Somme Turning Point

There were many significant turning points that occurred during World War I. Though all these events all shaped the outcome of the war one of the most important of these events was the Battle of Somme. The Battle of Somme began on July 1, 1916 and lasted until November 19, 1916 (BBC, IWonder: The Battle of Somme). The Battle of Somme was an offensive battle that was known mostly for the fact that it is known as “the bloodiest battle in history” (BBC, IWonder: The Battle of Somme). The Battle of Somme was a significant point in World War I, especially for the British. Somme was significant because the British lost an extremely large amount of soldiers. This horrific operation was shocking for the British and resulted in serious negative effects. …show more content…
The British decided that an attack at night would be best. They ventured into no man's land in the northern part of Somme (BBC, IWonder: The Battle of Somme). They moved forward and gunned down the front of the enemy lines five times. These attacks were extremely brutal just like the first day at Somme (BBC, IWonder: The Battle of Somme). 22,000 British troops surprised the Germans and took a victory after having moved 6,000 yards into the enemy’s territory (BBC, IWonder: The Battle of Somme). This victory was key and helped bolster the soldiers. An important aspect of this battle was the fact that horses were essential, they helped move men and supplies (BBC, IWonder: The Battle of Somme). The following day though the GErmans came back with ferocity at Delville wood or as it was better known “Devil’s wood” (BBC, IWonder: The Battle of Somme). The Germans brutally fought shooting down South African troops with machine guns. After “Devil’s Wood” the British got reinforcement by the First Anzac Corps, which were divisions made of Australian volunteers. The reinforcements were no match for the Germans and the battle that occured on July 23, 1916 left the British with 12,000 Australian