The pre-War life and military career of Douglas Haig
The existing biographies of Haig pay little attention to his pre- war life. This thesis attempts to correct this deficiency. The aim is to offer a complete picture of Haig on the eve of war and to show how his development was shaped by personal, professional and social factors. The thesis has relied mainly on material from the Haig Papers, with additional evidence taken from the manuscripts of Haig's contemporaries. The introduction reviews the existing studies of Haig and discusses the deficiencies of these. The need for a new approach is outlined. Chapter I covers the period from 1861 -1879, and deals with Haig's childhood, family background and education, up to and including the period at Clifton. Special emphasis is given to Haig's important relationship with his mother. Chapter II covers the period 1879 -1883, when Haig was at Oxford. It analyses the education he received, the life he led and his eventual decision to join the Army. Chapter III deals with the period 1883 -1892. It begins with Haig at Sandhurst, and examines the training he received. The remainder of the chapter covers Haig's period as a 7th Hussar, most of which was spent in India. A brief examination of the Victorian Army and in particular
De Groot, Gerard J.
History
The pre-War life and military career of Douglas Haig. The existing biographies of Haig pay little attention to his pre- war life. This thesis attempts to correct this deficiency. The aim is to offer a complete picture of Haig on the eve of war and to show how his development was shaped by personal, professional and social factors. The thesis has relied mainly on material from the Haig Papers, with additional evidence taken from the manuscripts of Haig's contemporaries. The introduction reviews the existing studies of Haig and discusses the deficiencies of these. The need for a new approach is outlined. Chapter I covers the period from 1861 -1879, and deals with Haig's childhood, family background and education, up to and including the period at Clifton. Special emphasis is given to Haig's important relationship with his mother. Chapter II covers the period 1879 -1883, when Haig was at Oxford. It analyses the education he received, the life he led and his eventual decision to join the Army. Chapter III deals with the period 1883 -1892. It begins with Haig at Sandhurst, and examines the training he received. The remainder of the chapter covers Haig's period as a 7th Hussar, most of which was spent in India. A brief examination of the Victorian Army and in particular
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