Thiepval: Cause For Weeping But Not For Too Many Recriminations.

For almost a century, there have been wicked attacks on the British military hierarchy because of the tragedy that was the opening day of the Somme Campaign which saw this nation suffer 57,000 casualties of whom one third tragically perished. It was horrendous; vile; horrific butchery but did not justify 'the blame game' which followed - principally from 'the usual suspects' of the left.
Let us try to get a perspective:
1) Britain did not opt for this battle - it was essential to prevent a diversion from Verdun where the French forces were on the point of collapse after losing hundreds of thousands in the war of attrition. It worked.
2) The battle weakened the German war machine to such an extent that the battle was the beginning of the end for them. It worked.
3) It may have taken until September of 1916 but all objectives were eventually achieved. It worked.
4) The picture painted of hapless tommies being forced to charge machine guns is accurate but disingenuous. Three million shells onto the German lines were assumed to have pulverised all opposition. It is almost beyond credibility that they had not. The assumption was a reasonable one.
5) Oh - and my grandfather who was actually there, apparently never criticised the Generals or portrayed them as heartless buffoons. I do not know if he was one of the estimated half a million, mainly ex-soldiers, (Some sources claim a mere 100,000) to attend Haig's funeral.
The warmongering Kaiser had to be beaten. Any other views are historically untenable.