The Somme: The Most Deadly Battle In World War I

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World War I was a four year conflict involving European superpowers and the U.S. The war consisted of multiple superpowers forming alliances and overall, fighting battles for their allies. On one side of the war was the Triple Alliance, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. On the othe side was the Triple Entente, which included Great Britain, France, and Russia. With the formation of alliances between world superpowers, many dangerous and deadly battles took place during World War I. Perhaps the most deadly battle in World War I and one of the most deadly in military history would be the Battle of the Somme. The battle took place along the Somme River in France and lasted nearly five months until it officially ended on November …show more content…

A major factor in World War I’s outcome could have been the Battle of the Somme. Both armies were depleted due to this deadly battle. Between the British and the French, the Allied Powers suffered nearly 620,000 casualties. Individually the British suffered 420,000, the French suffered the least amount with 200,000, and the Germans suffered the most individually with 465,000. Even with the loss of over half a million soldiers, the battle served as a turning point for the Allies by weakening one of the strongest armies of the Central powers. Due to the commanders’ determination for the battle of attrition, the battle was longer than what it should have been. The battle was not about who would win, it was simply about who would lose first. They fought to wear the enemy down until they collapsed, overall causing more deaths. Not only did the Battle of the Somme deplete soldiers and supplies, it aided the French at Verdun. The Somme Offensive caused the German Empire to fight two battles at once. This gave the French a break at Verdun, allowing them to regroup in a battle they most likely would have lost if the Germans only focused on Verdun and not both concurrently. Following Somme, due to lack of soldiers and supplies the Germans were forced to retreat back to the Hindenburg Line, located near the Saint Quentin Canal. Without the German retreat and loss of land gained during the war, the outcome of World War I could have changed

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