Battle of the Somme

A First World War battle fought by British and French forces against Germany along the Somme River in northern France from July to November 1916. Its enormous casualties and limited territorial gains made it a defining example of attritional warfare.

Battle of the Somme opening day: The opening attack of the Somme offensive on 1 July 1916, when British forces suffered exceptionally heavy losses. The opening day exposed the gap between the British plan and the German defenses.
Joffre–Haig Agreement: An agreement between French and British commanders to launch a joint offensive on the Somme in 1916. It set the original plan for a combined assault before French forces were diverted to Verdun.
Ernst Jünger: A German soldier and writer whose First World War experiences informed his memoir Storm of Steel. His account depicts the Somme from the perspective of a German frontline soldier.
Battle of Bazentin Ridge: A British attack on the German second defensive position on 14 July 1916. The attack achieved a notable breakthrough, illustrating a more effective British assault than on 1 July.
British Army in the First World War: The land forces of the United Kingdom that fought in the First World War. The Somme tested the army’s capacity to coordinate mass conscript forces and modern weapons.
Battle of the Somme mines: Underground explosives detonated beneath German positions at the start of the Somme offensive. The mines at Hawthorn Ridge and elsewhere were meant to disrupt defenses before the infantry advanced.
Battle of Verdun: A major battle between France and Germany fought near Verdun from February to December 1916. Germany’s assault on Verdun reduced French strength available for the planned Somme offensive.
Siegfried Sassoon: A British officer and poet whose First World War writing criticized the conduct of the war. His wartime experience and poetry reveal the human costs behind British military reporting.
Battle of Delville Wood: A series of costly engagements for control of Delville Wood during the Somme offensive in 1916. The fighting became a prolonged test of endurance within the larger campaign.
Kitchener's Army: The volunteer British army recruited after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Many volunteers who joined Kitchener’s Army fought and died in the Somme offensive.

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