Explain Why The Battle Of The Somme Was A Total Failure
“The Battle of the Somme was a total failure”
How far do Sources A-F support this statement?
On the 1st July 1916, the battle of the Somme began. Sources A, D, E and F suggest that the Battle of The Somme wasn’t a total failure. However, Sources B and C suggest that the British underestimated the Germans and this was the cause of their massacre.
Source B proposes that although the British were organized and everything was going according to their plan, the first line, which had nearly reached the German front line, were shot down due to machine-gun fire. The soldiers were caught in the open with no shelter and didn’t stand a chance. The machine guns were unexpected because Haig predicted that since the Germans had been bombarded with shells for a week, they would all be dead and their weapons would have been destroyed. Haig was complacent and this cost him dearly, the Germans had dug outs which provided shelter, these were often 40 feet in depth. …show more content…
This indicates that when some soldiers had crossed their own barbed wire, immediately outside of their trenches, were shot.
Source B is written by a sergeant in the British army and it supports the statement and it is reliable since it is neither written by Haig himself to avoid blame for the Battle of the Somme, nor by someone who wasn’t at the battle. Source B gives us a first person view of the battle as Sergeant Cook was there
How far do Sources A-F support this statement?
On the 1st July 1916, the battle of the Somme began. Sources A, D, E and F suggest that the Battle of The Somme wasn’t a total failure. However, Sources B and C suggest that the British underestimated the Germans and this was the cause of their massacre.
Source B proposes that although the British were organized and everything was going according to their plan, the first line, which had nearly reached the German front line, were shot down due to machine-gun fire. The soldiers were caught in the open with no shelter and didn’t stand a chance. The machine guns were unexpected because Haig predicted that since the Germans had been bombarded with shells for a week, they would all be dead and their weapons would have been destroyed. Haig was complacent and this cost him dearly, the Germans had dug outs which provided shelter, these were often 40 feet in depth. …show more content…
This indicates that when some soldiers had crossed their own barbed wire, immediately outside of their trenches, were shot.
Source B is written by a sergeant in the British army and it supports the statement and it is reliable since it is neither written by Haig himself to avoid blame for the Battle of the Somme, nor by someone who wasn’t at the battle. Source B gives us a first person view of the battle as Sergeant Cook was there