Battle of the Somme

The Battle of the Somme epitomizes the harsh realities of trench warfare for the Allies and represents the negligent battle planning and technological advancements that are associated with the stalemate of World War One. Trench warfare was common across the Western Front, with similar strategies being employed by both opposing sides. Sir Douglas Haig, one of the British coordinators for the Somme offensive is blamed with an offensive strategy destined for failure. The British offensive, an utter failure, resulted in a stalemate, which was common throughout World War One. The British development of the tank, while it eventually ended the horrendous stalemate, was ineffectively used during the Somme.

Trench warfare became a common practice in World War One, leading to a war of attrition. Both the Allies as well as the Germans enacted similar basic defense strategies and dealt with many of the same debilitating trench conditions. Trenches were built in an elaborate networking system, with three major sections, the front lines, the support, and the reserves. There was a rotation schedule for soldiers in the trenches, so that each regiment served time at the front lines. Trench conditions were horrendous including rodent infestation as well as unsanitary living spaces; many were infected with diseases such as trench foot with most trenches were filled with dead corpses for weeks after they were first killed. Defense mechanisms included creating dense fields of barbed wire in No Man’s Land, between the enemy trenches, in order to prevent an attack on the trench. Trench sanitation and defense were not the only reasons for the stalemate connected with World War One. The weather played

“On the first day of the battle of the Somme, ...

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...fensive. The tanks were successful in that they achieved the goal of intimidating the German soldiers, making them feel helpless and as if large monsters were coming at them. (Winter). The early tanks used at the Somme offensive were unreliable, with very few actually making it to the German trenches. In addition to the unreliability, when the weather turned to rain the entire battleground became a large quagmire, meaning tanks were unable to move efficiently across the battlefield, resulting in an increased stalemate.

Ultimately the battle was not won by either side, but rather abandoned. The lack of decisive military strategy resulted in the British being unable to quickly overtake the Germans, allowing time for reinforcements to be recruited. Ultimately both sides tallied extensive casualties, for a battle which receives little glory for its gruesome history.