Transcript 'OVER 400,000 OF OUR MEN FELL IN THIS BULLHEADED …

"OVER 400,000 OF OUR MEN FELL IN THIS BULLHEADED
FIGHT AND THE SLAUGHTER AMONGST OUR YOUNG
OFFICERS WAS APPALLING...HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE
INEXPLICABLE STUPIDITY OF THE GERMANS IN PROVOKING
A QUARREL WITH AMERICA AND BRINGING THAT MIGHTY
PEOPLE INTO THE WAR AGAINST THEM JUST AS THEY HAD
SUCCEEDED IN ELIMINATING ANOTHER POWERFUL FOE—
RUSSIA--THE SOMME WOULD NOT HAVE SAVED US FROM
THE INEXTRICABLE STALEMATE."
THE BATTLE OF SOMME
CALEB JOHNSTON, BETTY ZHOU, CHASE RAINES, AND SUNNY MALHOTRA
THESIS
In World War I, Douglas Haig’s offensive strategy resulted in one of the
bloodiest battles fought in World War I which led to revised military tactics on
both sides and technological advancements.
BACKGROUND
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July 1 to November 1,
1916
Northern France
Joint Allied Attack
Planned Earlier by
Englishman
IMPORTANT PEOPLE
• Joseph Joffre
• Sir Douglas Haig
• Erich Von Falkenhayn
SUMMARY
• Bombardment of German Line
• Infantry
• Started with a bang
• French actually useful
• British pushed back
• Haig messed up again
• British had little success
• TANKS
• Rain Rain go away, I’ve loads of men to slay
OUTCOME
• Stalemate
• Massive Casualties
• Dozen Kilometers
CASUALTIES
• A total of about 1.2 million casualties
• Both sides suffered massive losses
• Nothing to show for it
IMPORTANCE
• First major British offensive
• British military tactics
• France gained land
• German army weakened
• Heavy casualties
WORKS CITED
• http://firstworldwar.com/battles/somme.htm
• http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/battle-of-the-somme
• http://www.markedbyteachers.com/as-and-a-level/history/the-importance-of-the-battle-of-thesomme.html
• http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/somme.htm
• http://www.european-waterways.eu/__we_thumbs__/1217_4_somme_uebersicht.jpg