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Example research essay topic: First World War World War One - 1,330 words

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The Battle of the Somme started in 1916 following the battle at Ypres in 1915. After it went on over a long period of time, it was to become one of the most famous battles of the First World War. It was a protracted engagement, which resulted in appalling carnage. The Battle of the Somme is proclaimed to be such a great battle because of the certain strategies and the specific objectives used, the tragic results of the battle, and the consequences of the battle concerning the many conflicting powers. The Battle of the Somme began to support Belgium after Germany attempted an invasion on them.

Many strategies and objectives were conceived and used to defeat the German forces at the Somme. As the battle began on July 1 st, 1916, it was planned as a joint French and British operation, this included Canada as they fought along side Britain. The British saw their opportunity to be the saviors of the moment, as Germany invaded Belgium when they were declared neutral, which was known as the Schlieffen Plan. The French Commander in Chief, Joseph Joffre, who intended it to be a battle of attrition, devised this plan of attack. The aim of the offence was to drain the German forces of reserves, however territorial gain was the second aim. This plan was soon approved by the British Commander in Chief, Sir Douglas Haig.

One element of the agreed plan was to have an offence of primarily French troops, although after the attack on Verdun at the beginning of 1916, in which the Germans took many French casualties, Haig and Joffre were forced to compose the offensive troops of predominantly British soldiers instead. This resulted in Haig receiving responsibility of the operation, which would be used at the Somme, and authority to formulate his own plan. With help from General Rawlings on, Haig came up with a strategy of an eight-day preliminary bombardment of the German lines, beginning on June 24 th. He believed this would conquer their original aim of destroying German forces, letting the attacking British troops virtually walk across no mans land and take charge of the German front lines, as the German soldiers would be to exhausted to put up a fight. The attack was commenced upon a thirty-kilometre front with the Somme River acting as a natural barrier, as they tend to have in most battles. Some of their tactics that were in place was the seven hundred-kilometre trench network, stretching from the Swiss boarder up and into Belgium.

General Rawlingsons troops (fourth army) were accountable for the main attack, and General Allenbys third army were expected to make a breakthrough with forces to take advantage of the abyss, which was thought to be likely seen in the German frontline. Also, General Fayolles French sixth Army was responsible to advance from the south. Despite the fact that the French and British had many procedures devised, the battle soon deteriorated into trench warfare. In these trenches the soldiers were forced to face the realities of dirt, disease, and death. Old-fashioned war tactics of heading straight into each other were used. They thought that all you needed to win was to overpower them by sending in more and more men, when actually all this led to was an abundance of casualties.

As the attacks went on, the front became strewn with decaying bodies and the remains of shells. The real chief advantage to trench warfare was more so on the side of defense. All of this was causing no progress to either side of conflicting power. After all this warfare Haig composed another plan of attack. He and the other Generals had decided to create an offensive on the weaker points of the German lines and began a two-day bombardment along these points. Yet, due to much poor weather such as the heavy rainfall, the two-day period was prolonged to seven days of heavy shelling.

The scheme was to wipe out the German barbed wire and the mass their soldiers. And to put another restraint on this plan the Germans overheard a radio conversation and soon uncovered Britains plan of attack, which gave them time to prepare. They dug deep trenches and practiced on setting up their machine guns quickly. The soldiers were ready for what the British and French would throw at them. However, it was later to be discovered that they need not of bothered for the reason that a third of the shells that the British and French threw failed to explode, and the few that did only hit no mans land. Therefore, the bombardment failed to destroy either the barbed wire protecting the German soldiers.

This let the Germans become equipped for the arranged attack on them to take place during the first few days of the battle, which resulted in the British having 58 000 casualties, a third of them killed. Regardless of these failures, Haig did not lose hope; he continued to order the generals to arrange several night attacks on the German front line. The French and British troops ended up achieving many small victories throughout the Somme. On September 15 th, 1916, General Michele and his divisions joined in battle.

At this time, during the Battle of the Somme, it was the first time tanks were used in battle and in spite of this, the generals troops only gained a few kilometres, as they quickly got bogged down in the mud. The tanks became a failure during the Battle of the Somme, although became useful in later battles and wars. The Battle of the Somme had tragic results and an ending to be remembered. During the near closing stages of this battle, on the 13 th of November, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) captured the German fortress at Beaumont Hamel.

Though, heavy snow forced Haig to give up his gains. With the continuation of bad weather Haig was forced to call off the attack at the Somme. The battle came to an official halt on November 18 th, 1916, resulting in Britain (including Canada), and France claiming victory because of the less amount of casualties and the last victory won during the battle, referring to the capture of Beaumont Hamel. The German forces lost at the Somme after putting an epic defense mechanism. This battle was one of the longest and largest during the duration of World War One. After the Battle of the Somme both conflicting powers suffered enormous amounts of casualties and would never forget the tragic battle of the Somme.

Britain lost about 420, 000 soldiers and their French allies suffered some 200, 000. Lastly the opposing power, Germany, had over 600, 000 soldiers die during this battle. The devastating consequences of this battle were obviously great and yet, the Allied forces gained only about 12 kilometres of territory at its most profound points. By the end of the entire First World War, Germany ended up being forced by both Britain and France, and other involved countries, to sign the Treaty of Versailles. This commanded them to pay back the other countries they destructed during the war and the damaging costs, as they were blamed to have started the profusion of the war, not to mention the invasion of a neutral country. This is also what later had caused World War Two on some level for the reason that Germany was very poor from paying all their debts to other countries and they would no longer stand for it.

Therefore, later in time these very countries would engage in battle once again, remembering the Somme. In the end, the Battle of the Somme will always be remembered as one of the greatest battles of World War One, as it entailed an abundance of strategies and objectives, some failures and some victorious, it had a tragic result to it all and consequences that would become greater beyond belief. This is why the Somme will always have historical significance.


Free research essays on topics related to: trench warfare, first world war, commander in chief, british and french, world war one

Research essay sample on First World War World War One

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