Habsburg-Lorraine, Friedrich Rudolf See
albert, archduke of austria.
Haig, Douglas, first earl Haig and Baron Haig
of Bemersyde (1861–1928) British general
Douglas Haig was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 19
June 1861, the son of John Haig, a whiskey distiller. He
attended school at Clifton College and Brasenose Col-
lege, Oxford University, and after graduation entered
the British Royal Military College at Sandhurst. After
a year there, he joined the British army in 1885, serv-
ing as an officer of the 7th Hussars. Haig was promoted
to the rank of captain in 1891, attended the Military
Staff College at Camberley, and then moved to Egypt
in 1897. There he was seconded to the Egyptian army
during the Omdurman campaign led by British general
Sir Horatio kitchener to put down the revolt that had
followed the 1885 death of General Charles “Chinese”
gordon.
Haig subsequently served during the Boer War in
South Africa (1899–1902). When that conflict broke
out, he was appointed to the staff of the British com-
mander, Lord roberts, seeing action at the relief of
Ladysmith (November 1899–February 1900). During
the hostilities, Haig became chief of staff to Sir John
french, later first earl French of Ypres, commander
of the cavalry division. In this position, he participated
in Lord Roberts’ advance from Cape Colony into the
Transvaal. For his services in the Boer War, he was pro-
moted to brevet lieutenant colonel.
Following the war in Africa, Haig was decorated
with the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)
and given command of the 17th Lancers for a year.
After that service, he was sent to India as an inspector
general of cavalry, serving from 1903 to 1906. He was
then promoted to major general, and he married the
Hon. Dorothy Vivian. Returning to England, he served
from 1906 to 1909 as a director of military training in
the War Office, helping the first Viscount Haldane of
Cloan, the secretary of state, in reorganizing and reform-
ing the British army. In 1907, Haig published Cavalry
Studies, a work on military reforms. Two years later, he
was named chief of staff to the commander in chief of
India, General Sir O’Moore Creagh. In 1910, Haig was
promoted to lieutenant general, and in 1912 he served
as Commander in chief at Aldershot, where he helped to
form the 1st and 2nd Cavalry divisions. In 1914, at the
outbreak of the First World War, he was named com-
mander of the First Army Corps of the British Expedi-
tionary Force (BEF).
Almost from the beginning of the war, Haig was at
the forefront of the British campaign to support French
forces on the western front. Because of his skill in con-