the battle of the somme

Question 1

how many british casualties were there?

Answer 1

420,000

Question 2

how many british deaths were there?

Answer 2

95,000

Question 3

how many french casualties were there?

Answer 3

205,000

Question 4

how many french deaths were there?

Answer 4

50,000

Question 5

how many german casualties were there?

Answer 5

465,000

Question 6

how many german deaths were there?

Answer 6

165,000

Question 7

what date was the somme?

Answer 7

1st july - 18th november 1916

Question 8

how many british casualties were there on the first day and why is this significant?

Answer 8

60,000 - worst ever single day for the british army

Question 9

how many soldiers were injured throughout the course of the battle?

Answer 9

1,000,000

Question 10

what aims did haig have in the battle?

Answer 10

destroy as many germans as possible
relieve pressure on french at verdun
flank the germans

Question 11

what did the allies do in december 1915?

Answer 11

they had a conference and decided to enforce simultaneous offenses on the eastern, western and italian fronts.

Question 12

where, why and when did the battle of the somme occur?

Answer 12

picardy, it was where the french and british armies met, and 07:30 1st July 1916

Question 13

how did the germans delay the battle of the somme?

Answer 13

they pressed the french at verdun on the 21st february 1916

Question 14

how come the british assumed the main role in the battle of the somme?

Answer 14

the french were pinned down at verdun

Question 15

what did the expansion the the british army cause

Answer 15

soldiers at all levels to be put into positions of responsibility with no experience. 0 senior commanders had been at their level before the somme

Question 16

how many divisions did haig command?

Answer 16

60 (1,000,000 men) - most before was 15

Question 17

who were haigs former comanders and how many mean did they each command?

Answer 17

rawlinson and gough commanded 100,000s

Question 18

what did the senior commanders do when they thought their soldiers were inexperienced?

Answer 18

they didnt engage in sophisticated tactics and so advanced in a line

Question 19

how did the tactics play out and what did haig quote?

Answer 19

the british soldiers got machined gunned. “the machine gun is a much overrated weapon. the nation must be taught to bear loses”

Question 20

where was the only british success at?

Answer 20

imaginative tactics and french artillery meant the 18th and 30th divisions took their objecties in the south of the somme

Question 21

what was the effect of the victory not being immediate?

Answer 21

haig now considered the somme to be an attritional/ wearing out battle

Question 22

what did the battle of the somme see for the first time?

Answer 22

tanks

Question 23

when did the british start making more gains?

Answer 23

late september and october

Question 24

what is haigs full title?

Answer 24

field marshal haig

Question 25

what was the relationship between the commanders and the men?

Answer 25

the commanders were overconfident, the men fearful. there was a disconnect between them so they didn’t appretiated the suffering and continued with the relentless suicidal tactics

Question 26

in what way was the battle of the somme a success for haig?

Answer 26

his military methods were in line with the ideas of time, more germans were killed then british and he won the battle

Question 27

prime minister quote:

Answer 27

david lloyd-george “i never met a man in a high position who seemed to me so utterly devoid of imagination”

Question 28

what difficulties were there for the men when they got to the german’s territory and what did haig say about this?

Answer 28

the barbed wire had no gaps. “the barbed wire has never been so well cut”

Question 29

what did the british do to improved the wire and how did this play out?

Answer 29

they dropped shells on it with intention to blow it up but it just got more tangled