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====German Defences====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 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’ .” <ref> Victor, George, <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 , had them organised organized in a very effective way in so-called ‘barrage sectors’ and this allowed them to inflict devastating casualties at the Somme. This was not expected , and that 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 and they found ways to disable and neutralise neutralize them.

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 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 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.