Battle of the Somme begins in France 100 years ago this hour #OTD (July 1 1916)


Video: 'Popular Videos - Battle of the Somme' (200 videos)

(Saturday, July 1, 1916, 7:30 a.m. CEST; during the Battle of the Somme, part of the Western Front of World War I) — The Battle of the Somme, a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British and French empires against the German Empire, began today on both sides of upper reaches of the River Somme in France.

It was the largest battle of World War I on the Western Front; more than one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history.


Video: 'The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century (4of7): Slaughter' (Battle of the Somme at 18:12)


Video: 'World War I: Battle of the Somme' (July 1, 1916, at 0:52; 4 videos)