Battle of the Somme Essays

After four months and twenty days since it started, the Battle of the Somme has taken over the entire Somme region while leaving thousands dead. The Battle of the Somme started earlier this year on 1st July, and finished two days ago, on 18th November. The battle was predominantly fought between Germany, and France and Britain - lead by General Douglas Haig. Many people say that the large amount of losses for the British wass fully the fault of Haig. We are going to find out what really happened

conflicts I find important since they still have an effect on the war today, are the Battle of the Somme (July 1 – November 18, 1916) and the Battle of Tannenberg (August 26 – August 10, 1914). The reason the Battle of the Somme is still so important to the people of Britain is the immense loss that was inflicted there, and how that loss represents the whole of the war. The BBC states that the Battle of the Somme lasted 141 days and had a death toll of one million, but the bloodiest day was the first

Battle of Somme During World War 1, many battles occurred throughout the war, but one battle was a major loss for the Allies, especially to the British losing a major portion of there army in the first day of the battle. The outcome of the battle would be a bloody fight to capture Somme from German forces. The aim was to divert German attention from Verdun in defense of the Somme.The Battle of Somme was a devastating loss to the British for these reasons.The reasons the British suffered major loss

War I, the Battle of the Somme was a turning point for the home front in Canada, as well as, due to the deplorable battle failures of the Somme, it edified a plethora of lessons to future battles. To commence with, due to the excessive amount of men lost during the Somme, it led to conscription in the homefront. After the British suffrage of 420,000 casualties, the western front was in desperate need of men. The relentless human tolls of the war and the terrible casualties at the Somme were beginning

The battle of the Somme was a joint operation between the British and French forces against the German empire, with the intention to be the battle that won the war. The battle plan included the British bombarding German trenches for seven days and seven nights, then the British attacking on a 15 mile front north to the Somme, with the French supporting from the south and the cavalry on standby. It lasted between the 1st of July to the 18th November 1916; within that time the British lost 420,000

eventually took over the position of commander-in-chief by 1915. Haig is best known for ordering the Somme offensive on July 1st, 1916. It was his way of breaking the stalemate on the Western Front. On the Somme, The British Army suffered the most causalities of any battle it ever fought, with 60,000 casualties on the first day alone. A year later, Haig began a new offensive, the Third Battle of Ypres. This battle ended in even more casualties, but it helped to weaken the German forces and help Britain win

Does General Haig deserve to be remembered as the "Butcher of the Somme"? By Joshua Lawrence Early life Douglas Haig was born on 19 June 1861 in a house on Charlotte Square, Edinburgh. His father, John Richard Haig, was an alcoholic and owned Haig & Haig whisky distillery. His mother’s name was Rachel and she was the daughter of Hugh Veitch of Stewartfield. Marriage Haig married a woman named Dorothy Maud Vivian on 11 July 1905. Dorothy was a daughter of Hussey Crespigny Vivian and Louisa Duff

More British generals were slaughtered than in the entire Second World War during the Battle of Loos. Statistics show that the casualty rates of ordinary soldiers were around 12% while the generals were 17% between the years of 1914-18. This cannot happen if the idea of the “generals hardly being in the front lines” were true. AJP Taylor’s

Tanks in World War I By: Sandro Karhula & Jerry Vuohelainen   Index Battles - Battle of the Somme Page: 5 - Battle of Cambrai Page: 6 - Battle of the St. Quentin Canal Page: 10 - Battle of Villers-Bretonneux Page: 10 Tanks - A7V Page: 9 - Mark I, V Page: 4-5 - Mark A Whippet Page: 7-8 - Renault FT-17 Page: 8   Introduction The first ever project to build a tank was made by Leonardo da Vinci in 1487. Although he never realized it, the main idea of tanks did not change

“The disaster of the Somme was General Haig’s fault” Do you agree? The Battle of the Somme took place between July and November 1916. The battle was designed to help French troops by distracting German forces. However, many died and little ground was gained from poor planning and un-effective leadership. In my opinion Haig was to blame for the failures to and extent however some parts he had no or limited control over. Haig’s planning was poor when it came to directing his troops forward towards

system to lose ground. They were dug to protect from enemy fire and hold ground. They were so effective because frontal attack would mean heavy casualties for the opposition and the length of the trenches meant that flanking was almost impossible. Battles where both sides used trenches usually went for a long time and ground was rarely gained by either side. Trenches were dug with walls about 10 feet high that were often reinforced with sandbags or planks of wood. Barbwire was placed out the front

on German lines during the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 lasted for two weeks! Over 4.5 million shells were fired from British artillery batteries from over 3,000 guns. Field guns like the British Howitzer Mk1 fired 2 290lb shells a minute. They were used throughout the whole of the war by the British, American, Canada, Belgium and the Russian Empire. The Howitzer weighted 5 tons and a total of 650 guns were built. They were used in both world wars and in many battles. It fired high explosive shells

no part in, further escalating the problem. World War One was divided into two major alliances that fought against each other. As a result of Great Britain’s involvement, Canada was led into war as well, where Canadians distinguished themselves in battles

The Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme was a significant battle that influenced the outcome of World War One. This battle is remembered today to acknowledge the sacrifices and contributions made by Australian soldiers to the outcome of the Great War. The Battle of the Somme was fought in France on the Western Front and was also one of the largest battles of the First World War. The British and French armies were both involved and were up against the Germans. The Battle started on the 1st

The Battle of The Somme The Battle of The Somme was one of the first major battles of WW1. With about 1,120,000 casualties The Battle of The Somme was a devastating battle. Lasting 141 days and around 58,000 British casualties on the first day this was a battle to remember. The battle also showed new technology. The British plan was made at the end of 1915. It was supposed to be the British and the French attacking. The French commander in chief Joffre wanted to reduce the strength of the Germans

Trench warfare could also impact a person’s mental stability and health as a result of witnessing heart-breaking scenes, mainly death. Trenches also limit your movement to a couple of meters for a long period of time (until a battle is won or lost), which could drive a soldier crazy. During World War I on the Western Front, opposing sides created intricate dugout systems protected by barbed wire to ultimately slow down the enemy. The land in-between the opposing sides is referred

The war lasted four years because of the brutal battle tactics taking place. Generals sent out scores of soldiers into the battlefield, and almost everyone would be killed down by guns. The artillery would try to give the soldiers some cover by sending shells over the bunkers and into the enemy's trench. The armies would take turns sending men into battle, which it did not work. This hassle would only gain yards at a time. The Allies and the Central

Machine guns were a major ingredient of World War one. They were one of the main killers in the war and accountable for thousands of deaths. They were what made no mans land so terrifying, as they could shoot hundreds of rounds in one minute, making it almost impossible to step out of a trench without getting shot down. Without machine guns it would have made it much easier to make progress in no mans land, but much more difficult to defend your side from the enemy. Soldiers didn’t make much progress

The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a very successful battle not only for the Allies but, for the Canadian army. The Battle of Vimy Ridge took place in April 1917 in France. The battlefield gave Germany the upper hand as their trenches were located on a hill. Therefore giving Germany a commanding view of the British trenches and troops. Britain and France had tried on countless occasions to capture the area, however they were forced back by German artillery. Thus, leaving the capture in the hands of the

“Through thundering gun, and cannon fire, you can hear shouting of wounded soldiers or bold attackers, storming and laughing at death” (Calm, Unknown). Trench warfare is probably one of the most iconic and studied factors of WWI. Soldier’s accounts and documented experiences of the warfare on European frontlines have illustrated the terrible and miserable conditions soldiers faced. “By late 1916 the Western Front containted more than 1,000 kilometers of frontline and reserve trenches” (Alpha History:TrenchWarfare