I recently relistened to Dan Carlin's "Blueprint for Armageddon" and he does touch on how many of the troops suffered from "shell shock", or as we now know it a form of PTSD. And of course we have quite a bit of knowledge about PTSD from all subsequent wars.
But I'm curious, especially with WW1 and the nature of the battles sending thousands and thousands of troops to their deaths to gain a few inches of ground at a time, or sometimes just trying to kill as many people as possible as a metric for victory, did the commanders or generals ever become overwhelmed and suffered from any form of PTSD as a result of their orders?
For example, at Verdun there were something like a million casualties with no tactical or strategic advantage taken by either side(please correct me if this is wrong). I cannot imagine being the person ordering those soldiers to their deaths on such a scale and not being deeply effected by that for the rest of my life.
One specific leader in the first world war that likely suffered from PTSD was the American Major Charles W. Whittlesey. Whittlesey is remembered best for leading the 77th Division against the well entrenched German line in the Muese-Argonne sector of the front in October of 1918. The offensive went as planned initially, but soon Whittlesey and his men found themselves encircled. Those men who were encircled are historically referred to as the lost battalion. Isolated from American and French reinforcements, Whittlesey ordered his sub-officers the following as the 77th dug in.
"Our mission is to hold this position at all costs. No falling back. Have this understood by every man in your command."
Taylor V. Beattie in the Military History journal does an excellent job summarizing the hell those Americans went through.
Isolated from friendly forces and surrounded by a determined enemy, the men of the Lost Battalion stood their ground, enduring incessant machine-gun fire, mortar shells, grenades, sniper fire and vicious ground assaults led by flame throwers. For five dreadful days, with cold, thirst, hunger, fatigue, pain-numbing fear, misery and death their constant companion, the men of the Lost Battalion held on, long past hope for relief. On October 7, of the 554 77th Division men who had entered the ravine, 194 officers and enlisted men staggered out, bearing 107 dead and 159 wounded.
Three years after the Great War armistice, Whittlesey planned his suicide and wrote the following.
"I wish they would let me forget," "[N]ot a day goes by bu t I hear from some of my old outfit, usually about some sorrow or misfortune....I cannot bear much more. I want to be left in peace...."
Afterwards, Whittlesey drafted his will and boarded a freighter to Havana. Whittlesey then disappeared; assumed to have committed suicide by jumping off the ship. His remains were never found.
I would be willing to argue that Whittlesey's PTSD did stem from experience in the Argonne. Lt. Col. Dan Grossman did use Whittlesey as an example of PTSD in his book On Killing. I don't have a copy right now, but I might be able to quote some of that later if you would be interested.
References:
Beattie, Taylor V. "Ghosts of the Lost Battalion: an American special forces officer conducts an on-the-scene examination of the tactical decisions facing Major Charles Whittlesey in October 1918." Military History, Aug. 2002, p. 26+. Gale Academic Onefile, https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.lib.vt.edu/apps/doc/A90301642/AONE?u=viva_vpi&sid=AONE&xid=4c56a654. Accessed 9 Jan. 2020.
Disclaimer: I've never posted here before, but I will do my best to follow the rules and do a good job. If you have any criticism or critiques for me, please let me know.
While not tackling the issue of Generals whose mental health suffered as a result of command there is a thread you might be interested in regards to the strategic goals and outcomes of the Battle of the Somme by /u/DuxBelisarius located here: