How useful are sources A, B and C to an historian studying the attitudes of British soldiers to their commanders during the First World War?

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BRITISH HISTORY: SOURCES COURSEWORK

Target 1: Evaluation of sources for their utility

How useful are sources A, B and C to an historian studying the attitudes of British soldiers to their commanders during the First World War?

   An historian studying the attitudes of British soldiers to their commanders during the First World War needs to be wary when considering sources A, B and C, as all three have limitations. Source C is written by Haig’s son in defence of the actions of his father, a general in the First World War, so obviously will not criticize him. Source C is also of limited value as it was written a long time after the War and Earl Haig was not a soldier in the First World War, so knowledge he thinks he has of the soldiers attitudes towards their commanders may be distorted. Sources A and B are limited in that they are the opinions of a cartoonist and a TV program, which are not necessarily representative of how the soldiers felt towards their commanders. Neither source indicates when it was written, so while the cartoon is more than likely to have been produced at the time of the War, the ‘Blackadder Goes Forth’ series started well after the First World War had ended. Sources A and B were produced with the intent of criticizing the commanders of the First World War, and so are biased towards portraying the commanders as uncaring of the men under their command, rather presenting a balanced view of the soldiers attitudes towards their commanders.

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   However, aspects of the sources may be useful when taken in conjunction with the historian’s own knowledge. Source C is the only source which offers an argument in defence of the commanders of the First World War. Earl Haig writes, ‘It is in more recent times that it [criticism of the commanders of the First World War, namely his father General Haig] has come.’ This statement is a solid argument as at the time that the First World War ended, General Haig was seen as a hero. He had a State Funeral and tens of thousands of his old ...

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