1. Deadly & Dreadful The Battle of the Somme
By Pat Green

2. Location of Somme
Somme

3. 5Ws (other than: War, Waste, Wretchedness, Weapons and Woeful)
What Happened?
The Somme offensive was planned in 1915 as a joint British and French attack designed to wear down the German Army’s reserves. The German attack at Verdun changed things dramatically. The French soldiers left the Somme to reinforce Verdun, leaving the British forces to battle on.
Unfortunately, the British had two different battle plans and the result was a disaster. The British bombed the German’s for 7 days to destroy their positions. The bombardment was so loud it could be heard on the other side of the English Channel.
Thinking that the German trenches had been destroyed, the British soldiers went over the top on 1 July. Weighed down by eqiupment the soldiers marched in long rows towards the German’s territory. Tragically the bombardment had failed and the German machine-gunners quickly manned their position and slaughtered the advancing British.
Of the 100,000 British troops involved, 20,000 were killed by nightfall, 40,000 were wounded – the worst day in the British army’s histtory.
The battle went on for six months in the same way and by its end Allied casualities had risen to around 600,000 and German casualities to around 450,000.

4. 5Ws (other than: War, Waste, Wretchedness, Weapons and Woeful)
Who was involved?
The Allies who were France, Italy and the armies of the British Empire including: New Zealand, Australia, Canada, India, Nepal, China. The Allies were led by Sir Henry Rawlinson and General Haig, who couldn’t agree on a battle plan.
VERSUS
The Central Powers: Germany, the
Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

5. 5Ws (other than: War, Waste, Wretchedness, Weapons and Woeful)
Why did it happen?
It happened because the French army had to reinforce Verdun which left the British forces behind to fight the Germans.
The two British army leaders, General Haig and Sir Henry Rawlinson, could not agree on a battle plan. Rawlinson favoured “bite and hold” - a strategy involving attacking, winning and then consolidating the enemy’s trenches. General Haig favoured an infantry breakthrough followed up by a lightning cavalry advance..
The result was compromise and disaster. Eventually this battle, which did not change the front line trenches much at all, involved over two million men along a 30 mile front. British and French losses numbered nearly three-quarters of a million men.

6. 5Ws (other than: War, Waste, Wretchedness, Weapons and Woeful)
When did it happen?
The battle lasted six months from 24 June – 18 November
Cheering British soldiers before
Going into battle at Somme.

7. 5Ws (other than: War, Waste, Wretchedness, Weapons and Woeful)
Where did it happen? Somme in Northern France along a 30 mile (50 km) stretch.

8. Statistics British forces go over the Top to attack German
Trenches after bombardment

9. Statistics

10. Statistics

11. Classifying Chart

12. Peacekeeping Actions

13. Peacekeeping Actions 1916 Woodrow Wilson 1919 Paris Peace Conference
President Woodrow Wilson
Peacekeeping Actions
1916 Woodrow Wilson
In December 19,16 after ten brutal months of the Battle of Verdun and a successful offensive against Romania, the Germans attempted to negotiate a peace with the allies. US president, Woodrow Wilson, attempted to intervene as a peacemaker, asking in a note for both sides to state their demands. Lloyd Gorge, Prime minister of Britain considered the German offer to be a trick to create divisions amongst the allies.
Allied governments demanded restoration of damages, evacuation of occupied territories, reparations for France, Russia and Romania, and a recognition of the principle of nationalities.
The negotiations failed and the Allied powers rejected the German offer. The Allied powers stated that they would not start peace negotiations until the Central Powers evacuated all occupied Allied territories.
1919 Paris Peace Conference
After the war, the Paris Peace Conference imposed a series of peace treaties on the Central Powers officially ending the war. The 1919 Treaty of Versailles dealt with Germany and building on the Wilson’s 14th point, brought into being the League Of Nations on 28th of June 1919.
The League Of Nations was an inter-governmental organization. It was the first international organisation whs principle mission was to maintain world peace.

14. Timeline of the Battle of Somme
German cavalry patrols get to within 8 miles of Paris.
Britain declares war on Germany.
4 August 1914
5 August 1914
3 September 1914
5 September 1914
Battle of
Marne
Germany
invades
Belgian
Germans marching into Brussels,
Belgium

15. Timeline of the Battle of Somme
Principal
Allied artillery bombardment of German lines begins Battle of Somme
Allied troops land at Gallipoli
October 1914
April 1915
21 February 1916
24 June 1916
First Battle of Ypres
Germans launch attack on Verdun

16. Timeline of the Battle of Somme
Battle of Flers Courcelette;
Allied attacks fail to make significant gains
British fail to break through German lines.
British bombardment of Germans
12 July – 27 August 1916
15-22 September 1916
1 July 1916
2-10 July 1916
British and French go over the top to the German trenches
Allied attacks and German counter attacks
Supply lines

17. Timeline of the Battle of Somme
United States
of America
join the Allies
British Gas Mask
13-18 November 1916
6 April 1917
Battle of Ancree sees Allies fail to break through German lines
French gas attack on German lines

18. Choices Pro Con Pro Con Pro Con Negotiate Peacekeeping force
British agree on an excellent battle plan
More attempts to negotiate peace
Neutral countries e.g. Sweden, could have sent peacekeepers
Pro
Con
Pro
Con
Pro
Con
The British would have won at Somme and the war would have ended in 1916 and saved lives, money and resources.
More German soldiers would have lost their lives and perhaps civilians too.
If both sides could have got together and communicated properly, they could have reached an agreement to end the war earlier.
Getting together to talk about their differences may have made both sides even more angry and even more determined to fight and kill and destruct.
There would have been less fighting and not as many soldiers and civilians would die from military actions.
Peacekeepers may have been killed trying to keep the peace.
1st Choice
2nd Choice
3rd Choice
Negotiate
Peacekeeping force
British battle plan

19. And now for something interesting….
My interesting story is about my great, great grandfather Colonel Claude Horace Weston and Billy the dog.
My great, great grandfather was a Lieutenant Colonel of the Wellington Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He received a Distinguished Service Order, was mentioned in dispatches, and was promoted to full colonel.
His wartime service included all the worst battles New Zealanders fought in; Gallipoli, winter in Egypt, Flanders, the Somme, Messines and finally Passchendale where he was severely wounded on 4 October 1917 and suffered a permanent disability.
During his time in the trenches, Colonel Claude adopted a Sealyham puppy called Billy, who became the mascot of the 3rd Battalion, Wellington Regiment and here is their story….

20. Bibliography INTERNET SITES BOOKS www.Wikipedia.com www.history.com
Aftermath of World War 1
World War 1 casualties,
League Of Nations
1916 Battle Of The Somme
Battles And Facts
BOOKS
‘Leaders of World War 1’ by Stuart Ross
‘Hidden Stories of the First World War’ by Jackie Storer
‘Nice Day for a War’ by Chris Slane and Matt Elliott
‘World War 1 The Bloodiest Battle ever Fought’
‘Eyewitness World War 1’
‘Shand Family History’ by Ann Green