The Work of Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig (1861 - 1928)

The Work of Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig (1861 - 1928)

'Kill more Germans' summarised Haig's strategy as Commander in chief

of the British forces in France during most of World War One. His war

of attrition resulted in enormous numbers of British casualties and

his leadership remains controversial.

As a young officer, Haig fought in the Sudan, in the Boer War and held

administrative posts in India. From 1906-1909 he was assigned to the

War Office, where he helped form the Territorial Army and organize an

expeditionary force for any future war in Europe. When war broke out

in August 1914, Haig led the 1st Corps to northern France. In early

1915 he became commander of the 1st Army before succeeding Sir John

French as commander in chief of the British Expeditionary Force in

December.

In 1916 Haig was responsible for the Battle of the Somme, which cost

420,000 British casualties over four months for minimal gain. The next

year saw further stalemate: the US entered the war in April but the

French command wanted to stay on the defensive until the first of the

Americans arrived. This frustrated Haig, who was subordinate to the

French general Robert Nivelle. From May he was given more authority

and determined to defeat the Germans with a purely British offensive.

The resulting Third Battle of Ypres from July to November 1917 (also

called Passchendaele) saw further enormous British casualties that

shocked the public back home. Passchendaele failed to reach Haig's

objective - the Belgian coast - but nonetheless succeeded in weakening

the Germans and helped prepare the way for their defeat in 1918.

Supported by King George V, Haig bel...

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...n a campaign against the French at

Verdun. Five months passed, 700,000 men had become casualties, and the

French were only just hanging on. The British decided they had the

relieve the pressure on the French. The British high command, led by

Field Marshal Haig began a major attack along the line of the river

Somme, he hoped to lure the Germans away from Verdun. After another

five months the British had captured little land. On the 18 Nov 1916,

in the blizzards and snow Haig called a halt to the attack.

· The battle of the Somme was one of the most bloody of the First

World War, more British soldiers had been killed than in any other

battle before it. It earned Haig the title 'Butcher of the Somme',

after he unnecessarily sent thousands of British troops to their

deaths.

· He died in London on January 28th 1928.