SoundingtheSomme–SommeStarts
FactFile:WW1
AtthebeginningofthetwentiethcenturyGermanyattemptedtobecomeasuperpower,whichworried
neighbouringcountries.
Between1900and1914severaldiplomatictreatiesweretriggeredincreasingthefearanddistrustfeltbetween
Europeanleaders.Hugemonieswerealsospentdevelopingarmiesandnavies.
By1907,Europehadsplitintotwomaincamps,theTripleAlliance(German,Austria-HungaryandItaly)andthe
TripleEntente(Britain,FranceandRussia).
Butacrisesrapidlyspreadandthecontinentbecomedivided.
On28June1914,aSerbian-backedterroristshotdeadArchdukeFranzFerdinand,theheirtotheAustroHungarianthrone.
ArchdukeFranzFerdinand
AustriasetouttopunishSerbiaanddeclaredwar.Leaderswerewillingtoprotecttheirnationalinterestsby
riskingwarsoGermanystoodbytheirmainally.RussiathendecidedtostandupfortheSerbs.
GermanybelieveditcouldgainanadvantagebystrikingfirstanddeclaredwaronRussiaandthenonRussia’sally
intheWest,France.
TheBritishGovernmentagonisedoverwhethertosupportFranceandRussia,butavictoriousGermanywould
threatenBritain’ssecurityandpositionintheworld.
Germany’sinvasionofFranceviaBelgiumtippedthebalance,asBritainhadpromisedtoprotectBelgium’sright
tobeneutral.
So,on4August1914,Britain(withit’sglobalempire)declaredwaronGermany.
Germanyneededaquickvictorytostoptheirpanickingsoldiers,sociviliansinBelgiumandFrancesoonbecame
thefirstvictimsofwarwiththousandsofdeathsandtheattackofculturalbuildingsandlandmarks.Theiracts
weresoappallingthatforBritainandFrance,thiswasawartodefendcivilisationitself.
EarlybattlesinthewarwerecentredaroundtheBelgiantownofYpresandfoughtbytheBritishExpeditionary
Force(BEF).Asanislandnation,ourbiggestdefenceatthistimewastheNavy.
DespitedefendingGermanattacks,thecoreofBritain’sBEFwasalmostdestroyedsoitcalleduponitsEmpireto
providetroops.Italsobeganrecruitingtroopsathome.
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Meanwhile,peoplebackhomenotabletofightforthecountrylookedforotherwaystosupporttheirnation’s
cause.Theydonatedmoneytowarcharitiesandprovidedcomfortsuchasfood,clothingandtobaccoforthe
troops.Peoplefeltitwastheirdutytosupportthewareffort,andtheywerescaredoftheeventsthathadtaken
placeonthecontinent.IftheGermanswon,thiscouldhappenathomeaswell.
Forcedtoprotectitsempire,BritainsawopportunitiestowinthewarbyattackingGermany’sAsianandAfrican
colonies.ThisledtothousandsofpeopledyinginAfrica.TherewerealsobattlesinTurkeyandIraqandGallipoli
intheEasternMediterranean.
AEuropeanwaractuallymeantaworldwarastheoverseasempiresoftheEuropeancountiesweredrawninto
theconflict.Asthewarspread,sodidthesuffering.
https://mastromaurowh.wikispaces.com/World+War+I
Fromtheoutsetofthewar,Germanytriedtodistractandweakenitsenemies,By1915itsmaintargetwasRussia.
IfRussia.IfitcouldforceRussiafromthewar,FranceandBritainmightalsobreak.Germanywonvictoryafter
victory.ButRussiawouldnotcrack.
Acrossthecontinent,theAlliedforcesandtheirenemyweretryingtocoaxleadersofneutralnationstojointhe
war.FromItalytoBulgaria,GreeceandAlbania,thewarwasbeingfoughtandmoreandmorelivesweresubject
topain,sufferinganddeath.
Thewaratseawasjustasbrutal.TheBattleofJutlandoffDenmarkin1916saw9,000liveslostwithinminutes,
alongwithshipsthathadtakenyearstobuild.
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Wideningthewardidnotbringvictoryforeitherside,sobylate1915theyturnedtheireffortsbacktothe
WesternFront.ThisbeganwiththeBattleofVerdunwhichdraggedonfortenmonthsandcostover700,000
lives.
en.wikipedia.org www.ypres2016.com
TheAlliesforcesthenplannedtodefeattheGermanandAustro-Hungarianforceswithaseriesofmassive
coordinatedoffences.BritainandFrancewouldattackontheSomme,aruralregionofnorthernFrancethatwas
untouchedbywarandarmiesstoodalongsideeachother.
BecauseofVerdun,Britainwouldnowleadthis‘bigpush’asthousandsoffreshkeensoldiersfromthevolunteer
armywerereadyfortheirfirst‘large-scale’battlethatBritishCommandershopedwouldbringthemvictory.This
wastheBattleoftheSomme.
HugeamountsofmunitionandsuppliesweresentouttoFranceandon24Juneaweek-longbombardmentto
smashGermandefencestookplaceinpreparationforthebattle.
At7.30amonSaturday1July11916,Britishsoldiersclamberedfromtheirtrenchestoadvanceonto’nomans
land’towardsGermanlines.Thebattlewasadisaster.Byearlyevening20,000ofthemlaydeadandjustover
37,000werelistedaswoundedormissing.
AlthoughtheBritishbombardmentwasthebiggestyet,theirshellingwasscatteredonawideareaanditdidnot
destroyGermanguns,cutthroughbarbedwireorsmashwellprotecteddugouts.TheBritishattackfailedon
mostoftheirfronts.TheFrenchattacksweremoresuccessful.
TheAllieskeptonattacking,buttheGermansfoughtbackeveryinchofground.SoldiersfromacrosstheBritish
Empiretookpart,andformanyitwastheirfirstexperienceofbattle.
TheBattleoftheSommelastedforfivemonths.Itfinallyendedon18Novemberwithacostof420,000British
andEmpireliveslost,200,000Frenchlivesandnearly500,000Germanlives.
As1916drewtoaclose,therewasstillnosignofvictory.Newleadersencouragedtheirwearycitizenstowork
evenharder.TotalwaronthebattlefieldmeanttotalwarontheHomefronttoo.
NobodyinBritaincouldescapethewar.Womenfilledmanyjobsbackhomeassomanymenwereawayfighting
onthefront.BritainalsostartedcomingunderattackfromtheGermansthroughairattacksandseaattacks
stoppingsuppliesfromenteringthecountry.America’sentryintothewaratthistimesuppliednewhopeto
BritainanditsAllies.
TheeventsintheSommegrippedthenation.TheGovernmentemployedartiststodocumentthewar.
TwocameramenweregivenpermissiontofilmtroopsonthefrontlineandbyAugust1916,anofficial
documentaryfilmentitledTheBattleoftheSommewasshownincinemasacrossthecountry.
Anestimated20millionpeoplesawthefilmwithinmonthsofitsrelease,manytryingtocatchaglimpseofa
lovedone.
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TheBritishmilitarywantedtomotivatethehomefront.Theyhopedthatpeoplewouldseehowimportantitwas
tosupportthesoldierswhowerefightinganddyingfortheirfreedom.
By1917theharshrealitiesofwarwerewearingthininBritain,butpeopleweredeterminedtowin.
Theeffortsathomecontinuedandwomenwerenowemployedinwarindustries,onfarmsandinoffices.Some
servicedinthenewlyformedWomen’sMilitaryServices.Thiswasrevolutionary.Butthestrainwasalso
beginningtoshow.Asteepriseinthecostoflivingandlongworkinghoursintoughconditionsledtostrikes.
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In1917GermanyplannedtostarveBritainoutofthewar.Asanislandnation,itreliedheavilyonimportsfromall
overtheworldtosupportitswareffortandfeeditspeople.Germanyorderedsubmarinestosink,without
warning,anyshipsheadingtowardsBritain’sshores.
Germanleadersweretakingahugeriskwagingunrestrictedsubmarinewarfare,andAmericanshipswerenowin
thefiringline.Theattackdestroyedmillionsoftonnesofgoods,butBritainsurvivedandAmericanangerhad
beenarousedandthischangedthecourseofthewar.
AlthoughAmericawasneutral,ithadactedasbankersandsupplierstoBritainanditsAllies.Itwasalsofuriousat
Germanyforsinkingitssubmarinesandkillingitscitizens.
ThelaststrawfortheUSGovernmentwasaGermanattempttogainMexicoasanally.On6April1917,Germany
declaredwaronAmerica.Thealliedforcesrejoiced,thismeantmorefinancialandmilitaryresourcesforthewar,
buttheAmericans,withalargeNavy,wouldnotreadytofightforanotheryear.
Newtechnologies,inventionsandtacticswerebeginningtochangethewaythewarwasfought.Afterthree
years,armieshadlearnthardlessons,oftenfrombitterexperience.Britishcommanderswerelearningtoexploit
thedeadlypotentialoftanksandaircraft.
http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2014/06/relics-of-the-great-war.cfm
Artillerycouldnowlocateanddestroyhiddenenemiesandobliteratebarbedwiredefences.Soldierscould
advanceintobattlebehindtheprotectivestormofsteelandfire.Allarmiessuccessfullyusedinnovativetactics
andtechnologiesduring1917andmanybattlesatthetimewerewonusingthem.
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Therewasstillnodecisivebreakthrough.
InJuly1917BritainlaunchedanewoffensiveinYpres,aimingtorecapturevitalraillinksandsubmarinebases.
Attackswerehamperedbyrainturningthebattlefieldintoliquidmud.EventuallytheGermanswereforcedback
withterriblelosesandvictoryseemedpossible.Buttherainsreturned.
BritishcommandersfelttheyhadpushedtheenemytobreakingpointbutmanyBritishsoldiersfeltutterly
demoralised.Confidencewaslow.
TheBritishGovernment’swarartschemebegantoemploymenwhoweresoldiersandartiststopaintthe
shatteredworldtheysawaroundtheminstrikingnewways.Theartwashugelypopularandandappearedin
exhibitions,magazinesandpostcards.Largecrowdsweredrawntodisplaysofofficialphotographsand
paintings.Britishpeoplewantedvisualimpressionsofwhattheirlovedonesweregoingthrough.
JohnNash:studyforOverTheTop
ArtistsRifles–28th(CountyofLondon)BattalionofTheLondonRegiment
By1917,thewarwasputtingagreatstrainonall.Manyleaders,soldiersandcivilianswerelookingforawayout.
Statesmenthoughtaboutnegotiatinganendtothewar.Onthebattlefield,soldierswentonstrikeandonthe
homefrontstherewashardshipandhunger.Publiccallsforpeacecamelouder.
Somenationsbegantocrumble,thenRussiabrokeanddeclareditselfoutofthewar.By1918,Germany
concentrateditseffortontheWestFrontforonelastoffensivetotryandbreaktheBritishandFrench.
Asthewardraggedon,somepoliticiansandintellectualsmademorepubliccallsforpeace.Governments
secretlyexplorednegotiatedsettlements,butcompromiseprovedimpossible.
Thepriceforthewarhadbeenpaidinbloodbyallthefightingnations-thatmeantthatanythingbutvictory
wouldmeandefeat.Bytheendof1917,800,000menfromBritainandtheCommonwealthhadbeenkilledandto
bargainwithGermanywouldmeanthatpeoplehaddiedfornothing.
Onbothsides,aslongaspeoplebelievedvictorywaspossible,theywerepreparedtokeeponfighting.
By1917,hungercausedbyseablockadesthreatenedacollapseonthehomefront.TheGovernmentintroduced
rationingtoeasetheeffortsofGermany’ssubmarinecampaignwhichprovedsuccessful.Foodwaslimitedbut
peopledidnotstarve.ButinGermanyandAustria-Hungary,aBritishblockadecausedrealsufferingand
starvation.Seriousshortagesoffoodandresourcesledtopricerises,riotsandstrikes.Abadharvestin1916
turnedtheproblemintoacrisis.Thesupplyoffoodwasalsobadlymanaged.Whilsttroopswerefed,civilians
overtherewenthungry.
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On21March1918tenthousandGermangunsbegantopoundtheBritishlinessurgingthroughdefences.They
advancedup40milesoftheWesternFrontandseemedonthebrinkofvictory.
ByJulytheattackshadbrokendownandtheGermanswereexhausted.Thebattlehadcostthemtheirbestmen,
theiradvancessofasttheycouldnotkeepgunsandsuppliesup.Withtheirbackstothewall,theAlliesstood
firmandfoughtback.
1918sawthedramaticendoftrenchwarfareasbothsidesusednewtacticsandcolossalfirepowertobreakthe
deadlock.TheGermanarmylaunchedtheirmostgiganticoffensivesontheWesternFrontsince1914andthe
Alliesfeareddefeat.
ButAlliescounterattacked.Theyhadmoreweaponsandsupplies,whichstruckdevastatingblowsagainstthe
Germans.
InOctober,GermanyapproachedUSPresidentWilsonforanarmistice.Whenthisbecamepublic,Germans
wonderedwhytheywerestillfighting.ToavertarevolutiontheKaiserwasforcedtoabdicate.Germany’sarmy
retreated,itsalliescrumbledawayanditspeoplebegantorevolt.Germany’sarmywasdefeated.
On11November1918,abeatenGermanysignedthe1918Armistice,forcingthemtoleavealloccupiedterritory,
surrenderweapons,aeroplanesandwarships.ForGermany,theArmisticewasbothadefeatandabitter
humiliation.
BritainanditsEmpirewastriumphant,butthewordhadchangedbeyondrecognitionduringthefouryearsof
war.Itgaverisetonewambitions,rivalriesandtensions.Oldempireshadfallenandnewnationshadbeenborn.
Revolutionaryideologieslikecommunismandfascismemerged.Warswerestillbeingfought.
LeadersmettogetherinParistosettlethepeace.Theywerefacedwithexhaustedpeopleandashattered
world.Peoplehadhighhopesthattheywouldcreateanew,saferandbetterworld.
AdaptedfromtheImperialWarMuseumsWorldWarOneGalleryandreproducedwithkindpermission.
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