-
Battle of the Somme
July -November, 1916
-
Watch Canada: A People’s History Episode 12 from 25:26-35:07
Click image for link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq-a4sdmZiM
-
WHERE? Near the Somme River, France
-
WHO? British Offensive (with Canadians & Newfoundlanders)
-
WHEN? July – November 1916
-
WHAT? •British attack with a “barrage” •The series of battles covered a 40 km front • Somme offensive was considered by the British to be the “Big Push” •it took several months to achieve what was supposed to take several weeks
•Germans survived in deep “bunkers”; barbed wire remains
•Germans ready = major bloodbath
•the Somme was the BIGGEST disaster in British history, 58,000 casualties in ONE day
-
Gas Attack on the Somme
-
WHY IMPORTANT?
•Learn to carefully plan and change “over the top” strategy
•Canadians gained a reputation as “shock troops”
•Shows the horror of The Great War
(day one = 60,000 casualties; lasted 5 months)
•Allied forces only gained 6 km of land from the Germans
•Newfoundlanders at Beaumont-Hamel (700 fought first day, 68
remained the second day to fight)
•Cost 24,000 Canadian lives and 624,000 total casualties
-
Beaumont – Hamel Battle of the Somme