The French high command chose the Somme as the chief battlefield for
1916. It was relatively flat country, untouched by the large-scale fighting of
the previous two campaigning years. Resting at the point where the French
and British forces linked, this sector of the front was the logical location for
a joint operation. Even with the demands at Verdun, the French were still
able to offer a measure of cooperation.
Haig and his commander on the scene. General Herbert Rawlinson,
developed a plan based on the customary combination of an artillery barrage
and a mass infantry assault. In the previous year, the weight of the gunfire
had been insufficient. This time, there would be enough guns, enough shells,
and a long bombardment. The enemy's barbed wire was to be cut, and his
troops killed or driven from their positions.
World History
