I believe he was far sighted if this is the case. the harsh treatment meted out to Germany led to Hitler and a far more brutal war within 20 years - leaving the soviets responsible for most of eastern europe.

david noel spiteri, balzan, malta

Germany in the 20s was in many ways a prosperous place to be, and without the Depression Hitler would never have got to power. Totally inaccurate and simplistic to try and causally link Versailles with WW2. Haig deserves his reputation.

Neil Anderson, London,

The only people who pillory Haig are the ignorant and those whose knowledge derives from highly politicised works of the 1960s. He did not sit at his club & ignore the pleas of 'others' - it was frequently 'others' who caused the mess eg. Gough at 3rd Ypres, Lloyd G's withholding reinforcements.

Mark, Berkhamsted,

I also agree with Chris- giving the Germans a moderate peace would have been a wise idea. There surely has never been a more catastrophic peace treaty than the one they got. Despite Dr. Harris' clear intentions, this article makes me think of General Haig in a much better light.

James, Pinner,

There's no doubt that WWI was simply a European fratricide. No one had clean hands: the British, the Germans, the French, the Austrians, the Italians, and the Russians. It was the old "Imperial Game" played out to its finale. The Versailles Treaty led to Hitler, too.

Rick Dickson, Portland, Oregon, USA

Haig wanted to save the ruleing classes of Europe to ensure peace and order. Historians blame Versailles for WW2 but it was the loss of German and Russian ruling elitist that lesd Europe to war again. A defeated Japan with its ruling class intact is is an example of Haigs idea.

del, larkhall, scotland

The terms were not so 'bitter', that's why it was an armistice, not an unconditional surrender .
I'm becoming bored with these learned books, purporting to newly grasp matters 90 yrs later, many are little better than fiction.
A new one every year, just like Jack the Ripper identity relevations.

Frank H, London.,

WWI shaped the whole XXth century, and until 1945, it just couldn't have been worse. It's obvious that the Versailles treaty was an error, but they didn't know. You can blame hardliners like Clémenceau for the Versailles treaty, but also weak leaders of the 30s who thought Hitler was a gentleman.

Baptiste, Bordeaux, France

He was right. With a defeat with honour for Germany, there would have not been WWII. And Eastern Countries would not have been ruled by communist Russia for 50 years.

Allowing a defeat with honour is the first thing experience teaches you in life, business, and war.

Pedro, Spain,

....as our young men were being slaughtered in their 10s of thousands.

Brian Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland

Exactly why you SHOULD wear a red poppy - for the men that died, not for the idiots in command. White poppies weren't growing on Flanders fields.

Mark, Cambridge,

Geopolitical concepts are probably the best framework in which to analyze such long-distant events. By that yardstick, Germany after unity via Bismarck, would always need to worry about both their Western flank (France and Britain) and the Eastern (Russia). A second war would have been inevitable.

Adi Nath, New Delhi, India

A lot of people say without Hitler WWII wouldn't have happened, but without the crippling armistice terms Germany would have been stronger, sooner, and with the same racial prejudices. And WWII could still have happened. Only without Hitler's disasterous military interventions and bad judgements.

Neil, West Yorkshire, UK

Haig was similar to Bismark in the belife that Germany and not France was Britains natural allie in Europe. As Bismark united Germany with european wars he was gracious in his terms to his defeated neighbours apart for France,

del, larkhall, scotland

Maybe Haig was right! If a more equitable peace had occured earlier in 1918 there would have been far fewer casualities, the Germans wouldnt have been totally bankrupt, Hitler may not have come to power, Germany would have retained eastern territories and the cold war may never have happened!

paul, orleans,

Unbelievable!

If Haig was a 'butcher' then what did that make the German, French and Russian Generals who all lost more men?

A negotiated reasonable peace (which is what Haig believed in) would have avoided the Treaty of Versailles which led directly to the rise of Hitler and Nazis.

Andrew Day, Blackpool, England

Surely he was pretty much right about this. The humiliating surrender terms imposed on Germany led to something worse than the rise of Bolshevism; and by the mid 1930's Germany had become the 'hegemonic' power in Europe anyway.

John Fenwick, Southport,

Nulabor similarly concedes to Brussels over and above the best interests of our nation ........

jean baker , Guildford , Surrey

Just one reason why I never wear a poppy, unless I can get my hands on a white one.

Poppy's are named after Haig the Butcher who sat in his plush London club ignoring pleas from his Generals at the front to change tactics as our young men were being slaughtered in their 10s of thousands.

Brian Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland

We won the war but lost the peace. The armistice bankrupted the German's the rest of us, then killed hopes for democracy in Germany. It ushered the rise of Communism and Euro - Dictators, forcing us to fight WWII. The Marshal plan was a far more equitable way of winning the peace.

Paul Bahre, Granby, CT, USA

It was Britain's victory-the US had a bit part- but I do believe that the bitter terms as encouraged by the french did lead to WWII. It was however, the beginning of the US-UK alignment, which led to Britain's Anglo culture ascending. It is likely this is still the best hope for world stability.

chris, Phoenix, USA

A powerful Germany, winner of WW1, would have eventually challenged the Russian on the land and the British on the seas, etc. So the assertion that the Treaty of Versailles lead to WWII is partially incorrect.
We would have had another WWII.

Quentin , Singapore,

Chris, of Woodbridge; it may be equally argued that if the peace terms, and their enforcement, had been much more stringent, the German political elites would never had run the risk of a Hitler or his ilk.

N. Waters, Mississauga, Canada

WW1 is a tricky war to assess. The art of defence had far overshot the art of attack. Ten years later it might have been a different storey with air power, tanks and wireless better developed. We'd still probably have made a lash up of the first 100 days - we normally did!!

David, Dubai & PL2, UAE & England

They started it, as Basil Fawlty might say.
Please quote me any historical example of the victor saying to the vanquished:
Let bygones be bygones, we all make mistakes, never mind, no hard feelings, better luck next time, I thought you had us there for a moment.

gwilym rhys-jones, Costa del Sol, España

I agree with Chris, if the Germans had been offered better cease fire conditions, then maybe Hitler would not have become Fuhrer, and then maybe there would not have been WW2. If that assumption is correct, then think of the millions who would not have died between 1933-1945.

P.Robinson, Northants, England

Haig indirectly may have been correct as it would have at least left the Germans with some feeiling of honour. The peace VersaillesTreaty imposed on Germans laid the ground for the rise of Hitler and the Second World War.

chris, Woodbridge, England

There were no winners, only losers, where some lost more than others. There were no lessons learned, only a general disbelief that such an awfull waste of human life could have been orchestrated by all sides. What price courage when there is no gain.

William, Preston, Lancs, England