Essay Database

The question "were the British soldiers 'Lions led by Donkeys?'" has been an ongoing debate since the end of the war. A war which is dominated by images of bloody battles such as the Somme and Passchendaele - futile frontal attacks against the machine guns. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that the troops were 'lions led by donkeys'. The definition that the soldiers were 'lions' in the war has never been …

…immediately refer to battles such as the Somme or Passchendaele - the most horrific, and where the British suffered most loss. Despite the fact the British suffered great casualties in the Somme, there were decent aims behind the battle (source F). And contradicting sources such as K (suggesting that the plan failed, and it had always been doubted) Source O suggests that the attack was well planned and that soldiers felt confident and thoroughly informed.