The Second Battle of Somme took place on March 21, 1918, and was the first major deployment of American Soldiers during World War I.
Read on to learn more about this battle, the countries involved and the lives that were lost.
The Battle Begins
At the time of the Second Battle of Somme, German forces were attempting to conquer the Western Front — a critical area of land throughout the First World War — before the Americans arrived to offer the Allies much-needed reinforcements.
This battle began on March 21, 1918, when the Germans attacked British armies at France’s Somme River region with artillery that fired more than 1,000,000 shells in a five-hour time span. The British weren’t prepared for an attack of this size and were forced to retreat. Germany then continued their offenses and headed towards Paris, France.
By April 2, 1918, thousands of American troops were deployed to Paris and helped the French and British fight off Germany from advancing any further. Just two days after the Americans entered the Second Battle of Somme, the Germans ran out of resources and were forced to end their offenses.
Last Words
This battle was very significant in World War I and makes you wonder how different the world would look today — if Americans weren’t able to defend the Allies. Despite the lack of victory for the Germans, they managed to take the lives of about 200,000 Allied Soldiers during this battle — lives that will we forever honor for their service, courage, and passion for freedom.
