The Permanent Stain of the Somme

Since the early 1960s, historians have shone a more positive light on the Battle of the Somme. But we must not forget the excesses and failures of that terrible campaign.  

The Battle of the Somme, by Sir David Muirhead Bone, 1916. Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery. Public Domain.

In his 1918 poem ‘Futility’, Wilfred Owen plays with the theme of Nature’s restorative power. ‘Move him into the sun’, begins the speaker. But the effort is futile because the soldier is already dead. Owen has created a metaphor for the conflict as a whole.

The ‘futility narrative’ is an enduring one, despite the efforts of a number of revisionist historians, starting with John Terraine. And to no battle is ‘futility’ more attached than the Somme.

To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.

Start my trial subscription now

If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.

Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.