Now It Can Be Told · Character

Sir Douglas Haig

The field marshal whose distant directives shape the slaughter at Loos, felt by the men below only as whispers passed down from headquarters.

supporting

Also known as himself

First appearance: i

As a supporting figure in Now It Can Be Told, Sir Douglas Haig is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Initially hostile to war correspondents as First Army commander, later as Commander-in-Chief he meets them, initially misunderstanding their work but eventually relaxing…

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Haig commands the Western Front from a remove so vast that the battle reaches him as telephone murmurs—'The Guards have been kicked off Fosse 8'—while Gibbs watches the same ground erupt in red flame. He is the unseen hand behind the timetable of attacks, the man whose judgment the narrator can neither fully defend nor dismiss. His presence haunts the book's middle arc as the question every soldier asks: who decided this, and did they see what we see?

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See Sir Douglas Haig in i

Character Web

16 connections

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Other

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Key military and civilian figures

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of anticipation a…

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In the story

Sir Douglas Haig appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

IX
Initially hostile to war correspondents as First Army commander, later as Commander-in-Chief he meets them, initially misunderstanding their work but eventually relaxing censorship and acknowledging their contribution.
X
The Commander-in-Chief is seen starting for an afternoon ride with an escort.
XV
Succeeded Sir John French; described as shy, reserved, and lacking the magic touch to inspire troops, inheriting the disillusionment of the armies.
IV
Mentioned as having his strategical plan upset by events on other fronts.
VII
Could not spare strong reserves for the Cambrai operation.
The German Offensive of 1918
Extended British lines under pressure from the French government, weakening his command.

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