The Battle of the Somme fact file:

1. Aims of the battle: (include a map)

For a simpler version: Look at the section Leading up the

battle section
https://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_i/battle_of_the_somme.php

The aim of the battle was to

 2. Create a brief timeline of events of the battle.
3. Who was in charge?
4. Where were the problems
Watch/View in internet explorer:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/why-was-the-first-day-of-
the-somme-such-a-disaster/zn3hwty
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/battle-of-
the-somme
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01fmgy3
https://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_i/battle_of_the_somme.php
(there is a fantastic map here)
What weapons / technology was used?
Quotes and stories from the Tommy (British soldiers)
Look up Harry Patch – The Last Tommy.
2. The British fired 1.6million shells at the German trenches. Battle of the Somme begins. The
Germans had survived the brutal bombardment of shells, and manned machine guns while the Allied force
advanced. This decimated the British soldiers. French troops advance, but British forces suffer almost 20,000
men dead in one day. Small amount of land gained. This relieved the burden on Verdun enough for the French
to stabilise themselves.
3. The British were led by Commander-in-Chief Sir Douglas Haig. Other Allied leaders included French
General Ferdinand Foch and British General Henry Rawlinson. The German commanders included
General Rupprecht (the Crown Prince of Bavaria), General Max von Gallwitz, and General Fritz von
Below.
4. The problems were that while that British thought that they had absolutely demolished any
Germans and Barbed wire. The did not account for the fact that maybe the Germans had gotten intel
of their plans and had made dug outs. Also, there was no way to account for that fact that many of
the shells would not explode. Therefore, when that British charged over the trenches they were not
expecting Germans manning machine guns.
Flamethrower, Hand grenade, Mark I 98 Tank, Gew 98 Mauser rifle, 1886 Lebel, 1907 Berthier,MG 08 and MG
08/15, Lewis gun and Chauchat LMG.
“When the war ended, I don't know if I was more relieved that we'd won or that I didn't have to go back.
Passchendaele was a disastrous battle—thousands and thousands of young lives were lost. It makes me
angry. Earlier this year, I went back to Ypres to shake the hand of Charles Kuentz, Germany's only surviving
veteran from the war. It was emotional. He is 107. We've had 87 years to think what war is. To me, it's a
licence to go out and murder. Why should the British government call me up and take me out to a battlefield
to shoot a man I never knew, whose language I couldn't speak? All those lives lost for a war finished over a
table. Now what is the sense in that?”
“I had about five seconds to make the decision. I brought him down, but I didn't kill him… Any one of them
could have been me. Millions of men came to fight in this war and I find it incredible that I am the only one
left.”
"if any man tells you he went over the top and he wasn't scared, he's a damn liar"
“Too many died. War isn't worth one life”