Who was Douglas Haig?
Q: Who was Douglas Haig?
A: Douglas Haig was a British Army general in World War I. He served as the senior commander of the British forces in France from 1915 until the end of the war, most notably leading them during major battles such as The Somme, Passchendaele, and the Hundred Days Offensive.
Q: What has been argued about Haig's performance as a general?
A: Historians have often debated whether or not Haig was a good general. In the years after WWI he was popular but some later historians and politicians wrote books criticizing him for making mistakes that led to high casualties among British troops at battles such as The Somme and Passchendaele. This criticism earned him nicknames such as 'Butcher Haig' or 'the Butcher of the Somme'.
Q: Who wrote one of the best known books criticizing Haig?
A: Alan Clark wrote one of the best known books criticizing Haig called The Donkeys (1961). This book is part of what is known as 'lions led by donkeys' view which suggests Britain had great soldiers but bad generals.
Q: What do some veterans and academic historians argue about Haig's performance?
A: Some veterans and academic historians argue that despite his mistakes, Haig was still a great general who helped use new weapons and technology effectively. They also point out that while Britain lost many men in WWI, it actually lost half as many people per capita compared to Germany and France.
Q: What did Prime Minister David Lloyd George think about Douglas Haig?
A: Prime Minister David Lloyd George disagreed with Douglas Haig's decisions during WWI.
Q: When did Douglas Haig die?
A: Douglas died on 29 January 1928 in London.
