The Second Battle of the Somme (1918) formed the central part of the Allied advance that culminated in the Armistice of 11 November 1918.
Key Facts
- Conflict
- First World War, Western Front
- Date range
- Late August to early September 1918
- Geographic feature
- Basin of the River Somme
- Context
- Allied counter-offensive to the German Spring Offensive
- Outcome significance
- Central part of Allied advance to the Armistice
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The German Spring Offensive of 1918 had advanced into Allied territory along the Somme basin. After the first 1918 Battle of the Somme halted the German advance, the Allies paused for redeployment and resupply before launching a coordinated counter-offensive to retake lost ground and press toward final victory.
The Second Battle of the Somme was fought on the Western Front from late August to early September 1918, in the basin of the River Somme. It was one of a series of successful Allied counter-offensives designed to exploit the failure of the German Spring Offensive and push German forces back along the front.
The battle formed the central element of the Allied advance that drove German forces toward armistice. Its success, as part of the broader Hundred Days Offensive, contributed directly to the conditions that led to the Armistice of 11 November 1918, ending the First World War on the Western Front.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent