Britain’s ‘man of iron’ a controversial figure

Despite plenty of controversy and huge casualties incurred under his watch, Sir Douglas Haig has been praised and celebrated for his many feats that led British troops to both victory and defeat in the Great War.

Haig is hailed as a "man of iron," and many newspapers have applauded his hard work throughout the war. Yet Haig is also a controversial general, seen as someone with little imagination and even less flexibility.

He is a man who believes the intricacies of modern warfare are a simple matter, and applies yesterday’s principles to the present condition.

Haig is one of the ablest soldiers the war has produced, and a man who does indeed view warfare tragically, as he saw his men torn apart in the field, and lived through many dark days. Yet he cannot escape the criticism of his war tactics which were seen as deeply flawed at times.

Haig is notably celebrated for his role in the third Battle of Ypres, as well as the the Somme, although his decisions have been questioned by those not afraid to stand up to Haig’s otherwise glorious reputation.

Haig was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 19 June 1861, the son of John Haig, a Scotch whisky distiller from Fife. He studied at Brasenose College in Oxford, and then in 1884 entered the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst.

It was in Sandhurst that Haig’s potential and fierce ambitions started to show. He left Sandhurst in less than a year, and joined the 7th (Queen’s Own) Hussars, serving as a cavalry officer for nine years, mainly in India. He took part in the Boer War from 1899-1902, where he served under Sir John French.

When Haig became director of military training in 1906 at the war office, part of his responsibility included the construction of the British Expeditionary Force for deployment in a potential continental war with Germany. That force went into action in the fall of 1914.

In December of 1915, many questions started to arise about the success of the war, particularly in France where depression and pessimism abounded about the fate of the conflict.

It was in that same month that Haig was appointed Commander in Chief of the BEF. He was 54 at the time, and certain that he alone knew the right path to victory.

Haig slow to embrace modern warfare

Although Haig had military experience, trench warfare was a new form of fighting, and Haig faced a difficult task ahead. Haig, a cavalry man through and through, valued the traditional form of war, and much of the way of fighting in the Great War was alien to him.

He didn’t rate the weaponry very highly saying, "(t)he machine gun is a much over rated weapon."

His stringent tactics and ideals came from being the product of an educational system that placed character before intellect, and frowned upon science and technology.

To Haig, war was a moral contest in which superior character always prevailed. As early as 1916, Haig believed that Germany was on the verge of collapse, and therefore susceptible to a knockout blow.

The battle at Ypres was a clear example of Haig’s personal ambitions. The general wished for an entirely British victory that was not shared with the French, and wanted to embarrass Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who had earlier humiliated Haig.

George had said he sometimes wondered if he should have resigned rather than let Haig continue on with his strategies and his need to prove that the cavalry days had not passed. Many men died under Haig’s tactics.

‘Butcher of the Somme’

Haig’s notoriety may be best exemplified by the Battle of Somme, the longest and hardest battle fought in the Great War. His British Army units marched forward despite being overwhelmed by the number of German soldiers.

The first day of the battle saw the highest number of casualties in British history — 60,000 men in total. After five months of battle, and little land captured, the battle was called off in November. Haig deemed it a success, but the outcome earned him the nickname "Butcher of the Somme."

In many ways, though, this past year has redeemed much of Haig’s reputation. In little more than 100 days this summer and fall, Haig’s forces cut through the German lines, capturing close to 200,000 prisoners and almost 3,000 enemy guns.

One ultimately redeeming factor: almost half of those prisoners were captured by Haig’s beloved cavalry.

If and when this war ends, speculation in London points to Haig’s continued leadership within the British Army, and he may well build upon his knighthood, securing more royal honours.