By 1916, a positional war in the French theater of operations dragged on for too long. For many months, soldiers of the opposing armies could not advance a kilometer.
Training
The allies in the person of the British and French agreed among themselves on a united attack. The main role was assigned to the republican units, while the British pledged to perform support functions. It was a battle on the Somme, which became one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
According to the plan, the Allies of the Entente had to attack immediately on three fronts: Russian, Italian and French. Highlights were discussed in December 1915 in the city of Chantilly in Picardy. The Italians and the Russians were about to begin their operations in June, while the offensive on the Somme was scheduled for July 1.
Five armies became participants: three French and two English. However, the battle on the Somme went completely wrong as planned, when a huge number of soldiers disappeared at Verdun (about 160 thousand). The front on which the offensive was organized had a width of 40 kilometers. On this site, generals Rawlinson and Fayol commanded. General management was provided by Ferdinand Foch. Fritz von Belov was engaged in German defense.
Even at the planning stage, it became clear that the battle on the Somme would be a long and intense battle, requiring the use of all available resources. The region was pitted with many borders and trenches. The command expected that at first the artillery would devastate each line, after which it would be occupied by infantry. This was to be repeated until the last redoubt fell.
Offensive start
Initially, the positions of the Germans were to be fired by artillery. This preparation began even before the large-scale offensive on June 24th. For a week, the redoubts and fortifications of the German army were methodically destroyed in order to open the way for the infantry to the enemy's defenseless positions. The guns also suffered. About half of combat-ready units were disabled.
As calculated, the infantry set off on July 1. On the first day, at least 20 thousand British soldiers died, including members of the expeditionary corps from the empire's colonies. On the right flank, it was possible to take the enemy’s positions, while on the left flank the same attempt failed and ended in a large number of irretrievable losses. Some French units against this background have moved too far and were threatened by the environment and the emergence of a "boiler". Therefore, Fayol ordered his soldiers to retreat somewhat and allow the Allies to catch up with them.
Positional battle
The offensive remained extremely slow, which was generally a feature of the entire First World War. Each kilometer was given at the cost of a large number of victims. Sometimes soldiers returned to places where a year ago their predecessors had been killed and abandoned. The pre-war border of France, Belgium and Germany turned into a cemetery.
By July, none of the parties was able to achieve strategic success. Therefore, the battle on the Somme sucked in all the new divisions being deployed from other fronts. Soon the Germans felt a shortage of forces, since in parallel with the events in Western Europe the Brusilov offensive of the Russian army in the east developed. There, Austria became the target of the attack, and Germany had to transfer many soldiers and equipment to her aid in order not to meet the division of Nicholas II in her peaceful rear.
German exhaustion
By September, the war of attrition turned out to be for the Germans that they had to suspend all their offensive actions in the fight against the British and French. This was an important turn in the course of events, which was facilitated by the Battle of the Somme. The outcome of this decision was obvious: the Entente decided to repeat the July large-scale offensive.
Mathematically, the two sides of the conflict were represented by 58 and 40 divisions not in favor of the Germans. In order to raise the morale of tired soldiers, the heir to the Bavarian kingdom Ruprecht arrived in the army. The British responded by saying that for the first time in history they used tanks in battle. It was a Mark V model, which had machine guns and guns (depending on configuration). The car was unfinished, vulnerable and ineffective. However, she completely demoralized the Germans, who had no idea what the battle on the Somme was preparing for them. The date of the battle lasted for four months (July 1 - November 18).
Summary
In late autumn, the British and French advanced 37 kilometers, after which the battle on the Somme ended. Skirmishes continued briefly and sketchily. The front stood still in anticipation. Time has shown that the losses bled Germany and provided the Entente with a strategic initiative at the last stage of the war. The invaluable experience of cooperation has allowed the headquarters of Great Britain and France to coordinate their actions more effectively in future operations.
The Allies lost during the offensive about 146 thousand people killed and 450 thousand wounded. The mutilated remained disabled for life, and all because of new weapons, such as mortars. The Germans left 164 thousand dead on the battlefield, and 300 thousand fell into the infirmaries.