The Battle of the Somme

Question 1

What was the theory of this battle?

Answer 1

• this battle would pull attention away from the French at Verdun
• there would an effective 30km frontline
• after a 7-day bombardment of shelling, the German defences would weaken, the trenches destroyed and many soldiers killed
• the barbed wire would be cut by shells and all in all the British would be able to walk across No Man’s Land fairly easily
• the British aircraft would be able to see the German artillery which would then be destroyed by British artillery guns
• the German held village would be destroyed as well as the machine gun posts.

Question 2

What was the reality of this battle?

Answer 2

• low cloud and mist reduced the effectiveness of ariel spotting
• the Germans were able to see the build up of weapons and see the British prepare for a battle
• this allowed the Germans to build up trench defences and dig their trenches deeper
• the Germans’ trenches were left usable and it was too difficult to cut through barbed wire with shells and so the wire stayed intact
• as the British walked, the Germans were waiting with machine guns and mowed down the British soldiers, killing them easily
• the machine gun posts stayed unaffected and nor were any German soldiers here killed
• the German village was partly destroyed

Question 3

What was the total advance?

Answer 3

9km

Question 4

What did this war become?

Answer 4

A war of attrition

Question 5

Give 3 figures to show the mass destruction which happened at the Somme.

Answer 5

40, 000 were British and wounded, 20, 000 British dead, 1.25 million killed from both sides in total.

Question 6

What year was this battle in?

Answer 6

1916.