The Battle of the Somme was a major battle of World War 1, fought between the Allies (principally the British and French) and the Germans from July 1 - November 18, 1916. The battle took place on both sides of the upper reaches of the River Somme in France.
The battle was a joint offensive planned by the French and British commanders, General Joseph Joffre and Sir Douglas Haig. The aim of the offensive was to break through the German lines and capture the town of Bapaume.
The battle began on July 1, with a massive artillery bombardment of the German lines. The bombardment lasted for seven days and nights and was intended to destroy the German defenses and weaken their morale.
After the bombardment, the Allied infantry attacked. The British attack went in on the northern part of the front, while the French attacked the southern part. The British attack was a disaster. The German defenses were not as weakened as had been expected, and the British infantry suffered heavy casualties.
The French attack was more successful. The French were able to capture some ground, but they were unable to break through the German lines.
The End of the Battle of the Somme
In October 1916, French General Joseph Joffre urged British Commander-in-Chief Sir Douglas Haig to continue the Battle of the Somme.
The French forces at Verdun were on the offensive and were making gains, but Joffre was concerned that the Germans would divert manpower back to Verdun if the Somme offensive were to end.
Haig agreed to continue the offensive, and on November 13, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) launched a final attack on the far east of the Somme salient. The attack, known as the Battle of the Ancre, was successful, and the BEF captured the field fortress of Beaumont Hamel.
Despite this success, the weather soon turned against the Allies. Heavy rains and snow made it difficult to move troops and supplies, and on November 18, Haig ordered a halt to the Somme offensive.
The Battle of the Somme lasted for four and a half months. The Allies had gained 12 kilometers of ground but at a terrible cost. The British had suffered over 420,000 casualties, including many of the volunteer "pals" battalions. The French had suffered over 200,000 casualties, and the Germans over 500,000.
Sir Douglas Haig's conduct at the Battle of the Somme has been the subject of much controversy. Some critics have argued that his inflexible approach merely repeated flawed tactics, while others have argued that Haig's hand was forced in that the Somme offensive was necessary in order to relieve the French at Verdun.
Whatever the case may be, the Battle of the Somme was a costly victory for the Allies. It showed that the war of attrition was not working and that the Allies would need to find a new way to break the deadlock on the Western Front.