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100 years ago today - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British history

Beaudreaux

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Over 58,000 casualties, 19,240 died, on the first day alone, 100 years ago, this day (July 1st, 1916) in the Battle of the Somme, in France, WWI - the bombardment by British artillery was so loud and continuous, that it could be heard in London, over 200 miles away:





Documentary - over an hour long, but worth the time:

 
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Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

I read about that battle... I don't know what is more horrifying: the number of lives lost, or the paltry gains made.

And I also have a documentary worth watching.

 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

and the result of this war to end all wars was WWII.

I wonder when humans will begin to learn from history?
 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

I read about that battle... I don't know what is more horrifying: the number of lives lost, or the paltry gains made.

That is pretty much the entire war, not just the Somme. If you think the Somme was a pointless loss of life just read about the Austro-Hungarians, they sent many more to die truly horrible deaths.
 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

and the result of this war to end all wars was WWII.

I wonder when humans will begin to learn from history?

Hard to say when armies during the First World War made the same mistake: asinine frontal aussaults that ended in bloodbaths.
 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

Hard to say when armies during the First World War made the same mistake: asinine frontal aussaults that ended in bloodbaths.

Ever stop to think that wars are run by governments?

What can governments run well?
 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

Ever stop to think that wars are run by governments?

What can governments run well?

Hey I may be cynical but I would not go that far in my cynicism.

Many of the army generals were stuck in the old ways. Heck there were generals during World War One who were still pining for the decisive breakthrough in the trench war so that they could finally deploy their Calvery.
 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

Whole generation of men lost in the Mud. Lest we forget
 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

Hey I may be cynical but I would not go that far in my cynicism.

Many of the army generals were stuck in the old ways. Heck there were generals during World War One who were still pining for the decisive breakthrough in the trench war so that they could finally deploy their Calvery.

Well cavalry did see some success on the Eastern Front, the Russians actually used it to great effect to outmaneuver Austro-Hungarian forces. If the Germans did not enter the war Austria-Hungary would have fallen in 1914 since their army was a complete disaster and led by incompetent egomaniacs stuck in their ways.
 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

The most heartrending ending to a comedy series ever.

 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

The most heartrending ending to a comedy series ever.



Having watched every episode of the series (1-4), I was totally unprepared for that ending. I expected something funny...and here they did an absolutely serious, brilliant and haunting ending.
 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

A war which has many lessons to teach, and not nearly covered enough in HS classes. I tutor history on the side, its amazing how little HS students know about WW1, other than Americas entry there is little knowledge.
 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

WW1 was, IMO, an inevitability. It was a transition period between 19th Century tactics and 20th Century firepower and the tactics, movement techniques, movement formations hadn't kept up with the firepower. The generalship of the period never developed doctrine to deal with the levels of firepower, because no one had ever experienced thos levels of firepower before.
 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

and the result of this war to end all wars was WWII.

I wonder when humans will begin to learn from history?

I think we did. Wars have gotten progressively smaller. Localized. Direct. At least for Europeans and Americans. The size and scope of these wars is Unfathomable now. Even Vietnam was small compared to these wars.


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Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

A war which has many lessons to teach, and not nearly covered enough in HS classes. I tutor history on the side, its amazing how little HS students know about WW1, other than Americas entry there is little knowledge.

One of the theories we discussed in college (majored in history and learned about the build to the war primarily), was that the United States entry into the war could potentially have caused a ripple effect that made the Second World War happen. We certainly prolonged the First World War by our entry. We gave the allies the ability to fight back against the land gains by the Germans.


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Re: 100 years ago today - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British his

If anyone is interested in reading books about the German side, I highly recommend Ernst Junger's Storm of Steel.


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Re: 100 years ago today - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British his

If anyone is interested in reading books about the German side, I highly recommend Ernst Junger's Storm of Steel.


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If you want an extensive podcast, I recommend Dan Carlin's Hardcore History series on WWI.

It's a long one- about 15 hours, I think. But really good.
 
Re: 100 years ago today - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British his

If you want an extensive podcast, I recommend Dan Carlin's Hardcore History series on WWI.

It's a long one- about 15 hours, I think. But really good.

I love Dan Carlin. I listened to his stuff on the Mongols. Right now I'm on a new podcast about Rome. But it sounds like I got a new one for the list ;)


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Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

I think we did. Wars have gotten progressively smaller. Localized. Direct. At least for Europeans and Americans. The size and scope of these wars is Unfathomable now. Even Vietnam was small compared to these wars.


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That, and rational people at least realize that a major war between powerful nations would lead to nukes and set civilization back a thousand years. All out war is not worth it.

But, the, we have the nations where the non rational people are in charge, like North Korea or even Pakistan. It's scary to think what could happen.
 
That, and rational people at least realize that a major war between powerful nations would lead to nukes and set civilization back a thousand years. All out war is not worth it.

But, the, we have the nations where the non rational people are in charge, like North Korea or even Pakistan. It's scary to think what could happen.

Or United States January 20th, 2017. We will either have the Joker or an angry Oompa Loompa


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Re: 100 years ago today - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British his

I love Dan Carlin. I listened to his stuff on the Mongols. Right now I'm on a new podcast about Rome. But it sounds like I got a new one for the list ;)


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You might like this link.

The Great War Blog | Those who forget history are condemned to let others repeat it for them.

They update it regularly, and follow exactly what was happening 100 years ago in the war. I've been following it for a couple years, and it has a couple years to go!

Its a good perspective on just how long and awful this war really was, when you follow it in real time.
 
Re: 100 years ago today - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British his

You might like this link.

The Great War Blog | Those who forget history are condemned to let others repeat it for them.

They update it regularly, and follow exactly what was happening 100 years ago in the war. I've been following it for a couple years, and it has a couple years to go!

Its a good perspective on just how long and awful this war really was, when you follow it in real time.

I will check it out.


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Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

and the result of this war to end all wars was WWII.

I wonder when humans will begin to learn from history?

The answer, of course, is NEVER! LEARNING CURVES ARE FOR ******S!
 
Re: 100 years ago tady - 7/1/1916 - began the bloodiest day of battle in British hist

The answer, of course, is NEVER! LEARNING CURVES ARE FOR ******S!

Lmao! Gonna have to remember that one.


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