The aims of the allies were when they engaged in the battle of the Somme and how they hoped to achieve them.

Authors Avatar

In order to answer this question it is necessary to examine what precisely were the aims of the allies and how they hoped to achieve those aims them and secondly to examine whether or not these aims were achieved and to question their relevance to the outcome of the First World War.

The battle of the Somme was an allies initiative and so the aims of the allies are most important to consider. The battle of the Somme was supposed to relieve pressure on the French city of Verdun. Although this major offensive had been planned for later that year it was brought forward as a result of bombardment of the French fort.

Believing the aim had been achieved, Haig continued the offensive as he believed it could prove to be a decisive battle, one that could possibly bring about the end of the war. One month into the battle, on a letter dated July 29, Haig wrote to CIGS, declaring success. He argued that not only had pressure on Verdun been relieved, they had also inflicted such heavy losses on the enemy that they would soon be hard pressed to reinforce their army. Pressure had been relieved on the Eastern Front and most importantly the success was sending powerful propaganda messages to the those who were neutral, those who still believed in Germany’s strength and the enemy fighting on the front. It is important to notice that at no time is "land gained" mentioned in this Balance Sheet.

"Success achieved by Russia would certainly have been prevented had the enemy been free to transfer to transfer troops from here to the Eastern Theatre … Proof given to the world that allies are able of making and maintaining a vigorous offensive and of driving enemy’s best troops from the strongest positions has shaken faith of Germans … of doubting neutrals in the invincibility of Germany. … We have inflicted heavy losses on the enemy… In another 6 weeks, the enemy should be hard put to find men… the maintenance of a steady offensive pressure will result eventually in his (the enemy’s) complete overthrow." Haig’s Diary 1916

It was Haig’s view that the Somme could win the war for the allies and so his aim was "To maintain steady pressure on Somme battle."

His aims were to win the war or at least to:

· ease pressure on Verdun and on Russia by forcing German troops away from those areas to the Somme,

· make substantial land gains,

· deflate morale by destroying German trenches and killing many of their soldiers,

· destroy the greater part of Germany’s troops.

THE RELIEVING OF PRESSURE ON VERDUN AND ON RUSSIA

Verdun has been under massive bombardment from 1400 big guns for over four months. On the first day of the battle alone, over 2 million shells had been used up. 315,000 French soldiers were dead by the end of the battle. The relieving of Verdun had been achieved as early as 1 August, just a month into the battle. In the letter to CIGS, Haig wrote:

Join now!

"…the primary object- relief of pressure on Verdun- has to some extent been achieved… Not less than six enemy Divns. … have been withdrawn." Haig’s Diary, 1916

His Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, however, wrote in "War Memoirs of David Lloyd George, 1915-1916" that it had been unnecessary to relieve pressure on Verdun as Germany had already been beginning to falter even before the onset of the offensive.

"It (the Battle of the Somme) was not responsible for the failure of the German effort to capture Verdun. It was only an element in slackening up a German offensive ...

This is a preview of the whole essay