Not another bloody poll
Rob you now appear to be wearing the "stubborn mantle" that adorned the shoulders of the man you insist on defending. Trust me old mate Haig is far too controversial a figure to get military historians (professional academics and amateurs such as our merry band of brothers on here) to coming anywhere near an accurate consensus based on your thread/poll.
Your previous Fromelles thread proved what a minefield the subject is. Louis and others have articulated their views very admirably that they believed that Haigs tactics were practically of the "stone age". Not mentioned however, was the fact that some of his field commanders at the time also thought that. Allenby for one after the Battle of Arras lambasted Haig over the poor thought out strategy which resulted in him being transferred to the Palestine theatre-and we know how Allenby did there.
His much maligned quote about the machine gun "a much overated weapon that could be taken by pure grit & determination"-aligned with his explicit orders that the British tommy should walk slowly in line toward the enemy.
No wonder the Germans wrote after the battle "......all we had to do was load and reload. They went down in their hundreds" Not surprising that he wrote to the government that "......the nation must be prepared to see heavy casualty lists"
Haig's written report that first morning at the Somme ".....everything going like clockwork" with already thousands of British dead before lunch was served at the Lords cricket match which had started that same morning. Even when the casualty lists became known he never once visited the Somme front line to see what the hell was going on.
Another officer stated that Haig reminded him of the blind King of Bohemia at the battle of Crecy
And one final blistering comment from history is from one of his own countrymen "Haig was the greatest of the Scottish generals even better than William Wallace himself. Why? since he killed the most English soldiers in history"
Now you Rob have and probably will continue to counteract all my above and the rest of the guys previous comments with opposite stories/quotes etc of which you are entirely at liberty to do so but it wont change my mind and I doubt it will change the rest of the lads who come down on the same side of the minefield. Like I said Rob far far too controversial and imo a liitle flawed to have a poll on such.
Bob
,im with you Simmo i vote #1.
Not another bloody poll
Rob you now appear to be wearing the "stubborn mantle" that adorned the shoulders of the man you insist on defending. Trust me old mate Haig is far too controversial a figure to get military historians (professional academics and amateurs such as our merry band of brothers on here) to coming anywhere near an accurate consensus based on your thread/poll.
Your previous Fromelles thread proved what a minefield the subject is. Louis and others have articulated their views very admirably that they believed that Haigs tactics were practically of the "stone age". Not mentioned however, was the fact that some of his field commanders at the time also thought that. Allenby for one after the Battle of Arras lambasted Haig over the poor thought out strategy which resulted in him being transferred to the Palestine theatre-and we know how Allenby did there.
His much maligned quote about the machine gun "a much overated weapon that could be taken by pure grit & determination"-aligned with his explicit orders that the British tommy should walk slowly in line toward the enemy.
No wonder the Germans wrote after the battle "......all we had to do was load and reload. They went down in their hundreds" Not surprising that he wrote to the government that "......the nation must be prepared to see heavy casualty lists"
Haig's written report that first morning at the Somme ".....everything going like clockwork" with already thousands of British dead before lunch was served at the Lords cricket match which had started that same morning. Even when the casualty lists became known he never once visited the Somme front line to see what the hell was going on.
Another officer stated that Haig reminded him of the blind King of Bohemia at the battle of Crecy
And one final blistering comment from history is from one of his own countrymen "Haig was the greatest of the Scottish generals even better than William Wallace himself. Why? since he killed the most English soldiers in history"
Now you Rob have and probably will continue to counteract all my above and the rest of the guys previous comments with opposite stories/quotes etc of which you are entirely at liberty to do so but it wont change my mind and I doubt it will change the rest of the lads who come down on the same side of the minefield. Like I said Rob far far too controversial and imo a liitle flawed to have a poll on such.
Bob
Are you doubting me old mate
What
In those days being the king's very best friend went a long long way regardless of one's apparent ineptness in fighting a war.
Bob
and I agree with the last bit though. 
