Battle of Somme (1916)

Question 1

What were three reasons for the outcome?

Answer 1

-Failure of week-long artillery bombardment before first infantry advance. Not successful in decimating German barbed wire in No Man’s Land and killing infantry as they sheltered in deep trenches.
-Failure of gas attacks by Allies, as Germans had gas masks, gas lingered in the air from where it was released, relied on wind which changed direction so gas changed direction
-Haig: overly optimistic as continued to send men over top into machine gun fire when there was little hope of breakthrough, failed to carry out adequate surveillance so unaware that German defences were intact despite Allied artillery bombardment, old fashioned so believed that massed infantry advances could breakthrough against machine guns and artillery.

Question 2

What was the role of the leaders?

Answer 2

-Haig: overly optimistic so continued to send men over top despite little hope of breakthrough
-failed to carry out adequate surveillance so unaware of intact German trench defences despite bombardment
-old fashioned and so believed that massed infantry advances could achieve breakthrough against machine guns and artillery