Why did the battle of Somme take place and how succesful was it?
The battle took place because the French were taking a hammering at Verdun and pleaded with the British to launch an offensive further North to divert German resources. Whether it was successful or not depends on your viewpoint. The British lost 60,000 casualties on the first day, almost half of which were killed. The battle raged on for several months, with casualties mounting and no great tactical advantage. However, it did give the French some respite and you could argue that since Germany ultimately lost the war of attrition the battle of the Somme must have played its part. You could also ask whether there was an alternative that could have achieved the same results without such high losses.
