Battle of Somme

1. Battle of Somme Vidhi S., Amulya B., Eric K., Austin E.

2. Thesis: Hoping to relieve pressure on the French, the British army bombarded German trenches near Verdun, while they hid deep away in the ground, in the hope of attrition; however, the Germans efficiently attacked the incoming British forces, which resulted in a multitude of casualties and emotional wounds.

3. When and Where? • July 1 1916 - November 18 1916 • Fought near River Somme in France • Largest and bloodiest battles in WW1 • First time tanks used in a battle • Use of trenches was epitomized • 1,112,000 casualties

7. Why did it happen? • Done to relieve French pressure at Verdun, which is east of Paris • The British try to help by attacking the Germans from the north of Verdun → Germans move their men → Relive pressure on the French

8. Battle Strategies French/British • The British had wanted to relieve the stress on the French army at Verdun so they joined the French for an offensive to try and split up the German army • They also wanted to inflict as many losses as they could Germans • Ludendorff’s plan was to punch a hole in the French and British defenses like he had done with the Russians • If this worked he then wanted to head north so that he could surround the British and force them to surrender

9. Ammunition Used on Day 1 By English

10. Impact 1. First time tanks were used (limited use) 2. A LOT of casualties from both ends Single worst day in deaths in all of British military history 3. Affected British morale 4. Showed that war of attrition was the best battle strategy for the British 5. Relieved the French at Verdun

11. Works Cited • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/battle_somme.shtml • http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/somme.htm