1. Fill out the key word sheet to re-cap on trench warfare

2. Which of the following do you think are the odd ones out?
rifle
Machine gun
bayonet
rats
mud
cold
parapet
Barbed wire
sandbags
tanks
cavalry
artillery

3. Look at these dates. Why do we remember them?
9/11
11/11
7/7
1/7

4. Why was the Battle Of The Somme a disaster for the British Army in 1916?
To know the key facts about what happened in the Battle of the Somme.
To be able to analyse the reasons for the failure of the British battle plan.
To be able to explain why the Battle Of The Somme was such a disaster.

6. Most of the German soldiers will be killed before the battle starts.
We will destroy the German trenches with an artillery bombardment that lasts for a whole week!
The enemy barbed wire will be smashed to bits! Our men will be able to get through easily.
Most of the German soldiers will be killed before the battle starts.
After the soldiers, they will be able to walk across No Man’s Land!
Field Marshall Douglas Haig.

7. The Plan
Can you see any problems with Haig’s plan?
Where do you think the battle plan might go wrong?

8. What was supposed to happen?
What went wrong
1. The enemy trenches would be destroyed before the soldiers attacked
2. The German barbed wire would be smashed to bits.
3. Most of the enemy would be killed by accurate shell fire.
4. The soldiers would be able to walk slowly across No Man’s Land.

9. The Plan vs The Reality

10. The Plan vs The Reality

12. Try to identify: Examples of poor leadership and planning. A
Examples of failing technology.B
Examples of things beyond British control. C

13. The Battle Of The Somme started on 1st July 1916.
Statement
True or false?
The Battle Of The Somme started on 1st July 1916.
The British bombarded the German trenches with shellfire for 3 days before the attack.
The Germans dug a 3rd line of trenches and deep dugouts to hide in.
The British soldiers walked slowly towards the Germans at the start of the attack.
Over 30 thousand British soldiers were killed on the first day of the battle.