The First Day of The Somme
Dan Snow's History Hit2 Juli 2023

The First Day of The Somme

Dan Explains the first day of The Somme which remains the bloodiest day in the history of the British army; a symbol of the senseless carnage of the First World War. At 7:30 a.m. on July 1 1916, the British soldiers climbed out of their trenches and advanced towards the German lines. They were met with a bombardment of machine gun fire, artillery barrages, and a hail of bullets from the well-entrenched German troops. It was a bloodbath.


It wasn't supposed to happen like that- beforehand, the British had spent several days bombarding the German lines, believing they would destroy their enemy trenches and barbed wire defences, making the British advance straightforward and almost painless. They didn't know just how well-fortified the Germans were in their deep dugouts. When the bombardment stopped, the Germans manned their defences, waiting for the British to walk right into their line of fire.


In chilling detail, Dan retells the astonishing story of that fateful first day of The Somme- determining what really happened in the days leading up to it and what the men endured when they went 'over the top', using the diaries of the men who were there.


Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited and sound designed by Dougal Patmore.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.


We'd love to hear from you- what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(1488)

Fascism in America

Fascism in America

The rise of fascism in America in the 1920s & 30s looked just like the rise of fascism in Germany at the same time- scapegoating, the dissemination of false information, the attempted erosion of democ...

6 Dec 202432min

Roman Saturnalia

Roman Saturnalia

Episode 1 in our 'Origins of Christmas' series. This Roman winter festival laid the foundations for many of our Christmas customs today- feasting, gift-giving and revelry. During Saturnalia, Emperors ...

4 Dec 202422min

Churchill & FDR: The Origins of the 'Special Relationship'

Churchill & FDR: The Origins of the 'Special Relationship'

Today we explore one of history's most consequential relationships - that of Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, a pivotal alliance that shaped the world we live in today.Alongside Lindsay Gr...

2 Dec 202450min

The Greeks vs Persia: The War that Changed the Ancient World

The Greeks vs Persia: The War that Changed the Ancient World

In the 5th century BC, the ancient world's pre-eminent superpower turned its gaze towards the turbulent fringes of its empire. Under the illustrious Persian conquerors Darius and Xerxes the Great, the...

29 Nov 20241h 4min

Oswald Mosley & Fascism in Britain

Oswald Mosley & Fascism in Britain

This is the story of British fascism seen through the life of its leader, Oswald Mosley. We explore his charismatic yet deeply flawed personality, his relationship with European fascists, and the even...

27 Nov 202455min

Ian Fleming's Commandos

Ian Fleming's Commandos

Amid the chilling tension of the Cold War, Ian Fleming captured readers with his character James Bond, whose missions were based on his experiences with the elite and secretive 30 Assault Unit in WWI...

25 Nov 202436min

A History of Escaping from Alcatraz Prison

A History of Escaping from Alcatraz Prison

Alcatraz was the jewel in the crown of America's prison system. The wind-swept island fortress was the final stop for the nation's most dangerous criminals, including the notorious gangsters Al Capone...

22 Nov 202436min

The True Story of London's Blitz

The True Story of London's Blitz

Dan explores stories of London's Blitz, beyond the stiff-upper-lip stereotypes Dan discovers an unexpected world of crime, sexual revolution and desperation. He is joined by Joshua Levine, historical ...

19 Nov 202442min

Populärt inom Historia

motiv
massmordarpodden
historiska-brott
p3-historia
historiepodden-se
olosta-mord
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
rss-brottsligt
rss-massmordarpodden
rss-seriemordarpodden
konspirationsteorier
krigshistoriepodden
podme-bio-4
nu-blir-det-historia
rss-historien-om
vetenskapsradion-historia
militarhistoriepodden
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
rss-borgvattnets-hemligheter
rss-arkiv-stieg