The Role Of Sir Douglas Haig In The Battle Of The Somme

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The Battle of the Somme was a battle of epic proportions with brutal fighting; it was originally conceived as a battle of attrition. The Allied leadership was comprised of Britain’s Sir Douglas Haig, a controversial general and French General Joseph Joffre who were know not to be proficient in their jobs enough to be considered successful battlefield leaders while Prime Minister David Lloyd George thought differently of the outcome of the battle and of Haig which caused constant conflict of opinions and decisions. The use of flawed tactics and inflexible thinking combined with a supreme ego lead to controversial decisions being made by Haig. Sir Douglas Haig the commander in chief of the British forces during the First World War maneuvered himself slyly up the military chain of command prior to the war eventually leading him to his appointed position. The ego driven Haig always believed his battlefield decisions were correct and that the best way to be on the offensive was through the use of full frontal attacks. This thought process had him convinced that victory was achieved by military might itself. He lived in the mind era that the cavalry was the solution to an offensive attack, while believing the use of modern weapons…show more content…
Upon his taking over as leader he was able to recruit capable staff members to help smooth operations in the overhaul of the war industry allowing the British Army to be supplied with sufficient weapons and ammunition. David Lloyd George as Prime Minster was considered to be a capable leader during the war with a bold aggressive style. This same style unfortunately found him in constant conflict with Haig a man he did not trust and found the loss of lives in battle under Haig
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