The Battle Of The Somme Essay - 2000 Words

In British history, the Battle of the Somme has become one of the most significant battles due to the death and the horrendous casualties caused with that have made it become an emotive topic. It lasted from 1st July to 18th November, 1916. The unnecessary sacrifice led to the view that the brave British soldiers were ‘lions led by donkeys’ who were sent to their deaths by uncaring and unskilful generals. Many historians agree on the significance of the battle not in terms of its success or failure but how it had important results including the reduction of the German army as well as how the battle had helped the British learn valuable lessons to improve and prepare for future battles. In the short term, there is no doubt that the battle was hugely significant due to the overall casualties and large losses suffered by both sides. On the first day of the battle, the British infantry advanced across no man’s land into barbed wire which they thought was supposed to have been destroyed but wasn’t. It was the bloodiest day in the history of the British army as 19,000 soldiers were killed and 38,000 were wounded which made a significant total loss of 57,000. However most of the British soldiers were pre-conscriptions and volunteers who were not fully trained and they did not expect the Germans to come out of their deep trenches ready to fight. These deaths were linked to poor tactics and ineffective artillery. As the British soldiers advanced, they were mowed down by rifles andShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Of The Somme1285 Words   |  6 PagesThe Battle of the Somme, World War One was a major stalemate caused not only by the poor trench system, but the leade rship decisions, weather conditions, diseases and sicknesses among the troops and the technology used. Although these factors all contributed to the stalemate, the strong and harsh technology was the biggest attribute. World War One began on the 28th of July and lasted until the 11th of November 1918. It was named ‘The Great War’ or ‘The War to End All Wars’ because of the huge amountRead MoreThe Battle Of The Somme1103 Words   |  5 PagesQuetext About Widget FAQ Contact How was the Battle of the Somme significant to the British in World War 1? The Battle of the Somme was significant to the British in World War 1 because the British started and ended the battle, there were horrific casualties as a result of this Battle and it led to many lessons being learnt. The Battle was started by the British on the 1st July 1916 and ended on the 18th November 1916. Throughout the Battle, many smaller battles took place the most significant being dayRead MoreThe Battle of Somme Essay1498 Words   |  6 PagesThe British launched The Battle of the Somme to achieve two objectives. The first and most important goal was to relieve pressure on the French Army at Verdun, and the second was to inflict as heavy a loss as possible on the German Armies. The Battle of the Somme had to be fought to save the French Army from the crucifixion of Verdun. The head of the French Army, General Fock, and some leading British commanders did not believe this battle would help, but political masters in London and Paris supportedRead MoreThe Battle Of The Somme1781 Words   |  8 Pagesadvances, varying from a few hundred yards to 7 miles along a thirty mile front. This was not however the only achievement of the battle of the Somme. Hindenburg, a German general admitted within his Memoirs that while very little land was lost fighting in the Somme, the German army wouldn’t have survived many more campaigns similar to it or Verdun. Moreover, the Somme marked a change in the global perception of Britain; it became a force to be reckoned with. Erich von Falkenhayn, Chief of the GermanRead MoreThe Battle Of The Somme843 Words   |  4 Pagestriggered. Alongside the opposition enemy, soldiers had to contend with shortage of food and appalling conditions. The voluntary period saw the first sort of army to be set up. However this set of volunteers were formed into action later during the Battle of the Somme. This was called the Kitcheners army, largely influ enced through persuasive poster campaigns. This staggeringly led to over one million men to enlist by January 1915. The major ploy was the idea of the conscription and the effectivness of theRead MoreThe Battle Of The Somme1531 Words   |  7 Pages(1) The Battle of Somme The Battle of the Somme started in 1916 in the month of July and ended in the month of November and was the British and the French on one side vs the Germans on the other. It was an offensive type of battle . The British and the french got around 7 miles of ground and lost thousands of men in the process of the battle. It is considered one of the largest and bloodiest battles of WWI. TheRead MoreThe Battle Of The Somme2256 Words   |  10 Pagesmerely forty years ago sharks could and would outlive any event. Yet, even as sharks have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, the summer of 1916 presented the first unexpected change for these great animals. 1916 July 1st, 1916: The Battle of the Somme begins and the British army suffers 57,470 casualties and 19,240 deaths in just one day s time. In the span of that week, children were dying at the rate of one per hour from a polio epidemic in New York City alone. Yet, the American pressRead MoreThe Battle Of The Somme And Waterloo1488 Words   |  6 PagesSarah Cooper HIST 101-001 830538724 In â€Å"The Face of Battle,† John Keegan analyzed the experiences of the individuals involved in the battles of the Somme and Waterloo; he thoroughly examined the advancements of industrialization in warfare and battle strategy between 1815 and 1916. The industrialization of modern warfare during the battle of the Somme, while progressive, was very much still in its experimental stages. While the inventions during this time period were later evolved into much moreRead MoreThe Battle Of The Somme1505 Words   |  7 Pagesit is important in that the knowledge of our past will help posture and mold the future of tomorrow. The idea for Camp Lewis was fought for by the civilian populace of Pierce County in Washington State. Late in the year of 1916 the â€Å"Battle of the Somme† was at full force when a private group of concerned citizens got together at American Lake to organize a training program that was designed for non-enlistment personnel. The program was designed to encourage readiness among the community inRead MoreThe Battle Of The Somme1473 Words   |  6 Pagesmold the future of tomorrow as we learn and grow from the success and/or mistakes of those before us. In Washington State, the civilian populace fought for the idea of bringing a military base to the American Lake region. In late 1916, â€Å"Battle of the Somme† escalated and that rumored the possibility of other countries joining in to create a world war. A private group of concerned citizens got together at American Lake to organize a training program that was designed for non-enlistment personnel