On the 29th of January 1928 Earl Haig, the Commander in Chief of British forces 1915-18 and founder of the British Legion, died. Haig has, in the United Kingdom at least, become one of the most controversial of figures. The general opinion of the man in the street being that Haig sat at his desk, well behind the lines, while his men fought and died in the horrific, mud filled trenches of the Great War. As with most things in life the truth is somewhat different.
Born in Edinburgh in 1861 into the wealthy whisky family of that name, Douglas Haig obtained a degree at Brasenose College, Oxford University and entered the Royal Military Acadamy at Sandhurst. Commissioned into the 7th Hussars Haig went to India in 1886 where his talents enabled him to progress through the ranks. He went to the Sudan where he saw action and later was involved in the Boer War in South Africa, serving under Sir John French, during the days of Britain's (always referred to as 'England' by the English) Empire phase. The 19th century saw a rise in nationalism as education and newspapers increased, and throughout Europe the imperialist urge was spent on far flung 'barbarian' lands. Haig, like most men of his time, went along with this. Would you have acted differently? After South Africa Haig returned to India, promoted to Colonel and worked under Lord Kitchener. His talents were rewarded when he became the youngest Major General in the British Army.
In 1906 Haig worked with Lord Haldane on army reforms and at this time the British Army was redesigned into three parts. The many militia's developed some fifty years before were amalgamated and organised as a 'Terratorial Force,' for defence of the British homeland. Alongside this the British Expeditionary Force was created as the arm which would be sent into any conflict overseas. The third arm of the army was the 'Army in India,' that 'Jewel in the Crown!' Haig also demanded a vast increase of the armed forces as he, like most others, foresaw the future conflict with Germany and desired a total manpower of just around one million men. By 1914 the total force was less than half of this number. Vast resources were being put into the building of the 'Dreadnought' battleships but less was being spent on the army. It must be remembered that at this time there was no conscription in the UK. This was not to arrive, against much opposition, until 1916. Around this time Haig, writing about the future conflict, made it clear the war would be one of attrition, there was no other way! Two massive industrial powers would meet with a mighty crash and a trial of strength until death would result. His enemies never mention this clear warning given long before the conflict erupted. I wonder why?
When war broke out in August 1914, Kitchener, the most senior officer in the British Army informed the first war cabinet that he expected the war to last three years. They were shocked! In most peoples eyes three months would be enough to beat the enemy, but all military men knew that if the war of movement ended then the catastrophe of trench warfare would erupt. The American Civil war fifty years before had shown some of the expected results of such strife, and only a few years before the Balkans fighting between Greece, Serbia, Turkey, Montenegro and Bulgaria had shown this only to clearly. Violent trench warfare, bombs dropped from the air and artillery barrages indicated lessons many did not wish to notice.
In 1914 Haig was promoted to Lieutenant General and given command of I Corps, under Sir John French the Commander in Chief. He was in attendance during the Mons fighting and in late 1914 first Ypres saw some of the bravest fighting conducted by the vastly outnumbered BEF. While making his way to the front line he was turned back by his own men and on returning to his HQ discovered a shell had landed on top of it devastating his staff! Meanwhile the fighting ended when a single line of Worcestershire's, plus whatever remnants remained, charged into the wood in which the battle was taking place and ended the German advance.One more German attack may well have won the war, however the British force, suffering huge casualties, had defeated an enemy that once again vastly outnumbered them.
The British war was being hindered by a lack of resources, shells in particular were in short supply, and useful use of the media by Sir John French had led to a change of attitude in Britain towards the war. By 1915 it had been realised the war was not going to end soon, and after more failures to break through, Haig, by now a General, was appointed overall commander. The war had reached a new situation and while Haig had to deal with an ever enlarging army, some 100,000 belonged to the original BEF and the numbers had now swelled to well over a million with as many in training back home. The Germans had decided to make Verdun the place to exhaust the French army, forgetting that this would also exhaust their own! The fighting in Spring of that year led to around 350,000 casualties on either side and France was indeed bleeding to death. Haig had intended to make a 'Big Push' at Ypres in Flanders during that year but was forced by the French to fight at the Somme instead. This was not a place Haig wished to be as the ground was totally unsuitable for such warfare. The rolling chalk hills, the many woods dotted here and there, made it he wrong place for a battle. The Germans had long before dug themselves deep into the earth, at places well constructed tunnels with first aid posts and electric lighting, over forty feet deep, very safe from any barrage. The French insisted on fighting in July although Haig knew his army would not be ready until September. Joffre, the Commander of the French force, was almost in tears at the thought and Haig agreed to a late June date, in fact the rain led to the attack beginning on the 1st of July 1916.
The battle was well planned and the 'New Army,' those thousands of volunteers from August 1914 who cheerfully enlisted from patriotic and other reasons, were to supply nine out of ten of those attacking. This led to an alteration of the tactics to suit their inexperience, while the General in charge, Rawlinson, wished a 'bite and hold' operation, Haig insisted on a full bloodied 'Push' to break the enemy defences. A million and a half shells were sent over on a full seven days barrage. The intent was to burst the deep trenches and cut the thick enemy wire. Some experienced men realised all was not well but the attack went in at 7:30 in the morning. It was a disaster! The shells had not cut the wire, many were dud and fixing the fuses was a difficult operation for an experienced gunner let alone a new man. Too few howitzers were available to destroy the deep trenches, and when the men left their own parapet they were cut down by an enemy desperate to get out into the daylight and fight back hard! Some in the south of the attack made good progress, others only broke through in small groups. A handful from the 16th Royal Scots, MacRae's Battalion, made it to Contalmaison and prisoner of war camp! Some advance was made and some trenches taken but overall almost 60,000 casualties were taken on the first few minutes of the battle! Haig however continued the fight until the end of November, what else could he do? His instructions were clear, support the French and remove the Germans from France and Belgium. It was clear there was no other way but to continue!
Major battles were fought in 1917 at Arras under General Allenby, and his reward was removal to Palestine to free Israel of the Turks. This at least he did successfully. Then Haigs greatest battle, and the most controversial, Passchendaele! This battle, with the intention to break through to the North Sea ports can easily be seen as murder of an army! First led by Gough's Fifth Army, which blundered about in the heavy rain and failed to make much impression. Then a second move led by Plumer which eventually reached Passchendaele itself. Thousands were dead, the broken rivers and irrigation systems flooded the land and the rain never stopped. Men drowned in shell holes, and when they fell from the slippery pathways. This was a hell on earth and none who served there ever forgot what they endured. Did Haig not realise the cost> Indeed he did. Why did he continue this battle? The only reason could be the French feebleness. Their treatment of their army was so bad that after the Nivelle offensive in 1916 the army went on strike! By late 1917 Haig would be unsure if the French could resist a German attack, and therefore it was important to keep the Germans bogged down. Bogged was probably the wrong word to use. It is clear that Plumer was not happy about continuing the fight as an officer at a meeting before Plumer's 2nd Army took over noted by his expression, this was Haig's order!
Even after reading all the available comment I doubt we will ever come to a proper conclusion regarding Haig and this battle.
During 1918 the Germans, afraid of the American armies now slowly arriving in France, brought their troops from the now closed Russian front and launched their last great effort to win the war. The British were the ones to face this onslaught for the most part and new tactics and weapons enable the Germans to made massive inroads into the British lines. However this did not last as the British, while forced back, still did not run, and the old Somme battlefields made it difficult tom transport weapons and supplies. Another problem for the Germans came when they discovered the huge stores, deliberately left, which supplied the British and French allies. Germany was starving and her armies knew it. Instead of attacking many stopped to rifle the stores and the shops behind the lines, including many wine cellars, and drunken soldiers refused orders and threatened officers while looting what they could. Eventually Haig and Foch, now supreme commander, stopped the German assault and Haig led the fightback which pushed the German attackers back all the way they had come, through the massive defence of the 'Hindenberg Line' and by November 11th 1918 the war was over.
Britain lost 750,000 dead during the Great War, some 300,000 still lie under foreign fields undiscovered! Almost all men who served were left wounded in body or mind, and thousands more died between the wars. Haig had led the nation to victory and was feted by the nation as a hero. he received £100,000 as a reward and became 'Earl Haig' in 1919 However during the war some had worried about the death toll, and Lloyd George the Prime minister had attempted to remove Haig from his position. The fact that there was no better person did not change the PM's mind. This devious man was afraid he would be blamed for the suffering and caused his friends in the press to blame the Generals for the losses. He omitted to state he was Prime Minister! This has led to many attacks on Haig in recent years and a general opinion that the war was a waste, nothing but muddy trenches and useless killing. There is much in that, but the Generals merely followed orders! Haig was always open to new tactics, although many claim this was not so. In fact he was so keen he rushed the tanks into action too soon, and was always looking for new weapons to finish the job. He was hindered by the PM forcing him to obey General Nivelle when it was clear Nivelle's plan was faulty, he was hindered by the PM refusing to allow new men to go to France, and the constant desire to send troops elsewhere, Gallipoli or Italy, in a vain attempt to win the easy way cost him many men and sometimes Generals! Haig was often attacked for sitting behind the line while his men died at the front. This of course is nonsense as he could only keep in touch with several armies, the French and Belgians, and his own government by being in an appropriate position. This was the same behaviour as Commanders of other armies yet only Haig is criticised? Italians and French, Russians and Germans lost more men than Britain did yet their Generals are lauded, not attacked and the reason has to be Lloyd George! His memoirs,which came out long after Haig was dead, blamed the generals for not caring for their men and wasting their lives. So why were the Generals not sacked? Because they were the best men for the job and those officers who kept close to Lloyd George made it clear he was the best man and the other Generals were in appropriate positions! Yet the smear campaign continues to this day!
Haig was not a brilliant General. He was not a good communicator, but he was the best available at the time, some claim only Plumer could have taken his place, others disagree. Haig made many mistakes, and the fighting at Passchendaele must be seen as a mistake. Was he keen to stop the French being attacked or had he just lost control of his emotions through the trawl of the war? It is difficult to know. He was not however a man who disregarded his men or considered them cannon fodder. he did however know this was to be a war of attrition, said so before the war, and won the war using the only tactics available. Many who are experts in war disagree of course.
His reward from the government he at first refused. Knowing the Prime Minister he would not accept anything until a pension for wounded soldiers had been passed. Made Baron Haig of Bemersyde in 1921 he spent many years with the British Legion attempting to provide for his wounded soldiers. He remains controversial, even though the last old soldier has passed away, but was he a hero or a villain? The real question is why were Generals of other armies considered hero's while Haig is not?
Useful links:-
Battle of the Somme
Paschendaele
Echoes of the Great War
Hellfire Corner
