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  • Essay / The Strategies of the British Expeditionary Force in "The Killing Ground" by Tim Travers

    The Killing GroundThe Killing Ground, written by Tim Travers, focuses on the strategies of the British Expeditionary Force during the period just before World War I as well than during the war itself. The first part of Travers' book reviews the social aspects of service and leadership within the BEF, addressing the ancient ways in which men of higher social standing could advance directly to a higher leadership position rather than earning this position. The Killing Ground reflects the old ways of warfare, before the major aspects of modernization struck during the First World War. The second part of the book focused on General Sir Douglas Haig, one of the commanders of the BEF. Haig is shown throughout The Killing Ground as clinging to an old version of warfare and not evolving with new methods of warfare. The third part of the book explores the Battle of the Somme and how the BEF handled it. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Tim Travers uses a range of sources, most of them primary. Most of the sources used came from War Office files, mainly the personal diaries, notebooks and papers of British officers during and before the war. It examines how British officers developed their command strategies before and during the war. Examining the leadership of the BEF is one of the best attributes of The Killing Ground and examines the strategies the BEF had at the start of the First World War. One of the flaws in his sources is that he uses first-hand accounts from officers, which somehow contradicted themselves, and turns them into facts for the book. This happens several times regarding Haig and his leaders. Aside from minor errors with these sources, the other sources used in The Killing Ground were satisfactory. An interesting approach to World War I in the book, as well as some of the main topics of the book, was the composition of the BEF. ...rather than focusing on the war itself. The Killing Ground tried to focus on the war, but it felt like it was going back and forth with the war and the social aspects of things. The back and forth made it very confusing because it felt like the organization of the book was scattered. The other problem within the organization in The Killing Ground comes at the end of the book, where Travers explores the other armies of the BEF. The French and German armies compared to the BEF seemed super rushed and shortened. There could be an entire chapter or even part of the book devoted to the topic and it seems like it was all brought together at the end in an effort to wrap up the book quickly. The best part of Travers' The Killing Ground came in the early parts. of the book. It examines the social status of the BEF as well as the new technology evolving in the BEF used before and during the First World War. The examination of the social status within the BEF was very interesting in the fact that it examined the social status of the BEF. the relationships that high-class British men had affected and who got the promotions. The analysis of the social statuses used to constitute the officers of the BEF became more and more interesting throughout the first part: General Sir Douglas Haig turns out to be a general who was not the best candidate to lead the British army. strengths. His personality and his thoughts on the old ways or war have.