Canada at War: The Battle of the Somme

1. Canada at War:The Battle of the Somme

2. The Battle of the Somme -The Germans attacked the French at Verdunfrom February to December, 1916 - The purpose was not to gain ground, but simply to kill French troops - This is known as a battle of attrition

3. The Battle of the Somme The Germans attacked key forts situated alongthe French line Fort Douaumont – before & after

4. The Battle of the Somme - Both the French and the Germans suffered massive losses - Many French soldiers saw the battle as a waste of lives, and some refused to fight. The French Army was near to mutiny (disobeying orders & quitting) - If the French were to quit the war at this point, the war would be over. This alarmed the British and they stepped in to assist - The British Army launched an attack in the Somme River valley

5. The Battle of the Somme

6. The Battle of the Somme - Sir Douglas Haig, Commander of all British Empire forces, planned a massive offense - His plan called for a five day artillery barrage, launching over 1.5 million artillery shells, to destroy the German positions - Tanks were used for the first time in history

7. The Battle of the Somme - Due to the rush to make enough shells for the upcoming offensive, many were defective - Many of the shells used were shrapnel shells, which can cut barbed wire, but can do little to fortified positions - British commanders assumed that the artillery barrage would work – it HAD to work - they fired almost 2 million shells!

8. The Battle of the Somme - The barrage could be heard in London – over 100 miles away - On July 1, British troops lined up in their trenches and prepared to go ‘over the top’. This was essentially a running charge across No Man’s Land toward the German lines

9. The Battle of the Somme

10. The Battle of the Somme - At the end of the charge, survivors found that the barbed wire was still intact, most German positions were still operationaland the Germans were watching and waiting for them - Many of the tanks became stuck or broke down - The British were slaughtered , with 57,000casualties on the first day– the worst day in British military history

11. The Battle of the Somme - General Haig would not stop or change his plans – the offensive continued until November, 1916 - Haig’s real hope was simply to kill as many Germans as possible, instead of trying to gain ground – another battle of attrition

12. The Battle of the Somme - Canadian troops are brought down from the Ypres region to participate in the British attack - Canadian troops had some success at the Somme, but also suffered heavy losses – approximately 25,000 men

13. The Battle of the Somme - The Somme battlefield becomes known as a graveyard of a generation of British youth - The British public is told that most of the offensive is a great success, even after casualty numbers are published

14. The Battle of the Somme - Canadian commanders & government leaders are shocked at what they saw as the meaningless wastingof Canadian lives - Canadian leaders vowed that this could never happen again - The Canadian Army & government became far less trusting of the British, permanently changing the relationship between the two nations - Canadians will still be part of British offensives, but for the rest of the war the Canadian Corps would usually make its own plans within the British offensives