1.  Starter
Blackadder
Why does this newspaper think there might be ‘blood on the hands’ of generals in WWI like Haig?

2. Was this man really the ‘Butcher of the Somme’?

3. The Battle of the Somme –fact file
1 July – 18 November 1916
One of the most significant battles of the First World War
Casualties, suffering and the human tragedy were …
Horrific!

4. The Battle of the Somme –fact file
60,000 British casualties on first day of battle alone
11 Cambridgeshire Battalion sent 750 ‘over the top’ and 691 became casualties of war
Most casualties were men in their late teens or early to mid twenties
By end of battle a strip of land 25 km long and 6km wide taken at the cost of …

5. The Battle of the Somme –fact file
420,000 British casualties

6. The Battle of the Somme –fact file
200,000 French casualties

7. The Battle of the Somme –fact file
500,000 German casualties

8. Was Haig really the ‘butcher of the Somme’?
Why did so many men die?
Could the enormous loss of life have been avoided?
Does General Haig deserve the title of …
‘The Butcher of the Somme’?

9.  Your task
Read the biography of Haig and highlight in blue all the events in his life which suggest he had all the qualities necessary to be a good leader or organiser.

10.  Your task
2. Study source 1. What impression does this give of Haig’s character? List some adjectives to describe him below.
3. Study source 3. Does this source provide a different view of Haig’s character or confirm your original suspicions? Explain your answer.
4. Study sources 2,3,4,5 & 6. Write down 5 facts from the sources about the Battle of the Somme. Is there any evidence to suggest the Somme was successful?

11. Your task
Recently there has been a campaign to have the statue of Field Marshall Haig in London removed and replaced by a statue of an ordinary soldier. Write a letter to the Mayor of London explaining what you think should be done. Include the following points:
A brief description of who Haig was
Explain the key events of the most famous / infamous battle associated with him – the Somme
Use quotes from historians or contemporaries where appropriate
Explain what should be done with the monument to Haig and why

12. Statue of Haig by AF Hardman unveiled in Whitehall in 1937