The First World War: General Haig

PowerPoint (with 5 slides) and one worksheet that examines the actions of General Douglas Haig during the First World War and the impact this has had on his reputation. The lesson covers the Battle of the Somme in 1916, the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 and the Hundred Days Offensive in 1918. The lesson also considers the competing views of Haig as a ‘butcher’, an incompetent General or a victim of circumstance who was ultimately a successful commander.

Activities include:

• A reading and comprehension exercise in which pupils highlight successes and failures in a passage on Haig’s career.
• A ranking exercise on Haig’s biggest failure as commander of the British Army.
• A source analysis activity to establish the differing views of General Haig.
• A true or false activity in which students judge various statements true or false and provide evidence in support of their view.
• A concluding paragraph / plenary discussion in which pupils argue in favour of the most convincing interpretation.

Designed for the teaching of Edexcel iGCSE History 4HI1 Paper 2 A1 The Origins and Course of the First World War, 1905-1918.
Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace