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[[File:British_Lancers.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|18th King George’s Own Lancers near Mametz, on the Somme, 15 July 1916]]
The Battle of the Somme or the Somme Offensive was a series of battles that occurred during the Summer and Autumn of 1916. It involved British and French forces launching a massive assault offensive on the German lines in an effort to break the stalemate on the Western Front's stalemate. The Battle was primarily a battle between the Germans and the British. The offensive was not effective and achieved very little and both sides suffered heavy casualtiesfor the allies. The British only advanced a few miles , and the German lines held. The stalemate was offensive did not broken by break the offensivestalemate and resulted in massive casualties for both sides. Historians have argued whether the Somme was a failure or a partial success. It is clear that the The British and French did not secure their main objectives during the battle. Why did the Somme offensive failed fail to achieve its planners’ primary goals? This failure Mostly, the Allies failed at the Somme was due to because of poor leadership, planning , and a stubborn German defencedefense. == Why did the Allies decide to attack the Germans at Somme? ==Since 1914, the war on both the Eastern and the Western Fronts had become a war of attrition. Both sides had established a series of defensive lines, involving thousands of miles of trenches and they regularly attacked and counter-attacked each other for little or no strategic or tactical advantage.<ref> Gilbert, M. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805081275/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0805081275&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=215891b2156d756f1e4b5799a19bf45c The Somme: Heroism and Horror in the First World War]. </i> (Henry Holt and Company, 2006), p. 56</ref> The western military and the governments were eager to end the war or at least to be seen as delivering a victory. There were concerns that the public would not tolerate a war indefinitely. France and Britain's resources had become stretched, and they needed a victory to demonstrate that they were winning the war to their public. There was a genuine desire to end the stalemate which was costing thousands of lives per week.<ref> Gilbert, p. 112</ref> Then there was the strategic situation on both the eastern and the western front. The Russians had been planning their assault on the Austro-Hungarians in the east, an attack from the west would mean that the Germans could not come to the aid of their allies in Vienna. Then there were the almost simultaneous massive battles taking place in Verdun.<ref> Gilbert, p. 113</ref> The Germans and the French have engaged in a bloody battle forVerdun'se fortress. The French army had found itself hard-pressed, and many feared that they would break and this could result in the Germans driving a wedge between the British in the north and the French armies in the south. Somme was seen as necessary to alleviate the French's pressure and assist the Russian offensive. ==What was the Allied Strategy for the Battle of the Somme? ==[[File: Somme 2.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|left|German Soldier at the Somme]]General Sir Douglas Haig assumed command of the British army in early 1916. He wanted to launch the offensive nearer the English Channel to be closer to the British supply lines. However, the French pressured the British to have the offensive in the Somme region. When the Verdun offensive started, the Somme area saw the withdrawal of many German units. The Germans had little reserves in the area, and it seemed that the Somme was the perfect location.<ref>Keegan, J.<i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375700455/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0375700455&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=05f6a7874da643b9c91e35ee4c241268 The First World War] </i>.(London: Random House, 1998), p. 12</ref> The Anglo-French attack was to break the German lines and achieve a breakthrough that would allow the allies to drive a wedge between the Germans armies in France. The British after a five-day bombardment was to launch a massive infantry assault; once the Germans had fled from their trenches, the British cavalry would push forward and seize key objectives such as railroads and bridges in the Somme.<ref>Keegan, p. 56</ref> However, the British had failed to understand the nature of the German defenses on the Somme. They had added a third line of defense, had established a telephone system, and had dug even more trenches. The German defenses did have some deficiencies, but they proved to be formidable. The British underestimated the German defenses, and this was to prove costly during the coming battles.<ref> Keegan, p 116</ref> == What tactics did the Allies use during the Somme? ==[[File: British Mark I male tank Somme 25 September 1916.jpg|left|thumbnail|300px|British tank at the Somme]]The British committed hundreds of thousands of men to the fighting. The British troops on the Somme was a mixture of the surviving members of the old regular army, the Territorial Force, and Kitchener's Army, comprised of volunteers including the ‘Pals Battalions,’ that had been recruited from the same towns and villages. <ref> Middlebrook, M. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141390719/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0141390719&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=a43b8bf537d738980065094321836135 The First Day on the Somme]. </i>(London, Penguin, 1971</ref> Many of their reserves were transferred to the area. They stationed thousands of artillery pieces in the region. These were expected to play a crucial role in the coming offensive. The British leadership believed that a concentrated artillery barrage could either force the German defenders to flee or destroy their defenses. Crucially, the British had not mastered the tactic of the creeping barrage. This tactic would have allowed the infantry to advance under cover of shelling. The British failure to do so meant that when the artillery barrage ended that the Germans who survived the artillery onslaught could mow down the advancing soldiers with machine guns. New military technologies were also employed at the battle of the Somme. The British intended using airplanes and tanks in a major battle for the first time.<ref> Prior, R.; Wilson, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300119631/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0300119631&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=69f365fa66cf273dac5cb1fc7b6e7a3b The Somme]</i>. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005), p. 113</ref> They gave the British more capabilities. The tanks could be sued to punch through the German lines, and the airplanes could gather intelligence on German troops' movements.
The Anglo-French attack was British failed to break the take many German lines trenches and achieve a breakthrough that would allow the allies instead suffered catastrophic casualties. The order to drive advance at a wedge between the Germans armies in Francewalking pace over no man's land probably cost many brave men their lives. The British after a five-first day bombardment were to launch a massive infantry assault, once on the Germans had fled from their trenches, Somme was also the British cavalry would push forward and seize key objectives such as railroads and bridges worst day in the Somme.<ref>Keeganhistory of the British army, it suffered almost 60, p. 56</ref> However000 casualties, the British had failed to understand the nature of the German defences mainly on the Somme. They had added a third line of defence, had established a telephone system and had dug even more trenches. The German defences did have some deficiencies but they proved to be formidable. The British underestimated frontline between the German defences Albert–Bapaume road and this was to prove costly during the coming battlesGommecourt.<ref> KeeganWilson, p 116. 234</ref>
==What was the Outcome of the Somme? ==The French did achieve some significant results and they ejected large elements Somme was one of the German 2nd Army from their positions south bloodiest and perhaps least effective battles of the Sommewar. The British in total estimates for casualties are inexact and only made very limited gains at a huge costeducated guesses. It was clear after the first day that the The British had not achieved tactical surprise and that the German defences were stronger than expectedFrench suffered approximately 600,000 killed and wounded. HoweverThe Germans suffered about 500, the British 000 casualties. The Anglo-French armies managed to make real and the French High Command continued with significant gains, especially after the offensive's initial phases. The Somme offensive was to become a series At the end of set pitched battles mainly between the battle in November, the British and the French. Historians forces had identified penetrated some thirteen significant battles between the Anglo6 miles into German-French armies and the Germans during the Somme offensiveoccupied territory. The British were on the offensive all through had recaptured more territory than any other battle since the summer and Battle of the early autumnMarne in 1914 but they still only went 6 miles.
==Outcome of How did Poor Planning cripple the Allied Offensive during the Somme? ==The battle planning for the Somme offensive was one of the bloodiest of the war and indeed of any other warrushed. The estimates for casualties are inexact and Haig had only educated guessesbeen in his role since the previous December. It is widely believed He wanted the British army to attack further north, but political considerations meant that he had to heed the British and French suffered some 600,000 killed and wounded's opinions. The Germans suffered about 500,000 casualties. The Anglo-French armies did manage planning was accelerated because the British needed to come to make real and significant gains, especially after the initial phases aid of the offensiveFrench at Verdun. At the end of the battle in NovemberAdditionally, the British and French forces had penetrated some 6 miles into German occupied territorywanted to coordinate their attack with Russia during their offensive. The offensive had recaptured more grind This meant that at any other battle since there was a failure to coordinate the Battle of the Marne in 1914British units effectively. However, they had failed to take many of their objectives such as Peronne and Bapume. It could be Many have argued that the Battle of the Somme did not end as the British resumed their attacks in the area in 1917. The Somme did not deliver offensive would have had a death blow to the Germans, they were forced back to their second and third lines better chance of defence. They had retreated in good order and they success if it had not been able to maintain their lines and there was no general Allied breakthrough. This has led many to see the Somme as a failurerushed. However, some have argued it was not only rushed planning that the Germans suffered significant losses and that this contributed to their eventually collapse in 1918.<ref>Prior, pwas a problem. 211</ref>
==Why were German DefencesDefenses so effective during the Somme?==One of the major reasons why the Germans had been able to limit the Allied offensive from July to November was their defencesdefenses. They had managed to develop a very sophisticated defensive line. This line allowed them to emerge after the barrages but also and allowed them to defend their positions against superior numbers. The Germans proved to be very resilient under the brutal Allied onslaught. Their units and the men on the ground had proved to be able to adapt to the terrible conditions of the battle, which Adolf Hitler called ‘not war, but Hell’ Hell.” ’” <ref> Victor, George, Hitler. <i> [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1574882287/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1574882287&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=8e7a3aab0d3b57441ff3150d411f96cc Hitler: Pathology of Evil]</i>. (Washington, DC, Brassey's Inc. 2008) p. 28</ref>
Furthermore, the Germans although they had far fewer guns , the Germans had them organised in a organized very effective way effectively in so-called ‘barrage sectors’ and this sectors, which allowed them to inflict devastating casualties at the Somme. This was not expected and that , which meant that the Allies did not achieve the breakthrough that they expectedhoped. Then the German soldiers during the battle had been better prepared for example they did not find themselves loaded down with equipment like the British who had to carry almost eight pounds into battle.<ref> Middlebrooks, p. 116</ref> Furthermore, German units proved to be more flexible and could respond better to the dynamic battlefield situation. For example, the Germans proved to be able to adapt to the threat posed by the tanks ' threats and they found ways to disable and neutralise neutralize them.
==Conclusion==
The Battle of the Somme was not the failure it is often portrayed. It did play an important role in the eventual German defeat in 1918 and did allow the allies to recapture some strategic territory. However, given the losses , the battle did not achieve much , and the Germans did not suffer any major strategic defeats. In fact, they They proved capable of continuing the fight on the western front for another two years. The Allies' failure of the Allies to achieve their main objectives despite the massive losses was due to several factors , and they include poor and rushed planning. These meant that there were deficiencies in the planning process , and this hampered the allies ' advance. Then the Germans proved adept in defending their positions , and they had established massive defensive lines. The British Generals in particularly placed too much faith on in their new weapons , especially their tanks and on the artillery's ability of artillery to dislodge and destroy defenders in networks of trenches. These all ensured that the Somme largely failed to be the decisive victory that its planners had hoped for in the Spring of 1916.
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