Douglas Haig, the British Field marshal during World War I, was known as both a national hero and butcher. His decisions directly led to the large numbers of deaths in the trenches, but Haig was driven by the quest for a great victory along the trench lines. A biography explores Haig's legacy, the legacy of the Battle of Somme, and how these legacies intersect.

Concepts

world war i, england, great britain, biographies, trench warfare, military history

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Offer video as research on key figures of the war
• After viewing the video, ask your class to evaluate decisions that increased deaths during the Great War 

Classroom Considerations

• Part of the Who Did What in World War I? video biography series
• Graphic pictures of dead soldiers make the video inappropriate for some viewers
• The video presumes a high level of detailed knowledge of World War I battles
  

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• The video uses intriguing photographs to capture young scholars' interest
• Engaging narrator frames Haig's triumphs and failures within a larger context

Cons

• None

Common Core

L.9-10.2.a L.11-12.2.a