The British soldiers were ordered to walk across no mans land; this order was based on the assumption that the week long barrage had destroyed most of the German defences. General Haig had not gained enough knowledge on the condition of the German trenches after the week long barrage. This means that many soldiers’ lives were put in danger when they were told not to run. This meant that the soldiers were easy targets for the Germans. The high number of casualties is one of the reasons why people believe that this battle was a tragedy. I think that the order not to run is the reason why the number of casualties was so high. This could have been prevented had Haig of taken more time to investigate the condition of the German trenches. This was a stupid mistake. Had Haig not been so eager to claim victory then the battle may not have been such a tragedy.
The Somme has a higher number of casualties than any other battle. This fact points to the battle being a great military tragedy. The number of deaths during the first day of the Somme is horrific, twenty thousand were killed. The morale of the soldiers must have been extremely low. Pals battalions must have caused this morale to go even lower. Pals battalions meant that people could fight the battle with the people they signed up with, this meant that relatives, villages, etc were fighting together. This meant that the soldiers had to watch their friends and family be killed. Low morale meant that the soldiers probably did not feel like fighting. People may have thought that the battle was a lost cause.
The death rate on the first day of the battle is terrible, but Haig insisted on sending soldiers over the top. General Rawlinson was devastated by the effects of the first day; he had doubts about both General Haig’s choice of tactic and the outcome of the battle. Rawlinson expressed these doubts to Haig but Haig simply dismissed them, he insisted the attacks should continue. He had to relieve pressure from the French at Verdun and he was convinced that the enemy was at the point of exhaustion and that he would win a great victory. Maybe if Haig had not dismissed the doubts of General Rawlinson, then the death rate may not have been so severe and the battle would not be regarded as such a great tragedy.
The morale of the soldiers must have been extremely low after the first day, but people in England still thought that war was good and that the soldiers were enjoying it. Propaganda was used to portray war as a good thing and to encourage people to join the army. This meant that more soldiers could be used, Haig did not have to value his men as much as he should of. Many families were receiving news about their loved ones being injured, this showed the people in England that war was not fun, it was extremely dangerous. Morale dropped in Britain. This meant that not so many people were willing to go to war after the battle; this meant that the numbers of men in the British army would decrease rapidly.
The Somme is classed as a great military tragedy for many reasons. The battle may have been a success in the fact that some land was gained and the enemy sustained many casualties but this does not excuse the fact that heavy losses were sustained by the British. These losses could have been prevented, maybe if Haig had changed his tactic and listened to Rawlinson or if he had gained more information on the condition of the German trenches after the barrage. I believe that many of these casualties were unnecessary. The main reason that the Somme is regarded as a tragedy is the large number of casualties, the British accumulated 420,000 soldiers severely injured. The French accumulated 200,000 injured soldiers and 650,000 Germans were severely injured. Also, I believe that the fact that the casualties could have been prevented is why the battle is regarded as a tragedy. The reasons for the heavy losses all had simple solutions and had Haig been more careful and taken some precautions then the losses would not have been so great.
