Why the Battle of the Somme is Regarded as a Great Military Tragedy
On 1st July 1916, General Haig prepared the battle plan for an
offensive on German lines, designed to relieve the strain on French
forces at Verdun and break through a strong line of German defences.
While Haig would have preferred an attack further north, he was
hopeful that the operation should be successful in drawing forces away
from Verdun and killing as many German troops as possible as part of
the “war of attrition”. The location was the Somme River.
The details were worked out by General Haig and his deputy, General
Rawlinson. The focus of the battle plan was a huge artillery
bombardment, backed up by mines, collapsed beneath enemy territory
with the aim of devastating German positions. The bombardment would
effectively cut through the enemy’s barbed wire, while smashing
fortified positions and dug-outs. Haig placed so much faith in the
power of British guns, that he expected men to be capable of walking
across no-man’s land, carrying heavy packs with provisions and trench
repair equipment to rebuild the captured territory upon arrival. The
final piece of the plan saw cavalry forces, kept in readiness, to
charge through gaps in the German front line and cause a mass-retreat
of enemy forces.
In hindsight, we can see that the offensive very much failed to live
up to expectations. Such terrible failure is possibly attributable to
poor tactics and leadership on the part of Douglas Haig and his
advisors. Haig certainly knew of the masses of barbed wire separating
the German forces from his men; however the General grossly
overestimated the ability of his ar...
... middle of paper ...
...h people becoming increasingly aware of the
grim nature of the war and the lives it had cost. The battle brought
the realisation to the home-front that the war would be a long, grim
battle of attrition and not the swift outcome they were expecting. The
battle also resulted in a loss of confidence in Britain’s leaders, as
the optimistic reports turned out to be false or exaggerated.
Arguably the most tragic side to this military disaster was the sheer
loss of life. Horrific casualty figures saw entire regiments lost,
including many pals battalions practically wiped out. Britain lost an
entire generation of young men to the battle of the Somme, a military
tragedy that brought the horrors of war to Britain in a way nobody had
ever witnessed. The Battle of the Somme will always be remembered as a
great, military tragedy.
were poor and men loathed them. The soldiers slept on a bed of mud and
damage to the areas vital to the British war effort and to try to take
Source A tells us that Haig did not care about his men and is willing
middle of paper ... ... Haig came under intense criticism both in 1917, and since, for persisting with the offensive after it became clear that a breakthrough was unlikely to happen. Critics have argued that the main launch pad for the attack should have been sited at Messines Ridge, captured. by Plumer in June; but Haig’s original plans precluded this, viewing.
In the aftermath of a comparatively minor misfortune, all parties concerned seem to be eager to direct the blame to someone or something else. It seems so easy to pin down one specific mistake that caused everything else to go wrong in an everyday situation. However, war is a vastly different story. War is ambiguous, an enormous and intangible event, and it cannot simply be blamed for the resulting deaths for which it is indirectly responsible. Tim O’Brien’s story, “In the Field,” illustrates whom the soldiers turn to with the massive burden of responsibility for a tragedy. The horrible circumstances of war transform all involved and tinge them with an absurd feeling of personal responsibility as they struggle to cope.
film and so captions had to be use to explain what the next section of
The First World War witnessed an appalling number of casualties. Due partly to this fact, some historians, developed the perception that commanders on both sides depended on only one disastrous approach to breaking the stalemate. These historians attributed the loss of life to the reliance on soldiers charging across no-man’s land only to be mowed down by enemy machineguns. The accuracy of this, however, is fallacious because both the German’s and Allies developed and used a variety of tactics during the war. The main reason for battlefield success and eventual victory by the Allies came from the transformation of battlefield tactics; nevertheless, moral played a major role by greatly affecting the development of new tactics and the final outcome of the war.
...did not exist.” However, when this information arrived the next morning, Haig told Rawlinson that “The enemy has undoubtedly been severely shaken and our correct course, therefore, is to press him hard with the least possible delay” . This military strategy was one which led, as Terraine argued, to long-term success. Primary source German Order of the Day from General Von Bulow on 3 July stated “the decisive issue of the war depends on… our victory on the Somme. We must win this battle…” . Furthermore, Haig’s strategy is shown to be perceptive and correct when we consider Ludendorff’s, German Chief of Staff, thoughts: “We were completely exhausted on the Western Front… If the war lasted our defeat seemed inevitable... I cannot see as I look back how the German G.H.Q. could have mastered the situation if the Allies had continued their blows as they did in 1916.”
Life on the Western Front During World War One A dispassionate look at the numbers of the horrendous casualties sustained by the armies of the Allies and the Central Powers on the Western Front in WW1, clearly indicate that these casualties figures are far inferior to what might be anticipated if, indeed, total war had reigned in every location, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and along all the 475 miles of trenches that extended from the North Sea to Switzerland. A couple of simple examples will readily make the case. Imagine two front-line trenches separated by only 20 to 30 yards of ‘No Man’s Land’ (in some extraordinary situations, distances were even less). A determined and prolonged effort by a few hand-grenade bombers on either side could make any hope of a sustained tenancy quite impossible. Again, given the accuracy and rapidity which trench mortars could be deployed against routinely manned trenches (one battalion per 1,000 yards) and their associated dug-outs, a quite short, but determined, and mutually hostile, barrage could readily reduce both trench systems to total ruin.
The Battle of Normandy was a turning point in World War II. Canada, America, and Great Britain arrived at the beaches of Normandy and their main objective was to push the Nazi’s out of France. The Invasion at Normandy by the Allied Powers winning this battle lead to the liberation of France and Western Europe. Most importantly Hitler’s was being attacked from both the eastern and western front, and caused him to lose power. If the Allied Powers did not succeed in D-Day Hitler would’ve taken over all of Europe.In a document written by General Dwight Eisenhower he persuades the allied powers to invade Normandy. Dwight Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890. Eisenhower became the 34th president of the United States. He served as the president from January 20, 1953 through January 20, 1961. Before his presidency Dwight participated in World War I and was moved up to captain. Dwight would then take part in World War II and work his way up to becoming a General.
The battle was very significant and had lots of positive results, even though it is not as well-known as much as other wars and battles. The battle was Hitler’s last major offensive move in World War II and was intended to split Allied lines and forced negotiated peace. In the process, the Germans lost too many experienced troops and equipment that is was nearly impossible that their small army could launch another attack. The Bulge is mostly remembered for its great influence on the end of WWII. Although the war had a positive outcome, it was a horrendous experience for both forces that fought in the many battles. It had a profound effect on soldiers who fought in the icy Ardennes and veterans on both sides witness plenty atrocities (Results and Significance).
To write this book the author, John Toland, had to devote 15 years researching different stories from all sides of the war. He studied war memoirs, interviewed war veterans, and read military documents. While doing this he focused on both the allied and axis forces to truly understand both sides of the story and be able to write such a descriptive and accurate piece of work. This research was used in the book to describe the unlikely victory of the Americans over the Germans during the “Battle of the Bulge”.
Purpose The principal objective of the operation was to get Allied troops across the Rhine. Three main advantages were expected to be achieved: · Cutting the land exit of the Germans remaining in western Holland. · Outflanking the enemy's frontier defences, the West Wall or the Siegfriedline · Positioning British ground forces for a following drive into Germany along the North German plain. . 2. Major Events The 17th of September was the so called "Day Zero" of the operation.
The largest airborne operation ever organized, Market-Garden cost the Allies between 15,130 and 17,200 killed, wounded, and captured. The bulk of these occurred in the British 1st Airborne Division which began the battle with 10,600 men and saw 1,485 killed and 6,414 captured. German losses numbered between 7,500 and 10,000. Having failed to capture the bridge over the Lower Rhine at Arnhem, the operation was deemed a failure as the subsequent offensive into Germany could not proceed. The failure of Market-Garden has been attributed to a multitude of factors ranging from intelligence failures, overly optimistic planning, poor weather, and the lack of tactical initiative on the part of commanders. Despite its failure, Montgomery remained an advocate of the plan calling it "90% successful."
Battles such as Vimy Ridge, the Second Battle of Passchendaele and the Battle of the Somme were some of the worst battles that the world can find Canadian's. Our northern nation had boasted over 600,000 soldiers to the battlefields whilst also providing vital manufacturing facilities and training soldiers from across the world. The strong imperial bond between Canada and the 'Motherland' was an important factor in Canada's decision to participate wholeheartedly in World War I, and influenced many in their decision to join the army. Most Canadians felt a strong connection to the British Emp...