Verdun and Somme Battles: War Outcome Analysis
TITLE
How important were the Battles of Verdun and the Somme to the outcome of the war? Explain your answer.
ESSAY
The Battles of Verdun and the Somme were significant events in World War I, but their importance to the outcome of the war is debatable.
The Battle of Verdun was a major German offensive aimed at pushing France out of the war. Despite heavy fortifications and over 1 million soldiers involved, the battle resulted in massive casualties on both sides. It demonstrated the difficulty of achieving a breakthrough and led to the British Somme campaign, as the British believed it could achieve a decisive breakthrough and force Germany to surrender. However, neither battle achieved a decisive breakthrough or significantly altered the stalemate in the trenches.
On the other hand, there were other factors that played a more crucial role in determining the outcome of the war. The entry of the United States into the war brought over 1 million new soldiers and provided vital supplies to the Allies. The failure of unrestricted submarine warfare, the withdrawal of Russia from the war, the British blockade of German ports, and the failure of the Ludendorff Offensive also weakened Germany. Additionally, changes in Allied tactics, such as the use of creeping barrage, proved effective in gaining ground.
In summary, while the Battles of Verdun and the Somme had their significance and produced considerable casualties, they did not have a decisive impact on the outcome of the war. Other factors such as the entry of the United States, the failure of German offensives, and changing tactics played a more decisive role.
SUBJECT
HISTORY
PAPER
IGCSE
NOTES
How important were the Battles of Verdun and the Somme to the outcome of the war? Explain your answer. Yes Battle of Verdun was an attempt by German forces to push France out of the war and believed the British would follow; Verdun was heavily fortified and the Germans used over 1 million soldiers; led to huge casualties on both sides; demonstrated how difficult it was to achieve a breakthrough in the war; led to the British Somme campaign to relieve the French forces; Britain also believed that this could achieve a decisive breakthrough of German lines and push Germany towards a surrender; Somme saw the first use of tanks in battle which would later help develop new tactics; successfully kept France in the war despite the casualties; huge German casualties permanently weakened the German army and lowered morale, etc. No Neither battle achieved a decisive breakthrough and the stalemate continued in the trenches; over a million casualties at the Somme with little ground gained; more important was US entry into the war which brought over 1 million new soldiers by July 1918; the USA continued to provide vital war supplies as well as recruiting over 5 million men by the end of the war; failure of unrestricted submarine warfare; Russia's withdrawal from the war in 1918; British blockade of German ports from 1914 led to food and fuel shortages in Germany by 1916; failure of Ludendorff Offensive in 1918; changes and developments in Allied tactics such as creeping barrage; German Revolution in October 1918, etc.