General haig biography

Douglas Haig  ©Haig was British commander on the Western Front for most of World War One. The huge casualties that his military strategy produced has made him a controversial figure.

Douglas Haig was born in Edinburgh on 19 June into a wealthy family who owned a whisky business.

He studied at Oxford University and in went to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He then served as a cavalry officer for nine years, mainly in India. He later took part in the Sudan campaign ( - ) and the Boer War ( - ).

General haig biography wikipedia

In , Haig went to the War Office as director of military training. His responsibilities included the organisation of a British Expeditionary Force (BEF) for deployment in the event of war with Germany. On the outbreak of war in , Haig was commanding the BEF's 1st Army Corps, whose overall commander was Sir John French.

By the end of , it was clear that French was ill-suited to the role, and in December Haig was appointed commander in chief in his pl