The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of World War I.

It was a major offensive launched by the British and French armies against the Germans on the Western Front.

The primary goals were to relieve the pressure on the French army at the Battle of Verdun and to achieve a decisive breakthrough.

The attack was preceded by a week-long artillery bombardment that was intended to destroy the German defenses but largely failed.

The first day of the offensive, July 1, 1916, was the single bloodiest day in the history of the British Army, which suffered nearly 60,000 casualties.

The battle then bogged down into a brutal war of attrition that lasted for over four months.

The attacking forces gained very little ground for the immense number of casualties suffered.

The Battle of the Somme saw the first-ever use of tanks in warfare, though they were not yet effective.

Total casualties on all sides were over one million.

The battle has become a powerful symbol of the futility and slaughter of trench warfare.