Was Field Marshal Haig a bad leader?

Question

Does Field Marshal Haig deserve his historically unflattering reputation or has history judged him too harshly? Eighty-eight years after the end of WW1, how do you view this controversial figure?

Answer 1

For sending hundreds of thousands of soldiers to their deaths in the face of machine guns & for a few yards of land - how can history be too harsh?

Answer 2

Haig turn into an incompetent butcher. this is the guy who spoke out strongly against plans to drop the lance because of the fact the traditional cavalry weapon interior the British military in 1921 - a appropriate occasion of his lack of ability to think of modern-day even properly after WW1. Haig consistently saved hundreds of cavalry waiting to apply the breakthroughs he predicted his offensives to grant.provided that whether a breakthrough turn into carried out (which it under no circumstances turn into),those cavalry could ought to traverse the British trench device,a shell hollow coated No guy's Land,then the enemy trench device to get into open u . s . a . to apply any breakthrough,and that this could have taken see you later that enemy reserves could have plugged the hollow with the help of then,such deployment turn into at superb a waste of materials,and at worst nonsensical. Haig claimed that his Somme Offensive could breakthrough the German lines and end the conflict in a fiortnight,with minimum British casualties.particularly,there have been 60,000 British casulaties on the 1st day,or perhaps while it turn into sparkling that the offensive turn into failing dismally,Haig saved it going for 4 and a a million/2 months.The constructive properties have been a strip of land 20 miles huge and,at its furthest penetration,7 miles deep. a lot an identical got here approximately at Passchendaele - Haig promised a speedy,conflict ending breakthrough,yet while the offensive at as quickly as slowed down he although saved it going for over 3 months for negligible constructive properties that made no distinction to the superb results of the conflict,and on the value of heavy casualties. Haig consistently blamed his subordinates while issues went incorrect,and used his social connections (his spouse turn right into a woman-in-waiting to the Queen) to place tension on Lloyd George on each occasion Lloyd George needed to have him replaced.with the help of 1918,Lloyd George turn into intentionally reinforcing British efforts in Salonika,Italy,and the middle East to maintain as many British troops as available far flung from Haig's command.