Richard Haldane was educated in Edinburgh and Göttingen, Germany, where he studied philosophy. In 1879 he was called to the Bar and six years later he became a Liberal Member of Parliament. As Secretary of State for War, Haldane introduced many radical reforms including the establishment of the Territorial Force. During the First World War he was accused of harbouring pro-German sympathies and forced to resign. Haldane was an early proponent of provincial universities and a great supporter of the Workers Educational Association. He translated the German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer, into English.