The Somme: Allied Cooperation and Failure

The Somme offensive, launched July 1, 1916, demonstrated both the potential and limitations of Allied cooperation. Originally conceived as a Franco-British operation, Verdun reduced French participation to supporting role. Still, French forces south of the river achieved more than their British allies, advancing several miles against German positions.

French tactical innovations showed lessons learned from earlier failures. Artillery preparation, though massive, targeted specific objectives rather than area bombardment. Infantry advanced in small groups, not waves. Colonial troops again led attacks—the 2nd Colonial Corps, including Senegalese and Somali units, captured Flaucourt plateau in brilliant operation.

Yet the Somme revealed persistent problems. Coordination between French and British forces remained poor. Artillery ammunition, despite increased production, proved insufficient and often defective. Medical services, though improved, still struggled with casualty volumes. Most critically, tactical success failed to produce strategic breakthrough. The war of movement, desperately sought, remained elusive.

Private Jean Bernier wrote: "We took their trenches, their second line, even their third. Then what? More trenches, more wire, more machine guns. We advanced three kilometers and lost 30,000 men. At this rate, Berlin is a thousand years away."