On July 1st, 1916 one of the bloodiest and costliest battles in recorded history began when the British and French lead an offensive against the Germans along the River Somme in France. It was the largest battle of WWI on the western front. More than 1 million were killed or wounded.
When I was younger I wondered “How did humanity allow this type of conflict to occur and then perpetuate?” but now I ask, “How have we gone so long without repeating these horrors?”
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http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/mister2wrx/somme_zpsgxzajbmv.jpg
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“British and French lead an offensive”
Should read ‘led an offensive’. Autocorrect got you, I guess.
Ed,
yes, you are correct, my mistake. too eager to get the post up.
it probably should have said “led an offensive into a wall of flying lead”
They got bogged down in trench warfare developed first during the civil war as confederates try to defended Richmond , VA.Long periods of stalemate with lots of killing in between down times. I read a report by a German machine gunner who stopped firing his weapon during one daycharge at the Battle of Somme.He said it wasn’t war but slaughter. Over 100,000 British soldiers killed and wounded afterwards.
bb,
I recently listened to a discussion/review of a book by Bob Hoffman (founder of York Barbell) and his book about his time in WW1 called “I Remember The Last War.”
Utterly maddening tactics to say the least.
..And some people wonder why other people are livid that the barbarians are being given the red carpet treatment.
Don’t worry Pops, we’ll turn the tide. Promise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K1PCk5GD7o
Ass Carter just announced that trannies can openly serve in our military. Russians must be shooting vodka out their noses. I’m thinking of joining as a tranny. Easier basic training. Plus, I’ll get great benefits when I “feel” pregnant.
The Disaster of World War I
By David Boaz
On this day 100 years ago, the Battle of the Somme began. Over the course of five months it would see a million men killed or wounded. The British suffered almost 60,000 casualties on July 1 alone, making it the worst day in British military history.
Cato senior fellow and historian Jim Powell wrote about the blunders and consequences of World War I in his book Wilson’s War: How Woodrow Wilson’s Great Blunder Led to Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, and World War II. He summarized his argument in Cato Policy Report two years ago:
World War I was probably history’s worst catastrophe, and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was substantially responsible for unintended consequences of the war that played out in Germany and Russia, contributing to the rise of totalitarian regimes and another world war.
Indeed World War I was a catastrophe, a foolish and unnecessary war, a war of European potentates that both England and the United States could have stayed out of but that became indeed a World War, the Great War. In our own country the war gave us economic planning, conscription, nationalization of the railroads, a sedition act, confiscatory income tax rates, and prohibition. Internationally World War I and its conclusion led directly to the Bolshevik revolution, the rise of National Socialism, World War II, and the Cold War.
On this weekend as we celebrate American independence we should mourn those who went to war, and we should resolve not to risk American lives in the future except when our vital national interests are at stake.
Kill one guy with a gun and you get life in prison, kill 1 million and you get a Nobel Peace Prize and a key to the .001% executive washroom. One hundred years later………….same shit different century.
That battle at that time was a form of siege warfare, and siege warfare is almost always won by the side with the greater resources. Eventually one side or the other runs out of both supplies and the will to continue fighting and surrenders (or marches home undefeated but also broke and unvictorious).
It may be easier to win a siege today with the victory going to the side that drops a nuke on the other first.
We may get to find out in the near future.
Today, a radio broadcast explained that a province of Canada, Newfoundland, remembers this day. A group of Newfoundlanders, as I remember from the details, about 800, entered the battle. The next day, about 80, answered roll call.
In my mind, sent to certain death by stupid officials who must have known nothing about the predictable consequences.
Like Einstein is quoted to have said that “human stupidity is infinite.”
“President Barack Obama on Friday will disclose the number of civilians killed in U.S. military and CIA drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Africa since he took office and will issue an executive order that makes protecting civilians a more integral part of planning U.S. military operations, the White House said.
The executive order will ensure that the counterterrorism strategy Obama has put in place continues to be transparent and durable in the future, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.”
The catch here is the big 0 will only include (maybe) what they deem as illegal drone strikes in countries where they have not declared war.
We must be reminded that everything hitler did, was also deemed legal.
WWI was the European White Race’s suicide pill. WWI Part II was the finishing touch.
I lived in France and Germany in the 60’s as a teenager. My father brought me to the sites of the great battles and the military cemeteries. He made a point to show me the ages etched on the crosses of the young men who died. They were mostly 17-21 year olds, and the vast majority most likely died childless.
HarryP axed:
“When I was younger I wondered “How did humanity allow this type of conflict to occur and then perpetuate?” but now I ask, “How have we gone so long without repeating these horrors?”
I think it’s because they want a bigger, better conflagration this time around. The longer they put it off the more intense it will be.