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WWI info

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steezbox
Posts: 1394 - Karma: 701

Hello NS. I have an essay due on Monday about the battle of La Somme during WWI. I need to write about 3 failures and 3 victories which were achieved during that battle, and casualties for both sides - specific # for deaths, injuries, and numbers on both sides.

Not expecting anyone to know this specific info, but if anyone knows any good sites or books please tell me. No wiki by the way - I have already read the whole thing.

Oct 16 2010 8:42PM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
did you try looking into the sources cited at the bottom of the wiki page? Profs tend to tell you to keep away from the wiki itself, but the pages they come from are usually pretty reliable.

if not, get yourself a book asap. cant beat it.
Oct 16 2010 8:43PM
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Negro_Jesus
Posts: 1789 - Karma: 91
Casualties
British 415,000
French 195,000
Germans 600,000
Oct 16 2010 8:47PM
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steezbox
Posts: 1394 - Karma: 701

1. Artillery fire was unable to destroy German defenses (barbed wire etc.)

2. Abrupt stop in artillery fire alerted germans of attack.

Those are two failures, but I am not sure if there were any other large sacle failures after the first day. And as far as victories go it was just the tanks (which were unreliable)? Seems like the whole battle was a failure for mankind, but anyways.  

Oct 16 2010 8:50PM
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A.Eberhard
Posts: 4426 - Karma: 415
I remember it being a battle with a 1,200,000 deaths and the allies only advanced something like 25 miles. There was a huge outrage in britian and france about how many deaths there were and how very little ground was gained. In the end the battle was a battle that had almost no meaning, I don't remember why though.
That is just off the top of my head, I would hit up google if I were you.
Oct 16 2010 8:51PM
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vailsux.com
Posts: 1769 - Karma: 440
WWI, possibly the most pointless war ever. Only matched by the Vietnam War.
Oct 16 2010 9:01PM
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swalls
Posts: 30 - Karma: 14
You could argue that tanks were a failure at the Somme because they were deployed in pretty small numbers and were mostly unreliable. Under half of the available tanks made it into battle and the element of surprise was lost. They did help, but if the British waited to manufacture more and make them more reliable, tanks would've had a much bigger impact during the battle.

In the war overall though they were a victory.
Oct 16 2010 9:15PM
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swalls
Posts: 30 - Karma: 14
Good point, they could have improved the few they built though. If the number they had available in the first place could have all been deployed they would of made a significantly larger impact.
Oct 16 2010 9:26PM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
also a form of mental fighting. If you've been on the front for awhile and are getting tired of fighting, and suddenly spot something you've never seen before, and your guys can't figure out how to stop it...its going to heavily demoralize you.

shock effect.
Oct 16 2010 9:46PM
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987321654hgfd
Posts: 5133 - Karma: 5,447
Definitely true, but that was one of the downfalls of the premature deployment. The shock effect was not nearly what it could have been.
Oct 16 2010 9:49PM
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dispatchQ_main
Posts: 2619 - Karma: 629
lets just Haig was a terrible general.
Oct 16 2010 10:00PM
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987321654hgfd
Posts: 5133 - Karma: 5,447
Yeah I know they were pressured and didn't have much else to do. It's just too bad that it was rushed because it could of had devastating effects on the battle.
Oct 16 2010 10:04PM
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Cthulhu
Posts: 528 - Karma: 21
just read Victoria Cross hero's
Oct 16 2010 10:32PM
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steezbox
Posts: 1394 - Karma: 701
I guess any real victories were pretty non-existant for either side taking into account their gains in contrast to the number of deaths.
Oct 16 2010 10:52PM
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