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Beginning as an Allied attack on German troops throughout the Western Front of World War I, close to the Somme River, the Battle of the Somme lasted between July and November 1916. British troops had more than 57,000 fatalities, along with more than 19,000 people killed, on the opening day of the conflict alone (Patarino, n.d.). It was one of the bloodiest, deadliest, and most expensive confrontations in the history of mankind. More than 3 million men on both sides participated in the Battle, also known as the First Battle of the Somme, which finished almost five months later (Patarino, n.d.). Over 1 million men on both sides were murdered or injured.
During the offensive on Flers Courcelette, 12 battalions of infantry and 48 Mark I tanks, which were making their debut entrance on the battleground, advanced after the British artillery bombardment. More than any other battle in World War I, the Battle of the Somme had come to symbolize the mindless bloodshed and utter brutality of trench warfare (Patarino, n.d.). Given such severe casualties, British commanders would face criticism for maintaining the attack.
The historical significance of the event may be formulated as follows. From the strategic perspective, the German defenses in France suffered significant damage as a result of the Allied victory at the River. This state of affairs led the Germans to withdraw tactically to the Hindenburg Line instead of keeping on fighting for the same territory that spring. Then, the utilization of tanks, chemical weapons, and unhumanitarian ways of conducting a war was a notable factor that made the global community along with other similar precedents regulate this dimension with international law. Even today, such laws that forbid the use of, for instance, chemical weapons are still relevant and signed by the representatives of the civilized world.
Reference
Patarino, V. (n.d.). Western civilization 102: Online supplemental primary source packet, ultra short version. Google Drive. Web.
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