives of his men, with the utmost importance, as winning battles was of a greater priority to him, than the limiting of casualty lists. However, this does not prove that Haig did not care about the lives of his men, despite Haig’s obvious casual approach to the death of soldiers. The source also, is primarily a warning note to the public back home, that a war is being fought and there will be casualties, it is not necessarily a true reflection of Haig’s attitude to his men’s Life’s.

Answer B:

 Source B and C are both very different extracts, both have their elements of trustworthiness and of doubt. Source B for example was written during the war, before and after the battle of the Somme. Where as source C was written many years after the event, giving source B slightly more respectability, as it might be a more accurate reflection of events. In saying that though, source C is written by a private, who more than likely had first hand experience of the battle, it is therefore a first hand account. Source B is written by General Haig he was not involved first hand in the battle, but was informed of the nature of the battle and the outcome, it is possible that Haig might have been informed poorly or was generalizing some what. Source C might also; possibly have been at a specific area of the battle, in which it did not go to plan, giving a reason for the contradiction of Haig’s source. It is also not clear what the intent of Haig’s report was, whether it was a diary, Haig’s real opinion or whether it might have been written to boost the morale of his troops, as a form of propaganda. In which case Source C would be considered more trustworthy.

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Answer C:

  Both sources D and E either mention or imply, General Haig, but neither refers to the Battle of The Somme directly. Source D mentions Haig’s name, and source E implies the naivety of a certain general in cartoon form, implying Haig. Both sources have their uses to historians studying Haig, and the Battle of The Somme, as both sources express an opinion about Haig and the Somme, which is not entirely without use, as they both, raise issues about Haig as a general. Source D is a piece of comedy and its real purpose is ...

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