|
Date: |
|
Description: | image: A half length portrait of Douglas Haig, wearing uniform and looking directly at the viewer.
Douglas Haig, born in Edinburgh in 1861, is one of the most controversial figures in modern British military history.
Upon the outbreak of the First World War, Haig commanded I Corps in the initially small British Expeditionary Force sent to France in
August 1914 under the overall command of Sir John French. As the BEF grew in size, Haig assumed command of First Army and then succeeded
French as Commander-in-Chief of the BEF in December 1915. Haig presided over a series of major battles including the Battles of the Somme,
Arras, Third Ypres, Cambrai, the German Spring offensives of 1918 and the British advances of the 'Hundred Days' in 1918. He commanded the
largest field army that Britain has ever sent to war, a force that increased in size from five Regular divisions at the outbreak of war to
around sixty Regular, Territorial and New Army divisions by mid-1916. Haig led this field army to eventual victory. The manner in which he
employed this force on the Western Front is still a subject of huge historical debate. Haig died in 1928 aged 66.
Optimised
Master | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | Western Front 1914-1918 British Army 1914-1918 Military Personnel British Army Douglas Haig portrait / personification Uniforms First World War | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Solomon, Solomon J (RA) | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
|
|