Should Douglas Haig have stayed out of inter-service politics when his grasp of naval affairs was limited?
Short answerHaig was asked for broad military advice because he looked and sounded authoritative, but neither he nor the politicians consulting him adequately recognized the limits of specialist competence.
NotesHaig was not wholly incompetent, but he did not sufficiently recognize the limits of his own judgment. Political leaders may treat a prestigious officer as an authority across every military subject, even though expertise is bounded by service, topic, and experience. That mistake becomes especially dangerous in interservice politics, where the appearance of military confidence can substitute for knowledge of naval affairs. Responsibility falls on both the adviser who speaks beyond his competence and the politicians who ask a specialist for universal military advice.