Battle of the Somme in World War I

Battle of the Somme in World War I The Battle of the Somme was fought from July 1 to November 18, 1916 during World War I (1914-1918). In 1916, the British and French intended to launch a large-scale offensive along the Somme River. With the beginning of the Battle of Verdun in February, the focus changed to a British-centric operation with the goal of relieving pressure on the French. Moving forward on July 1, the British sustained massive losses in the opening hours of the offensive while French troops made some gains. Far from the breakthrough hoped for by the high command, the Battle of Somme became an extended, grinding affair that came to symbolize the futility of the fighting on the Western Front.   Background Meeting at Chantilly in December 1915, the Allied high command worked to develop war plans for the coming year. It was agreed that the most effective path forward would be simultaneous offensives on the Eastern, Western, and Italian Fronts. This approach would preclude the Central Powers from being able to shift troops to meet each threat in turn. On the Western Front, the British and French planners moved forward and ultimately decided to mount a large, combined offensive along the Somme River. The initial plan called for the bulk of the troops to be French with support from the British Fourth Army in the north. While supportive of the plan, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, General Sir Douglas Haig, had originally desired to attack in Flanders. As plans for the Somme offensive were developed, they were soon changed in response to the Germans opening the Battle of Verdun in late February 1916. Rather than delivering the crippling blow to the Germans, the Somme offensives principal goal would now be to relieve pressure on the beleaguered French defenders at Verdun.   Additionally, the primary composition of the troops involved would be British rather than French. Planning For the British, the main push would come north of the Somme and would be led by General Sir Henry Rawlinsons Fourth Army. Like most parts of the BEF, the Fourth Army was largely composed of inexperienced Territorial or New Army troops. To the south, French forces from General Marie Fayolles Sixth Army would attack on both banks of the Somme. Preceded by a seven-day bombardment and the detonation of 17 mines under German strong points, the offensive began at 7:30 AM on July 1. Attacking with 13 divisions, the British attempted advance up an old Roman road that ran 12 miles from Albert, northeast to Bapaume. Armies Commanders Allies Field Marshal Douglas HaigGeneral Ferdinand Foch13 British and 11 French divisions (rising to 51 and 48) Germany General Max von GallwitzGeneral Fritz von Below10 divisions (rising to 50) Disaster on the First Day Advancing behind a creeping barrage, British troops encountered heavy German resistance as the preliminary bombardment had been largely ineffective. In all areas the British attack achieved little success or was repulsed outright. On July 1, the BEF suffered over 57,470 casualties (19,240 killed) making it the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army. Dubbed the Battle of Albert, Haig persisted in pushing forward over the next several days. To the south, the French, utilizing different tactics and a surprise bombardment, achieved more success and reached many of their initial objectives. Grinding Ahead As the British attempted to re-start their attack, the French continued to advance along the Somme. On July 3/4, the French XX Corps nearly achieved a breakthrough but was forced to halt to allow the British on their left flank to catch up. By July 10, French forces had advanced six miles and had captured the Flaucourt Plateau and 12,000 prisoners. On July 11, Rawlinsons men finally secured the first line of German trenches, but were unable to breakthrough. Later that day, the Germans began shifting troops from Verdun to reinforce General Fritz von Belows Second Army north of the Somme (Map). As a result, the German offensive at Verdun was ended and the French achieved the upper hand in that sector. On July 19, German forces were reorganized with von Below shifting to First Army in the north and General Max von Gallwitz taking over Second Army in the south. In addition, von Gallwitz was made an army group commander with responsibility for the entire Somme front. On July 14, Rawlinsons Fourth Army launched an attack Bazentin Ridge, but as with other earlier assaults its success was limited and little ground was gained. In an effort to break the German defenses in the north, Haig committed elements of Lieutenant General Hubert Goughs Reserve Army. Striking at Pozià ¨res, Australian troops carried the village largely due to the careful planning of their commander, Major General Harold Walker, and held it against repeated counterattacks. Success there and at Mouquet Farm allowed Gough to threaten the German fortress at Thiepval. Over the next six weeks, the fighting continued along the front, with both sides feeding a grinding battle of attrition. Efforts in the Fall On September 15, the British mounted their final attempt to force a breakthrough when they opened the Battle of Flers-Courcelette with an attack by 11 divisions. The debut of the tank, the new weapon proved effective, but was plagued by reliability issues. As in the past, British forces were able to advance into the German defenses, but could not fully penetrate them and failed to reach their objectives. Subsequent small assaults at Thiepval, Gueudecourt, and LesbÅ“ufs achieved similar results. Entering the battle on a large scale, Goughs Reserve Army began a major offensive on September 26 and succeeded in taking Thiepval. Elsewhere on the front, Haig, believing a breakthrough was near, pushed forces towards Le Transloy and Le Sars with little effect. With winter approaching, Haig initiated the final phase of the Somme Offensive on November 13, with an attack along the Ancre River to the north of Thiepval. While assaults near Serre failed completely, attacks to the south succeeded in taking Beaumont Hamel and achieving their objectives. A final attack was made on the German defenses on November 18 which effectively ended the campaign. Aftermath The fighting at the Somme cost the British approximately 420,000 casualties, while the French incurred 200,000. German losses numbered around 500,000. During the campaign British and French forces advanced around 7 miles along the Somme front, with each inch costing around 1.4 casualties. While the campaign achieved its goal of relieving pressure on Verdun, it was not a victory in the classic sense. As the conflict increasingly became a war of attrition, the losses incurred at the Somme were more easily replaced by the British and French, than by the Germans. Also, the large-scale British commitment during the campaign aided in increasing their influence within the alliance. While the Battle of Verdun became the iconic moment of the conflict for the French, the Somme, particularly the first day, achieved a similar status in Britain and became a symbol of the futility of war.

Persuasive Speech About Global Warming Essay Example

Persuasive Speech About Global Warming Essay Example Persuasive Speech About Global Warming Paper Persuasive Speech About Global Warming Paper economic and small engines to reduce the emissions. Or even better, use a BIKE. Use electricity from renewable sources like wind , waves, rivers, solar energy etc.

How Art Influence the Exhibitions Musicals Drama Museums Essay

How Art Influence the Exhibitions Musicals Drama Museums - Essay Example Art has influenced architecture, music, exhibitions, museums, drama and a variety of other aspects of life. Therefore, this discussion seeks to establish the major influences that art have had on a variety of aspects in life, with a view to creating an appreciation of the relevance of art in life. Thus, the influence of art in exhibitions, musicals, drama, and museums form the subject of this discussion. The primary function of museums has been defined as that of collecting and preserving objects (Salamensky, 2012:72). Nevertheless, the truth remains that Museums are not simply involved in the mere collection of objects, but more specifically the collection and preservation of objects that might be of a relevant value to the society in terms of historical essence to the society, which needs to be passed over from one generation to the other (Duthie, 2013:n.p.). No wonder therefore that museums have been closely associated with archiving, since almost any of the objects that are collected and preserved in the museums has a certain relevant historical value, either at the time it is collected or in the future. Museums play the role of display of the relevant objects that have been collected and preserved for posterity. The Post-humanist Desire Exhibition on display graphic design has been applied to divide the exhibition into several themed sections, such as transformed human section, cloned human section, and the transgendered human section, thus graphic design has helped to present the divergent complex characteristics of human beings in the 21st century. The application of art in the Post-humanist Desire Exhibition on display is in the form art symbolism, where the welcoming message of the museum is made of a combination of the message â€Å"Welcome† with an addition of a gorgeous peacock to symbolize beauty (Culture Taiwan, 2013:n.p.). This combination of both textual and graphic art design is artistically interpreted to mean Beauty is everywhere a welcome guest† (Culture Taiwan, 2013:n.p.).

Analyzing the opinion piece (Chicago's Tolerance for Murder Annotated Assignment

Analyzing the opinion piece (Chicago's Tolerance for Murder Annotated by the Tribune's John McCormick) - Assignment Example The main goal of the writer is the urge to shake the law enforcing authorities, who have failed to provide security for Chicagoans. He wants the authorities to come up with effective solutions and he wants people of Chicago city to keep their nerves under control, as the aggressive attitude and the rage shown by the normal public, can only add to the already embarrassing scenario. The author very professionally has cultivated his thoughts and fears regarding the current scenario in Chicago city. He has focused on enlightening the reader about the growing homicidal crime rate in Chicago and the negative effects it has imposed on the general public. This article revolves around the critical issue of homicidal killings, the fearless roaming of criminals and gangsters; and the class issues prevailing in Chicago. He may get criticized for pointing fingers on law enforcing agencies and the government, who have proved to be incapable to control crimes rate, as no one wants to bring embarrassment home. Critical analysis can easily be made for any such article which involves the incapability of the authorities. But after reading this article, one would feel that not just the agencies but the public also is responsible for the current embarrassing scenario. Crimes and murders happen everywhere, but what is important is to keep one’s nerves under control and not let them become a part of it. It will convince an individual on how to abide by our own civil duties, in order to enjoy rightful liberties. Also, it throws light on the class and color issues still prevailing in Chicago city and inclines an individual to assess his/her individual attitude and behavior, for improving the overall social environment of Chicago and United

The madding crowd Essay Example for Free

The madding crowd Essay The sheep washing shows how Boldwood never gives up hope. Even later in the novel, when Bathsheba has turned him down several times, he asks for her hand in marriage on Christmas Day, so they can marry five years after the death of Troy, which would make it legal. He is positive that she will say that she will marry him and she, not wanting to hurt his feelings, feels obliged to agree. After the shooting however, it all comes out just how desperate he is. The murder is enough to show but he also has a ring, which he has had since the first time he asked her to marry him. Many presents are also found addressed to Bathsheba Boldwood and it is clear from them that Boldwood was a troubled man, slightly insane because of his love of Bathsheba. At the Corn Exchange, Boldwood, who was itching to ask Bathsheba if he would consider marrying him, discovers that he cannot ask her yet. She receives news that Troy has drowned and she is instantaneously gloomy. Boldwood knows straight away that now is not the right time. He does however realise now that he is free to ask her at any point, because Troy is gone. His face flushed with the suppressed excitement of an unutterable thought, which means that he is plotting to finally get the woman of his dreams. Troys entrance has an overwhelming effect on Boldwood at the engagement party. Hardy reminds the reader of Boldwoods prior loss of Bathsheba, when he describes Tory as being, the impersonator of heavens persistency towards him, who had once upon broken in upon bliss, scourged him and snatched his delight away. The usage of those strong, and rather violent words such as, broken, scourged, and snatched further highlights Boldwoods painful suffering and foreshadows the violent actions to come. Boldwood is shocked, as is everyone else, about the sudden reappearance of Troy. Everyone thought that he was dead, so no one can quite believe it. Troy then tries to get Bathsheba to come home with him. Bathsheba doesnt move and Troy tries to pull her up, which is when Boldwood loses it. In a flurry of movement, screaming a smoke, Boldwood shoots Troy, who falls on the floor dead. Everyone is greatly shocked. Hardy then describes how Boldwood crossed over to Bathsheba, kissed her hand and, put on his hat, opened the door, and went into the darkness, nobody thinking of preventing him. No one probably stops him because it is such a sudden shock. This shows how insane Boldwood has become. In this novel, Hardy details often on the pain of love, and demonstrates to everyone the fact that love is not simple, and is a complex rollercoaster of emotions and there is more often than not more than two people involved. The two men are very different, but similar in some ways. Both are, obviously, bowled over by Bathshebas beauty and they are both highly respected gentlemen. They both display their emotions in very different ways however. Sergeant Troy can keep his feelings well under wrap, not really letting on to many people how he truly feels. Boldwood however, cannot contain his emotions as well as Troy, so therefore, goes insane because of his love, or even lust, of Bathsheba, which appears much stronger than Troys, who really prefers Fanny. Bathsheba is more inclined to be with Troy because he is a young, dashing solider. She gives Boldwood the cold shoulder because he is an ageing, boring farmer, who cannot add the spice to life that she requires. By Michael J. Ritchie Michael Ritchie 1 Ms Farrell English Far From The Madding Crowd Coursework

The Mirrors :: English Literature Essays

The Mirrors It was a small, circular mirror. When Jake picked it up, he saw his crystal clear reflection, enhanced by the smooth, silver glass. He looked up out of the old boxes he was rummaging through to find the rest of his dimly lit garage. He could hear kids playing outside and he rubbed his hands together, trying to remedy the sting of the bitter, unrelenting cold. He picked up the mirror, and took it into his mansion of a house in a quiet, peaceful suburb. It was a Midwestern winter, and the days were short, bringing cold nights laced with the sounds of speeding cars flying down the highway. Jake heard the shrill call from his mother. "Jake, we're going to McDonald's. What do you want us to bring you back?" Jake thought about it a moment, and responded in his low, thick voice. "Im not hungry right now. Go ahead." "You really should eat!" she yelled back. He didn't respond. Instead, he went into his room, mirror in hand. Jake had long been obsessed with the paranormal, diving into books of ghosts, demons, angels, and reproductions of ancient cabalic documents. It was in these books that he learned of scrying, which is foretelling the future through the use of mirror glass. He remembered about the cool antique mirror graced with Celtic knotwork and a red runestone, and figured he would give the ancient art a shot. He opened up the book, looked at some procedures, and followed the instructions. He set out the fancy purple velour cloth on his desk and placed the circular mirror down upon it. He then eagerly looked into the book and slowly chanted the specified jargon in slow, broken Latin. With that, he blew out his candles, waiting as the book said, for the mirror's powers to unlock. Nothing happened. He got up from the chair in expectation that it wouldn't work, and proceeded to turn the lights on, when he was shocked by what he heard. It started off as a whisper barely audible, and as he listened in sheer terror it became louder and louder, till he could hear nothing else but the shrieking terror that plagued his ears. It reminded him of a dog growling as if it were intimidated, but this was much more low, and contained what could only be described as pure, clean, unadulterated evil.

Real Estate Data

68. Refer to the Real Estate data, which reports information on homes sold in the Phoenix, Arizona, area last year. a. Select the variable selling price. 1. Find the mean, median, and the standard deviation. 2. Write a brief summary of the distribution of selling prices. b. Select the variable referring to the area of the home in square feet. 1. Find the mean, median, and the standard deviation. 2. Write a brief summary of the distribution of the area of homes. Price| Bedrooms| Size| Pool| Distance| Twnship| Garage| Baths| 263. 1| 4| 2300| 1| 17| 5| 1| 2| 182. | 4| 2100| 0| 19| 4| 0| 2| 242. 1| 3| 2300| 0| 12| 3| 0| 2| 213. 6| 2| 2200| 0| 16| 2| 0| 2. 5| 139. 9| 2| 2100| 0| 28| 1| 0| 1. 5| 245. 4| 2| 2100| 1| 12| 1| 1| 2| 327. 2| 6| 2500| 0| 15| 3| 1| 2| 271. 8| 2| 2100| 0| 9| 2| 1| 2. 5| 221. 1| 3| 2300| 1| 18| 1| 0| 1. 5| 266. 6| 4| 2400| 0| 13| 4| 1| 2| 292. 4| 4| 2100| 0| 14| 3| 1| 2| 209| 2| 1700| 0| 8| 4| 1| 1. 5| 270. 8| 6| 2500| 0| 7| 4| 1| 2| 246. 1| 4| 2100| 0| 18| 3| 1| 2| 194. 4| 2| 2300| 0| 11| 3| 0| 2| 281. 3| 3| 2100| 0| 16| 2| 1| 2| 172. 7| 4| 2200| 1| 16| 3| 0| 2| 207. 5| 5| 2300| 1| 21| 4| 0| 2. 5| 198. | 3| 2200| 1| 10| 4| 1| 2| 209. 3| 6| 1900| 1| 15| 4| 1| 2| 252. 3| 4| 2600| 0| 8| 4| 1| 2| 192. 9| 4| 1900| 1| 14| 2| 1| 2. 5| 209. 3| 5| 2100| 0| 20| 5| 0| 1. 5| 345. 3| 8| 2600| 0| 9| 4| 1| 2| 326. 3| 6| 2100| 0| 11| 5| 1| 3| 173. 1| 2| 2200| 1| 21| 5| 1| 1. 5| 187| 2| 1900| 0| 26| 4| 0| 2| 257. 2| 2| 2100| 0| 9| 4| 1| 2| 233| 3| 2200| 0| 14| 3| 1| 1. 5| 180. 4| 2| 2000| 0| 11| 5| 0| 2| 234| 2| 1700| 0| 19| 3| 1| 2| 207. 1| 2| 2000| 0| 11| 5| 1| 2| 247. 7| 5| 2400| 0| 16| 2| 1| 2| 166. 2| 3| 2000| 1| 16| 2| 1| 2| 177. 1| 2| 1900| 0| 10| 5| 1| 2| 182. 7| 4| 2000| 1| 14| 4| 0| 2. | 216| 4| 2300| 0| 19| 2| 0| 2| 312. 1| 6| 2600| 0| 7| 5| 1| 2. 5| 199. 8| 3| 2100| 0| 19| 3| 1| 2| 273. 2| 5| 2200| 0| 16| 2| 1| 3| 206| 3| 2100| 1| 9| 3| 0| 1. 5| 232. 2| 3| 1900| 1| 16| 1| 1| 1. 5| 198. 3| 4| 2100| 1| 19| 1| 1| 1. 5| 205. 1| 3| 2000| 1| 20| 4| 0| 2 | 175. 6| 4| 2300| 1| 24| 4| 1| 2| 307. 8| 3| 2400| 1| 21| 2| 1| 3| 269. 2| 5| 2200| 0| 8| 5| 1| 3| 224. 8| 3| 2200| 0| 17| 1| 1| 2. 5| 171. 6| 3| 2000| 1| 16| 4| 0| 2| 216. 8| 3| 2200| 0| 15| 1| 1| 2| 192. 6| 6| 2200| 1| 14| 1| 0| 2| 236. 4| 5| 2200| 0| 20| 3| 1| 2| 172. 4| 3| 2200| 0| 23| 3| 0| 2| 251. | 3| 1900| 0| 12| 2| 1| 2| 246| 6| 2300| 0| 7| 3| 1| 3| 147. 4| 6| 1700| 1| 12| 1| 0| 2| 176| 4| 2200| 0| 15| 1| 1| 2| 228. 4| 3| 2300| 0| 17| 5| 1| 1. 5| 166. 5| 3| 1600| 1| 19| 3| 0| 2. 5| 189. 4| 4| 2200| 0| 24| 1| 1| 2| 312. 1| 7| 2400| 0| 13| 3| 1| 3| 289. 8| 6| 2000| 0| 21| 3| 1| 3| 269. 9| 5| 2200| 1| 11| 4| 1| 2. 5| 154. 3| 2| 2000| 0| 13| 2| 0| 2| 222. 1| 2| 2100| 0| 9| 5| 1| 2| 209. 7| 5| 2200| 1| 13| 2| 1| 2| 190. 9| 3| 2200| 1| 18| 3| 1| 2| 254. 3| 4| 2500| 1| 15| 3| 1| 2| 207. 5| 3| 2100| 1| 10| 2| 0| 2| 209. 7| 4| 2200| 1| 19| 2| 1| 2| 294| 2| 2100| 0| 13| 2| 1| 2. | 176. 3| 2| 2000| 1| 17| 3| 0| 2| 294. 3| 7| 2400| 0| 8| 4| 1| 2| 224| 3| 1900| 1| 6| 1| 1| 2| 125| 2| 1 900| 0| 18| 4| 0| 1. 5| 236. 8| 4| 2600| 1| 17| 5| 1| 2| 164. 1| 4| 2300| 0| 19| 4| 0| 2| 217. 8| 3| 2500| 0| 12| 3| 0| 2| 192. 2| 2| 2400| 0| 16| 2| 0| 2. 5| 125. 9| 2| 2400| 0| 28| 1| 0| 1. 5| 220. 9| 2| 2300| 1| 12| 1| 1| 2| 294. 5| 6| 2700| 0| 15| 3| 1| 2| 244. 6| 2| 2300| 0| 9| 2| 1| 2. 5| 199| 3| 2500| 1| 18| 1| 0| 1. 5| 240| 4| 2600| 0| 13| 4| 1| 2| 263. 2| 4| 2300| 0| 14| 3| 1| 2| 188. 1| 2| 1900| 0| 8| 4| 1| 1. 5| 243. 7| 6| 2700| 0| 7| 4| 1| 2| 21. 5| 4| 2300| 0| 18| 3| 1| 2| 175| 2| 2500| 0| 11| 3| 0| 2| 253. 2| 3| 2300| 0| 16| 2| 1| 2| 155. 4| 4| 2400| 1| 16| 3| 0| 2| 186. 7| 5| 2500| 1| 21| 4| 0| 2. 5| 179| 3| 2400| 1| 10| 4| 1| 2| 188. 3| 6| 2100| 1| 15| 4| 1| 2| 227. 1| 4| 2900| 0| 8| 4| 1| 2| 173. 6| 4| 2100| 1| 14| 2| 1| 2. 5| 188. 3| 5| 2300| 0| 20| 5| 0| 1. 5| 310. 8| 8| 2900| 0| 9| 4| 1| 2| 293. 7| 6| 2400| 0| 11| 5| 1| 3| 179| 3| 2400| 0| 8| 4| 1| 2| 188. 3| 6| 2100| 1| 14| 2| 1| 2. 5| 227. 1| 4| 2900| 0| 20| 5| 0| 1. 5| 173. 6| 4| 2100| 0| 9| 4| 1| 2| 188. 3| 5 | 2300| 0| 11| 5| 1| 3|