Haig's personal bravery and willingness to support subordinates help explain the confidence he retained. Similar career backgrounds among senior commanders are also identified as a source of restricted thinking. Plumer's capability is contrasted with an elderly appearance that could mislead observers, while Rawlinson is credited with learning after 1916. By 1918, experience had made the surviving command group more capable. Haig's administrative support and preference for manoeuvre then fitted the Hundred Days better than the earlier trench offensives.
Chapter · 4:00:25-4:12:48
Learning under Haig and the Hundred Days payoff
Plumer, Rawlinson, and the wider British command system learned to integrate artillery, infantry, tanks, and maneuver before the Hundred Days.