The Effect of Battle of the Somme on British Attitudes Towards the War

The Effect of Battle of the Somme on British Attitudes Towards the War

When considering this question there are two types of attitudes to be

considered: military and civilian attitudes. To many, the Somme is

seen as a turning point for both the military and the civilians. It is

seen as a wake-up call. It is made out as if support for the war, both

in the army and back in Britain faltered after the Somme. It is a fact

that in the early part of the war both civilians and soldiers were

under false illusions about the war. Patriotism was the overwhelming

feeling everywhere, and recruitment was amazingly high. People were

enthusiastic to join the war. They believed that the war would be over

by Christmas. We need to discover if, in what way and to what extent

these attitudes changed as a consequence of the Battle of the Somme.

Some would argue that the Somme changed military attitudes from

enthusiasm and eagerness to disenchantment and horror. There was a

small minority of soldiers who did show these feelings after the

Somme. There were 16,000 conscientious objectors who refused to fight.

Comparatively this was a minute figure. In fact, Britain was the only

one of the major armies not to have significant opposition to the war.

There was a slight increase in executions for military offences, from

94 in 1916 to 102 in 19171. However, this increase is negligible and

this is still a minute proportion of the army. There was also some

opposition from 'War Poets' such as Sassoon, Owen and McCrae. However,

'War Poets' were also a small minority, and were not all against the

war. Sassoon's opposition came in June 1917, seven months after the

end of the Somme. But it emerges that military attitudes did change,

but not necessarily for the worse. Referring to the British Army, "…it

was aware of the awful realities of war, yet grimly determined to

fight on to victory."2 The Somme was a harsh awakening. False

illusions quickly faded and were replaced by a true image of the