Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Earl Haig
Haig in 1917
Nickname(s)	"Master of the Field" "The Butcher of the Somme" 'Butcher' Haig
Born	(1861-06-19)19 June 1861 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	29 January 1928(1928-01-29) (aged 66) 21 Prince's Gate, London, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1884–1920
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands held	British Expeditionary Force (1915–19) First Army (1914–15) I Corps (1914) Aldershot Command (1912–14) Chief of the General Staff in India (1909–12) 17th Lancers (1901–03) 3rd Cavalry Brigade (1900)
Battles/wars	Mahdist War Second Boer War First World War
Awards	Knight of the Order of the Thistle Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Member of the Order of Merit Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Mentioned in Despatches Complete list

Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, was a very important officer in the British Army. He is famous for leading the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) during the First World War. He was in charge on the Western Front from late 1915 until the war ended.

He led British forces in major battles like the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras, and the Third Battle of Ypres. He also played a key role in the final Hundred Days Offensive in 1918. This campaign helped lead to the end of the war. Some historians believe it was one of the greatest victories for a British-led army.

After the war, Haig was seen as a hero. His funeral was a day of national mourning. However, over time, his leadership during the First World War has been strongly criticised. He was even nicknamed "Butcher Haig" because so many British soldiers were killed or injured under his command.

Despite the criticism, some historians argue that Haig's leadership was important. They point out that his forces adopted new tactics and technologies. They also highlight the crucial role British forces played in the Allied victory in 1918. They suggest that the high number of casualties was a sad reality of warfare at that time.

Early Life and Army Career

Age 23 in 1885, in his hussar's uniform

Douglas Haig was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1861. His father, John Richard Haig, owned a very successful whisky business. This meant the family had a lot of money.

Douglas went to several schools, including Clifton College. Both of his parents passed away by the time he was eighteen. After school, he studied at Brasenose College, Oxford. He was very good at horse riding and played for the university polo team.

Even though he went to university, he was older than most students when he joined the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in 1884. He did very well there, finishing first in his class. He became a lieutenant in the 7th (Queen's Own) Hussars in 1885.

Plaque marking Earl Haig's birthplace, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh

Interesting Facts About Sir Douglas Haig

• Early in his army career, Haig played polo for England. He loved polo his whole life. He even became Chairman of the Hurlingham Polo Committee.
• He also served as President of the Army Polo Committee. He helped start the Indian Polo Association.
• Haig served in India starting in 1886. He was promoted to captain in 1891.

Family Life

Douglas Haig married Dorothy Maud Vivian in 1905. She had first seen him playing polo two years earlier. They had four children together:

• Lady Alexandra Henrietta Louisa Haig (born 1907)
• Lady Victoria Doris Rachel Haig (born 1908)
• George Alexander Eugene Douglas Haig, 2nd Earl Haig (born 1918)
• Lady Irene Violet Freesia Janet Augustia Haig (born 1919)

Death and Burial

Haig's grave (right) next to his wife, with the standard military headstone used in the First World War

Douglas Haig passed away from a heart attack in London in 1928. He was 66 years old. His funeral was a very grand event on February 3rd. Many people came to pay their respects.

The gun-carriage that carried the Unknown Warrior to his grave also carried Haig's body. It went from a church in London to Westminster Abbey. Important people, including three royal princes, followed the carriage. After the service, his body was taken to Waterloo station and then to Edinburgh. There, it lay in state for three days at St Giles's Cathedral.

Haig was buried at Dryburgh Abbey in Scotland. His grave has a simple stone tablet. It looks like the headstones used for British soldiers who died in the First World War.

A statue of Earl Haig on a horse was later put up in Whitehall, London. It was unveiled in 1937.

His Reputation as a General

Historians have often debated whether Douglas Haig was a good general. Right after the war, he was very popular. However, after his death, some historians and politicians began to criticise him.

They argued that he made mistakes that caused many British soldiers to die or get injured. This was especially true in battles like the Somme and Passchendaele. Because of this, he earned the nickname 'Butcher Haig'. David Lloyd George, who was the Prime Minister during the later part of the war, also disagreed with Haig's methods. A famous book called The Donkeys (1961) popularised the idea that British soldiers were like "lions led by donkeys," meaning brave soldiers led by poor generals.

However, many army veterans and academic historians have defended Haig. For example, John Bourne noted that Haig helped the army use new weapons and technology. John Terraine argued that while the British Army lost many men, this was normal for the huge battles of that time. Other countries lost even more soldiers. Gordon Corrigan also pointed out that, compared to its population, Britain lost fewer people in the war than France and Germany.

Honours and Awards

Douglas Haig received many awards and honours for his service. Here are some of them:

	Knight of the Order of the Thistle (KT)	1917
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)	1915
	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)	1913
	Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)	1901
	Member of the Order of Merit (OM)	1919
	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)	1916
	Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)	1909
	Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)	1904
	Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE)	1911
	Delhi Durbar Medal	1911
	Queen's Sudan Medal
	Queen's South Africa Medal
	King's South Africa Medal
	1914 Star and clasp
	British War Medal
	World War I Victory Medal
	Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour	(France) 1916
	Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold	(Belgium) 1916
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus	(Italy) 1916
	1st Class of the Order of Prince Danilo I	(Montenegro) 1916
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Karađorđe's Star with Swords	(Serbia), Military division 1918
	Grand Cordon with Paulownia Flowers of the Order of the Rising Sun	(Japan) 1918
	1st Class of the Order of Michael the Brave	(Romania) 1919
	4th Class of the Order of St George	(Russia) 1917
	Distinguished Service Medal	(United States) 1918
	Obilitch Medal in Gold	(Montenegro) 1916
	Croix de Guerre	(France) 1917
	Croix de guerre	(Belgium) 1918
	Khedive's Sudan Medal	(Khedivate of Egypt) 1898

Honorary Degrees

Haig also received special degrees from many universities:

Country	Date	School	Degree
Scotland	1919	University of Edinburgh	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Scotland	11 July 1919	University of Aberdeen
Scotland	8 May 1919	University of Glasgow	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
England	25 June 1919	University of Oxford	Doctor of Civil Law (DCL)
England	1920	University of Leeds	Doctor of Laws (LL.D)

Freedom of the City

Many cities gave Haig the "Freedom of the City," a special honour:

• 1912: Bradford
• 1919: Dundee
• 1919: London
• 1919: Oxford
• 1919: Wolverhampton
• 1920: Leeds
• 1922: Stirling
• Date Unknown: Glasgow

Legacy

Many places and things have been named after Douglas Haig:

• An Argentine football club, Club Atlético Douglas Haig, was founded in 1918 and named after him.
• A road with council houses in Dudley, England, was named Haig Road in his honour in the early 1920s.
• A train locomotive was named Earl Haig in 1920.
• In 1921, a road and a football ground in Southport, England, were renamed Haig Avenue.
• Earl Haig Secondary School in Toronto, Canada, is also named after him.
• A type of cottage tulip called "Marshal Haig" has purple flowers.
• The Hundred of Haig, an area in South Australia, was named after Haig in 1918.
• Haig Avenue in Mount Roskill, Auckland, New Zealand, was named in his honour in the late 1920s.
• In Singapore, there is a road named Haig Road in Katong.

See also

In Spanish: Douglas Haig para niños