Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig

20th Century Portraits Catalogue Entry

Sitter in 64 portraits
Commissioned into a cavalry regiment in 1885, by 1904 Haig had become the youngest major general in the British Army. On the outbreak of war in 1914, he helped organise the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), commanded by Field-Marshal John French. In 1915 he replaced French as Commander-in-Chief of the BEF and directed British campaigns including the Somme in 1916. Haig's tactics in these battles were and still are considered controversial by many including the then Prime Minister Lloyd George. After the war Haig devoted the rest of his life to the welfare of ex-servicemen, and was involved in the creation of the Royal British Legion, of which he was president until his death.