The Battle of the Somme was a massive Anglo-French offensive on the Western Front. It is especially remembered for the catastrophic casualties on the first day of the British attack and for the prolonged struggle that followed.

The Somme came to symbolize the immense human cost of World War I and the difficulty of breaking entrenched defensive systems. It also saw the early battlefield use of tanks, foreshadowing future military change.

Why It Matters

• One of World War I's most famous battles
• Illustrated the terrible cost of trench warfare
• Included early battlefield use of tanks

Reference:

Wikipedia: Battle of the Somme

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Somme