From Verdun to the Somme: How 1916 shaped the course of World War One

The Battle of Verdun was one of the most important battles of 1916. It began on February 21st and lasted for ten months, until the 18th of December.

It was fought between the French and German armies over the fortified French town of Verdun. 

Verdun had been fiercely defended by the French armies during 1914 and 1915, and it became a symbol of the nation's pride.

The Germans knew that the French would defend it with all their strength. So, the German Chief of Staff, General von Falkenhayn, decided to launch a prolonged attack on the town that would force the French to throw all their resources into defending it.

By doing this, Falkenhayn hoped to exhaust the French armies, or, as he said, to "bleed the French army white". 

The Germans launched the attack and they aimed to capture the city of Verdun. However, the French were able to hold their ground and they eventually pushed the Germans back.

The Battle of Verdun was a very important battle because it was one of the longest battles of World War One, and it was also one of the bloodiest.

Over 700,000 men (300,000 German and over 400,000 French) were killed or wounded in the battle.

The Battle of the Somme was another significant battle that took place in 1916. The British army wanted to relieve pressure from the French army, who were fighting at Verdun.

Before the attack at the Somme, the British army had bombarded the German trenches using artillery for over a week.

The Battle of the Somme began on July first, when the British army launched a massive infantry attack on the German trenches along the Somme River.

The British army suffered heavy casualties on the first day of the battle. In fact, it was the bloodiest day in British military history.

The first day of the Battle of the Somme saw the British suffer approximately 57,000 casualties, of which around 19,240 were killed.

The Battle of the Somme would last until November 18th, and it would be one of the deadliest battles in human history.

Over a million men were killed or wounded in the battle. During this time, tanks were used for the first time in battle. 

Despite the huge death toll, some gains made by the British army. However, by the end of 1916, the battle was not a clear victory for either side.

The Battle of the Somme was significant because the British army learned from their mistakes, and they began to use new tactics and technology.

The Battle of Pozieres was fought between the British and German armies from 23 July to 7 August 1916.

The French village of Pozieres was considered to be a valuable strategic location and the Allied armies wanted to seize control of it.

The Australians were ordered to capture the village of Pozieres from the Germans, which they did on the 23rd of July.

However, the Germans decided to bombard the village with artillery. The Australians suffered heavy casualties.

Over 23,000 Australians were killed, wounded or went missing in the battle. 

On the 7th of August, the Germans believed that they could take back the village and ordered a counterattack.

The remaining Australian forces managed to fight them off and the Germans never again sought to capture the village.

The Battle of Pozieres was over, but it was a costly victory for the Australian troops.

The Battle of Fromelles was another significant battle that took place between the 19th and 20th of July 1916.

The Battle of Fromelles was fought in order to capture the German-held village of Fromelles.

However, the attack was not successful, and the Allies suffered heavy casualties. 

The purpose of the attack was act as a 'feint (fake) attack' to keep German reserve forces from moving south to engage in the Battle of the Somme.

Australian troops were fighting alongside British troops in this battle.

However, the fake attack was a disaster and there were over 5,500 Australians casualties.

Almost 2,000 of them were killed and around 400 were captured by the Germans. Despite the failure, this battle is significant because Fromelles was one of the first major battles on the Western Front involving Australian troops.

The grinding attrition of the battles on the western front during 1916 showed that trench warfare, while costly in lives, was not going to be the means by which the war would be decided.

The Somme and Verdun had been intended as offensives to break through enemy lines, but both turned into bloody battles of attrition.

 New technologies such as tanks and airplanes were used for the first time in battle, but they did not yet have a significant impact on the outcome of them.

The year 1916 was a turning point in World War One because it showed that neither side could win by simply fighting defensively from trenches.

Both sides would need to find new ways to attack and defend if they wanted to win the war.