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Douglas Haig Facts & Worksheets

Douglas Haig was a British commander who was born in Edinburgh on June 19, 1861. He was a senior officer of the British Army and spent most of World War One on the Western Front.

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Douglas Haig was a British commander who was born in Edinburgh on June 19, 1861. He was a senior officer of the British Army and spent most of World War One on the Western Front. Later, he became a commander during the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras, and the Hundred Days Offensive.

See the fact file below for more information on the Douglas Haig or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Douglas Haig worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE OF DOUGLAS HAIG

  • Haig was born in Edinburgh on June 19, 1861, and began his education in 1869 as a boarder at Mr. Bateson’s School in St. Andrews, Scotland.
  • He was born into a wealthy family who owned a successful whiskey business, and he changed schools quite a few times throughout his childhood and teen years.
  • Unfortunately, both of Haig’s parents died before he turned 18.
  • Haig went on a tour of the United States with his brother, then promptly began studying Political Economy, Ancient History, and French Literature at Brasenose College at Oxford.
  • He was social at school, becoming a member of many equestrian sports teams and playing competitive polo.
  • In 1898, Haig fought in the Sudan, then again in the South African War between 1899 and 1902, holding administrative posts in India, which belonged to the British Empire at the time.
  • In 1905, he married Dorothy Maud Vivian, with whom he eventually had four children.
  • Between 1906 and 1909, he helped the war minister, Richard Burdon Haldane, establish a general staff and organize an expeditionary force for a potential war on the European mainland. He also acted as director of military training during that time.
  • By 1909, when the threat of war loomed between Germany and England, Haig accepted an appointment as Chief of the General Staff in India and was promoted to lieutenant-general in November 1910.
  • It was his role as director of military training that enabled him to organize a British Expeditionary Force (BEF) for deployment in case of an eventual war with Germany, and this eventually became the case in 1914.

HAIG AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR

  • Upon the outbreak of the First World War in August of 1914, Haig predicted that the war would last for months, if not years.
  • He attended the War Council on August 5, at which point Haig and Field Marshal Horatio Kitchener made suggestions about the course of action the BEF should take.
  • Haig led I Corps of the BEF to northern France and became commander of the 1st army the following year.
  • Somme Offensive
    • Haig was promoted to field marshal in late 1916, which was supported by King George V but not by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George.
    • Haig directed the British segment of the Battle of the Somme, which was an offensive attempt to break the stalemate on the Western Front and to relieve the pressure on the French at Verdun.
    • The offensive began on July 1, 1916, and resulted in 20,000 British army deaths on the first day (the highest in history), ultimately costing the British 420,000 casualties by the end of the offensive in November 1916.
    • In subsequent years during the First World War, Haig continued to work with Allied generals and commanders in order to lead assaults against the Germans.
  • Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres)
    • During the second half of 1917, Haig conducted an offensive at Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres), in which he hoped to liberate the North Sea coast of Belgium from the German presence there.
    • The offensive at Passchendaele resulted in fewer casualties than the Battle of Somme.
    • Haig was criticized heavily for his use of attrition, which is a method of warfare whereby the enemy is made physically and mentally weaker through continuous, repeated attacks.
    • After the war, Haig set up the British Legion and traveled throughout the British Empire.
    • He was made an earl in 1919.
    • Douglas Haig died on January 29, 1928. His body is buried at Dryburgh Abbey.

Douglas Haig Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Douglas Haig across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Douglas Haig worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Douglas Haig who was a British commander who was born in Edinburgh on June 19, 1861. He was a senior officer of the British Army and spent most of World War One on the Western Front. Later, he became a commander during the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras, and the Hundred Days Offensive.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Douglas Haig Facts
  • The Debate Over Attrition
  • The Somme and Passchendaele
  • Diary of Douglas Haig
  • Douglas Haig Crossword
  • Quote Analysis
  • Memorial Scrapbook
  • Opinion Piece
  • The British Legion
  • Douglas Haig Wordsearch
  • Legacy Acrostic Poem

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Link will appear as Douglas Haig Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, December 3, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

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