Haig becomes commander-in-chief

15th December 1915

In December 1915, Haig replaced French as Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), with French returning to Britain.

Haig had been intriguing for the removal of French as commander of the BEF and had told King George V that French was "a source of great weakness to the army and no one had confidence in him any more".