On This Day

British General Douglas Haig finally calls off the First Battle of the Somme in World War I after more than 1 million so

British General Douglas Haig finally calls off the First Battle of the Somme in World War I after more than 1 million soldiers are killed or wounded

Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, (19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior officer of the British Army. During the First World War he commanded the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front from late 1915 until the end of the war.

Haig's military career included service in the War Office, where he was instrumental in the creation of the Territorial Force in 1908. In January 1917 he was promoted to the rank of field marshal, subsequently leading the BEF during the final Hundred Days Offensive. This campaign, in combination with the Kiel mutiny, the Wilhelmshaven mutiny, the proclamation of a republic on 9 November 1918 and revolution across Germany, led to the armistice of 11 November 1918.

Historical Significance

Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, (19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior officer of the British Army.

Key People

Douglas Haig

field marshal

British field marshal

Events Before

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  2. French forces attempt to drive the Germans back into the Champagne region during World War I, gaining a few hundred yard

    French forces attempt to drive the Germans back into the Champagne region during World War I, gaining a few hundred yards at the cost of 50,000 casualties

  3. First military use of poison gas occurs when Germany uses chlorine gas against the Allies along the Western Front at Ypr

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  4. First landings at Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula by ANZAC forces during World War I

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  5. RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland, with 1,198 lives lost

    RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland, with 1,198 lives lost

Events After

  1. Sculptor Auguste Rodin (76) weds Rose Beuret

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  2. First major strike of the Russian "February Revolution" starts at the giant Putilov factory in Petrograd [NS=Mar 3]

    First major strike of the Russian "February Revolution" starts at the giant Putilov factory in Petrograd [NS=Mar 3]

  3. First jazz records are recorded: "Dixie Jazz Band One Step" and "Livery Stable Blues" by the Original Dixieland Jass Ban

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  4. First major strike of the Russian "February Revolution" starts at the giant Putilov factory in Petrograd [OS=Feb 18]

    First major strike of the Russian "February Revolution" starts at the giant Putilov factory in Petrograd [OS=Feb 18]

  5. First jazz record is released on a 78 by the Original Dixieland Jass Band for the Victor Talking Machine Company ("Dixie

    First jazz record is released on a 78 by the Original Dixieland Jass Band for the Victor Talking Machine Company ("Dixie Jazz Band One Step" on one side, "Livery Stable Blues" on the other)

More from the 1910s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 18, 1916?
Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, (19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior officer of the British Army. During the First World War he commanded the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front from late 1915 until the end of the war. Haig's military career included service in the War Office, where he was instrumental in the creation of the Territorial Force in 1908.
Why is British General Douglas Haig finally calls off the First Battle of the Somme ... significant?
Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, (19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior officer of the British Army.
Who was involved in British General Douglas Haig finally calls off the First Battle of the Somme ...?
Key figures include Douglas Haig (field marshal).

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