The battle of the Somme included the British and German armies. The conflict broke out due to France asking Britain to attack Germany where the British and French lines met. France asked Britain to do this as the Germans were holding the historic French town of Verdun, and therefore France wanted to draw Germany’s attention and resources elsewhere. British General Haig’s plan was to bombard the German lines and then advance further into the open country using horseback. On July 1st, the British plan was put into action but it ended up being a failure as most German’s survived the attack by hiding out in trenches. The battle continued on from July 1st, 1916 to November 18, 1016. The British and German armies suffered huge numbers of casualties, and the battle of the Somme is therefore known as one of the bloodiest battles of the first world war.
In this blog post, I’ll be addressing guidepost number 3, which means I’ll be explaining the perspectives of people in the historical context of the battle of the Somme.
For starters, the battle of the Somme resulted in a change in the attitude of the people. At the beginning of the war, Nationalism prevailed throughout Europe, and thousands of men volunteered to go to war. The sheer number of casualties that were a result of the battle of the Somme made people’s attitude change into more of an anti-war stance.
General Haig’s strategies were also highly controversial. Although Britain wasn’t making much progress, he kept the battle going which resulted in massive numbers of casualties. Many Europeans blamed him for the deaths of the soldiers. Even today, he is commonly referred to as the “butcher of the Somme,” which displays him as someone who sacrificed thousands of lives. However, some may say that he was merely doing what Britain’s ally France expected him to do, thus strengthening their alliance and helping Britain in the future. Although his efforts didn’t result in many gains for the British, the battle succeeded in drawing Germany’s troops away from Verdun and to the battle of the Somme instead, which was the goal of the battle of the Somme.
In conclusion, the perspective people had on the battle of the Somme varied greatly. Some British and German civilians thought the battle resulted in way too many deaths, whereas others believed that the battle was an important part of the war, as France needed to pull Germany away from Verdun.
Citations
McCarthy, Niall, and Felix Richter. “Infographic: There Were over a Million Casualties at the Somme.” Statista Infographics, 11 Nov. 2016, www.statista.com/chart/6687/there-were-over-a-million-casualties-at-the-somme/.
Condon, Christopher. The Making of the Modern World. PDF.
Very Interesting. I like how you gave a preface of the battle very well explained. The explanation of the perspective of the people was really interesting and supported well by the paragraph and summary of General Haig’s strategies. Overall, nice job.
Interesting read, interesting question. I would have liked to know more how a change of people’s attitude affected war and politics.
I also see a slight contradiction. On the one hand you say:
“The sheer number of casualties that were a result of the battle of the Somme made people’s attitude change into more of an anti-war stance. ”
On the other hand you say perspectives varied greatly. (“In conclusion, the perspective people had on the battle of the Somme varied greatly. Some British and German civilians thought the battle resulted in way too many deaths, whereas others believed that the battle was an important part of the war, (…)”
I liked the context of the topic you gave, and it was interesting to see how you took perspective that supported General Haig. My question is do you think you could have taken the French leaders perspective, and if so, what do you think it would be?
The claim that attitudes changed, particularly toward and anti-war stance is intriguing, but no supporting evidence was included? What might help show this changing perspective and strengthen the post at the same time? Also, I would be curious to read about an overall evaluation of the perspectives presented – which one do you feel was most valid at the time? The choice of supporting visual was appropriate and helps illustrate the impact of this notable battle.