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History Quiz - World War One: 1914-18 - Battles Of 1916 On The Western Front - 2 (Questions)

Explore the later stages of the 1916 Western Front battles, as the Somme offensive dragged on, tactics evolved and soldiers faced months of exhausting, deadly trench warfare.

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Fascinating Fact:

The Somme fighting dragged on into the autumn of 1916. Both sides gained and lost small areas of ground, but there was no decisive breakthrough.

In GCSE History, the later battles of 1916 on the Western Front show how commanders persisted with large offensives, hoping that steady pressure, artillery and new ideas would finally break German resistance.

Key Terms

  • Western Front: The main line of trenches and defences running from the North Sea to Switzerland, where most British and French forces faced the German army.
  • Trench warfare: A style of fighting in which armies dig long defensive ditches, protecting soldiers from fire but making major advances slow and very costly.
  • Offensive: A planned large-scale attack in which one side tries to push the enemy back, capture ground and force a change in the overall position at the front.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What happened on the Somme after the first day in 1916?

After the first day, the Somme turned into months of grinding attacks and counter-attacks, with small gains of ground, heavy casualties and no single moment of clear Allied victory.

Why do historians call the Somme a war of attrition?

Historians use the term war of attrition because the Somme was mainly about wearing down German manpower and resources, rather than expecting a quick breakthrough of the front line.

How do the 1916 battles help us understand World War One tactics?

They show the limits of mass infantry attacks, the growing use of artillery and new weapons, and the difficulty of breaking trench systems that were carefully planned and strongly defended.

Try These Related Quizzes

1. The first day of the Battle of the Somme was called "the worst day in the history of the British Army", when nearly 20,000 British soldiers were killed and almost 40,000 wounded, captured or missing. What was the precise date of this day?
[ ] 1 July 1916
[ ] 22 June 1916
[ ] 17 July 1916
[ ] 1 August 1916
2. In anticipation of a huge attack, the British government introduced a new form of recruitment as the response from volunteers was becoming smaller and smaller. What name was given to this new system, long employed on the continent?
[ ] Conscription
[ ] Enlistment
[ ] The Press Gang
[ ] Joining up
3. Many young men who signed up for the army preferred to serve in the same units as their work mates, school friends and neighbours. Thus, casualty lists often included siblings and neighbours from the same town and factory. What name was given to such formations?
[ ] Mates units
[ ] Pals battalions
[ ] Chums platoons
[ ] Friends for life
4. The Ulster Memorial on the Somme commemorates what sort of British troops who fell in the battle between July and November 1916?
[ ] Roman Catholics from the North East of Ireland
[ ] Protestants from the North East of Ireland
[ ] Catholics and Protestants from the North East of Ireland
[ ] Troops recruited from all over Ireland
5. Lloyd George, newly appointed Defence Minister after the death of Lord Kitchener, had his doubts about the wisdom of the Somme offensive. Much of the blame for failure was put on the prime minister who authorised the attack. Who was this?
[ ] Herbert Asquith
[ ] George Curzon
[ ] Arthur Balfour
[ ] Edward Grey
6. In September 1916 a new weapon was employed for the first time at the battle of Flers-Courcelette. Which weapon was this?
[ ] Flame-throwers
[ ] Anti-personnel mines
[ ] Trench mortars
[ ] Tanks
7. At the end of 1916 - after the end of the Battle of the Somme - German forces withdrew to a pre-prepared defensive line where they expected to receive the next British attack. What name was given to this line?
[ ] The Hohenzollern Line
[ ] The Ludendorff Line
[ ] The Mackensen Line
[ ] The Hindenburg Line
8. The British memorial on the Somme is especially significant. How does it compare with other British war memorials?
[ ] It is the largest British war memorial in France
[ ] It is the largest British war memorial anywhere from the Great War
[ ] It is the largest British war memorial in the world
[ ] It is the only British war memorial that records the names of all British troops who died in the Battle of the Somme
9. Which famous British architect designed the Somme memorial to British dead?
[ ] Lutyens
[ ] Rogers
[ ] Stirling
[ ] Seifert
10. Where exactly is this British memorial?
[ ] Albert
[ ] Bapaume
[ ] Peronne
[ ] Thiepval
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History Quiz - World War One: 1914-18 - Battles Of 1916 On The Western Front - 2 (Answers)
1. The first day of the Battle of the Somme was called "the worst day in the history of the British Army", when nearly 20,000 British soldiers were killed and almost 40,000 wounded, captured or missing. What was the precise date of this day?
[x] 1 July 1916
[ ] 22 June 1916
[ ] 17 July 1916
[ ] 1 August 1916
This infantry attack came after a week long British artillery bombardment, which was supposed to destroy German barbed wire, machine guns and trench systems
2. In anticipation of a huge attack, the British government introduced a new form of recruitment as the response from volunteers was becoming smaller and smaller. What name was given to this new system, long employed on the continent?
[x] Conscription
[ ] Enlistment
[ ] The Press Gang
[ ] Joining up
All major European powers employed a form of national service, depending on age and family circumstances
3. Many young men who signed up for the army preferred to serve in the same units as their work mates, school friends and neighbours. Thus, casualty lists often included siblings and neighbours from the same town and factory. What name was given to such formations?
[ ] Mates units
[x] Pals battalions
[ ] Chums platoons
[ ] Friends for life
These groups usually came from the North and the Midlands
4. The Ulster Memorial on the Somme commemorates what sort of British troops who fell in the battle between July and November 1916?
[ ] Roman Catholics from the North East of Ireland
[x] Protestants from the North East of Ireland
[ ] Catholics and Protestants from the North East of Ireland
[ ] Troops recruited from all over Ireland
Men from all over Ireland answered the call in the autumn of 1914, but a small minority refused to join up - hoping for a German victory
5. Lloyd George, newly appointed Defence Minister after the death of Lord Kitchener, had his doubts about the wisdom of the Somme offensive. Much of the blame for failure was put on the prime minister who authorised the attack. Who was this?
[x] Herbert Asquith
[ ] George Curzon
[ ] Arthur Balfour
[ ] Edward Grey
The prime minister resigned in December 1916, having led the Liberal Party since 1908, and Lloyd George seized his chance
6. In September 1916 a new weapon was employed for the first time at the battle of Flers-Courcelette. Which weapon was this?
[ ] Flame-throwers
[ ] Anti-personnel mines
[ ] Trench mortars
[x] Tanks
The introduction of any weapon could help to tip the balance in the campaign. However, a long period of training and adjustment was usually necessary
7. At the end of 1916 - after the end of the Battle of the Somme - German forces withdrew to a pre-prepared defensive line where they expected to receive the next British attack. What name was given to this line?
[ ] The Hohenzollern Line
[ ] The Ludendorff Line
[ ] The Mackensen Line
[x] The Hindenburg Line
German trenches were extremely well built , and hence hard to destroy by artillery or aerial bombardment
8. The British memorial on the Somme is especially significant. How does it compare with other British war memorials?
[ ] It is the largest British war memorial in France
[ ] It is the largest British war memorial anywhere from the Great War
[x] It is the largest British war memorial in the world
[ ] It is the only British war memorial that records the names of all British troops who died in the Battle of the Somme
Names appear on the stonework according to military unit, and rank
9. Which famous British architect designed the Somme memorial to British dead?
[x] Lutyens
[ ] Rogers
[ ] Stirling
[ ] Seifert
Several British architects, sculptors and painters made their names by designing appropriate memorials to chronicle the British sacrifice in the war
10. Where exactly is this British memorial?
[ ] Albert
[ ] Bapaume
[ ] Peronne
[x] Thiepval
A site was selected that would enable the monument to be seen from a great distance in all directions
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