July 2, 1916: After 19,240 Dead in One Day, the British Army Gets Orders to Advance Again

 Poster, ’Your King & Country Need You’, 1914, United Kingdom, by Lawson Wood (1878-1957), Dobson, Molle and Co. Ltd., Parliamentary Recruiting Committee. Found in collection, 2011. Te Papa (GH017345). Wood was decorated by the French for his gallantry at Vimy Ridge  in 1917. ( source)

1916 (Jul. 1)  "The worst day in the history of the British Army."

First day of the 13-day Battle of Albert (opening phase of the 4-1/2 month Battle of the Somme)

Allied attack by French and British Empire troops, downstream from the bend of the River Somme near Peronne in northern France.

French Sixth Army smashes the German Second Army, which was forced out of its first position.

British Empire troops (including men from Newfoundland, South Africa, and Bermuda) suffer 57,470 total casualties in one day "mainly on the front between the Albert–Bapaume road and Gommecourt, where the attack was defeated and few British troops reached the German front line."

The French suffer seven thousand casualties on first day. German casualties at eight thousand, including over four thousand taken prisoner in the first-day allied advance.

Allied first-day offensive was initiated by the detonation of 19 mines that tunnelling companies of the British Royal Engineers had dug under the entrenched German positions.  The joint explosion of the mines on the first day was reportedly heard in London and ranks among the largest non-nuclear explosions of all time (to be surpassed in June 1917 by the mines in the Battle of Messines).

The Battle of the Somme lasts until Nov. 18, resulting in total casualties on both sides of approximately 1.3 million. By the end, the Allies advance approximately six miles into German held territor,y having taken more ground than in any of their offensives since the Battle of the Marne.

"Since 1 July 1916, the cost of the battle and the "meagre gains" have been a source of grief and controversy in Britain; in German and French writing, the first day of the Battle of the Somme has been little more than a footnote to the mass losses of 1914–1915 and the Battle of Verdun."

Previous events

1916 (Feb. 21) First day of the Battle of Verdun in northeastern France. Lasts until December 18, 1916 (9 months, 3 weeks and 6 days). Allied casualties 315,000–542,000 (156,000–162,000 killed). German casualties 281,000–434,000 (approx. 143,000 killed).

1914 (Sept. 13) the First Battle of the Aisne (lasting until 28 September). Beginning of the "Race to the Sea" in which Franco-British and German forces repeatedly attempt manoeuvring to the north in an effort to outflank each other. When these outflanking efforts failed, the opposing forces soon found themselves facing an uninterrupted line of entrenched positions from Lorraine to Belgium's coast.

1914 (Sept. 5-12) First Battle of the Marne. (Première bataille de la Marne, also known as the Miracle of the Marne). Final phase of the Battle of the Frontiers. Allies check the rapid German advance towards Paris. "The Franco-British were driven back by the Germans, who were able to invade northern France. French and British rearguard actions delayed the German advance, allowing the French time to transfer their forces to the west to defend Paris, resulting in the First Battle of the Marne."

1914 (Aug. mid) Austrian attacks against Serbia are thrown back with heavy losses, marking the first major Allied victories of the war and dashing Austro-Hungarian hopes of a swift victory (among the major upset victories of the twentieth century). As a result, Austria had to keep sizable forces on the Serbian front, weakening its efforts against Russia."

1914 (Aug. 12) Austria-Hungary invades Serbia, fighting the Serbian army at the Battle of Cer and Battle of Kolubara.

1914 (Aug. 7) German and Allied forces begin a five-week series of battles (known collectively as the Battle of the Frontiers) along the eastern border of France and in southern Belgium. Culminates in the Battle of the Marne in the first half of September.

1914 (Aug. 4) Austria-Hungary orders general mobilization.

1914 (Aug. 4) Britain declares war on Germany, pursuant to the 1839 Treaty of London regarding the neutrality of Belgium. Informed by the British ambassador that Britain would go to war with Germany over the latter's violation of Belgian neutrality, German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg exclaimed that he could not believe that Britain and Germany would be going to war over a mere "scrap of paper."

1914 (Aug. 4) Germany declares war on Belgium after the latter refuses German demands to allows its troops to pass through the country to attack France.
1914 (Aug. 3) Germany declares war on France.
1914 (Aug. 2) Germany invades Luxembourg.
1914 (Aug. 1) Germany declares general mobilization and declares war on Russia.

1914 (Jul. 31) Germany declares a "state of danger of war" regarding Russia, asks France to remain neutral. "Kaiser Wilhelm II asked his cousin, Tsar Nicolas II, to suspend the Russian general mobilization. When he refused, Germany issued an ultimatum demanding the arrest of its mobilization and commitment not to support Serbia. Another was sent to France, asking her not to support Russia if it were to come to the defence of Serbia."  "The German government issued demands to France that it remain neutral as they had to decide which deployment plan to implement, it being difficult if not impossible to change the deployment whilst it was underway. The French did not respond but sent a mixed message by ordering their troops to withdraw 10 km from the border to avoid any incidents, but at the same time ordered the mobilisation of her reserves. Germany responded by mobilising its own reserves and implementing Aufmarsch II West."

1914 (Jul. 30) Russia orders general mobilization against Germany.
1914 (Jul. 29) Russia orders partial mobilization against Austria-Hungary in support of Serbia.
1914 (Jul. 28) Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.

1914 (Jul. 23) Austria-Hungary delivers the July Ultimatum to Serbia, timed to be delivered by the French delegation to the St. Petersburg summit are at sea. Deadline for acceptance is Jul. 25.

1914 (Jul. 20) French delegation arrives in St. Petersburg, staying until Jul. 23. "The French and the Russians agreed their alliance extended to supporting Serbia against Austria, confirming the already established policy behind the Balkan inception scenario. As Christopher Clark notes, Poincaré ‘had come to preach the gospel of firmness and his words had fallen on ready ears. Firmness in this context meant an intransigent opposition to any Austrian measure against Serbia. At no point do the sources suggest that Poincaré or his Russian interlocutors gave any thought whatsoever to what measures Austria-Hungary might legitimately be entitled to take in the aftermath of the assassinations"

1914 (Jul. 17) German Army Quartermaster general Count Waldersee writes to Gottlieb von Jagow, German Foreign Minister: "I can move at a moment's notice. We in the General Staff are ready: there is nothing more for us to do at this juncture."

1914 (Jul. 15) French President Raymond Poincaré and Prime Minister René Viviani depart for Saint Petersburg for summit with the Russians, arriving on 20 July.

1914 (Jul. 14) The Austrians assured the Germans that the ultimatum to be delivered to Serbia "is being composed so that the possibility of its acceptance is practically excluded."

1914 (Jul. 9) British Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey tells German Ambassador in London, Prince Lichnowsky, that he "saw no reason for taking a pessimistic view of the situation."

1914 (Jul. 8) Emperor Franz presented with possible plans against Serbia.

1914 (Jul. 7) Council of Joint Ministers of Austria-Hungary debates course of action against Serbia. Surprise attack is suggested as possibility. The Council agreed on putting harsh demands on Serbia but could not reach consensus on how harsh. Except for Count Tisza, the Council intended to make such harsh demands that their rejection would be very probable. Tisza held out for demands that while harsh would not appear impossible to meet."

1914 (Jul. 6) Germany gives "blank cheque" commitment to Austria-Hungary of firm support, after meeting of ministers.

1914 (Jul. 5) Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany issues secret letter informing his ally Austria-Hungary assuring them of German support in any action pursuant to the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and Sophie. " but added that he needed to consult with Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg who he was quite sure would have a similar view." Count Moltke, the Chief of the German General Staff, writes that "Austria must beat the Serbs."

1914 (Jul. 1) The July Crisis begins. Léon Descos, French Ambassador to Belgrade, reports home that the Serbian military party was involved in the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, that Serbia was in the wrong, and that Russian Ambassador Hartwig was in constant conversations with Regent Alexander to guide Serbia through this crisis.

1914 (Jun. 28) Assassination of  Archduke Franz Ferdinand. and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg in Sarajevo. "After the military exercises, Franz Ferdinand toured Sarajevo with his wife. Six armed irredentists, five Serbs and one Bosnian Muslim, coordinated by Danilo Ilić, lay in wait along Sarajevo's Appel Quay because it was announced that Franz Ferdinand's motorcade would use that route."

1914 (Mar.) Hungarian prime minister István Tisza, the strongest opponent against the "War Party" in Vienna, writes a memorandum to Emperor Franz Josef about the possibility of disastrous war ahead. He writes in strongly apocalyptic predictive and embittered tone, using the hitherto unknown word "Weltkrieg" : "It is my firm conviction that Germany's two neighbors [Russia and France] are carefully proceeding with military preparations, but will not start the war so long as they have not attained a grouping of the Balkan states against us that confronts the monarchy with an attack from three sides and pins down the majority of our forces on our eastern and southern front." 

1913 (summer) Oskar Potiorek, the military commander and governor of  Bosnia and Herzegovina, suggests that Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, might attend military exercises due to be held in the Bosnia capital of Sarajevo near the end of June 1914.

1912 Rise of the "War Party" in the Council of Joint Ministers of Austria-Hungary, urging pre-emptive war against Serbia to stop it from interfering in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

1908 (Oct. 6) Austria-Hungary formally annexes Bosnia-Herzegovina.

1878 (Jul 13) The Treaty of Berlin ending the Russo-Turkish War is signed by representatives of nations throughout Europe. Formal independence of Serbia is recognized after over 400 years of Ottoman rule. The Ottoman Vilayet of Bosnia was placed under Austro-Hungarian occupation, though formally remaining a part of the Ottoman Empire.

1871 (May 10)  Treaty of Frankfurt ends the Franco-Prussian War. (1870-1871).  France cedes Alsace and Lorraine to the German Empire. "Gave residents of the Alsace-Lorraine region until 1 October 1872 to decide between keeping their French nationality and emigrating, or remaining in the region and becoming German citizens."

1870 (Jan. 28) German Army takes Paris.

1870 (Dec. 10) The Reichstag of the North German Confederation renames the Confederation as the German Empire and gives the title of German Emperor to Wilhlem I, the King of Prussia, as President of the Confederation.

1870 (Sept. 10) The Siege of Paris begins by the German Army. Germans take the city Jan. 28.

1870 (Jul. 16) French Parliament votes to declare war on the Kingdom of Prussia.  Hostilities began three days later. "The German coalition mobilised its troops much more quickly than the French and rapidly invaded northeastern France. The German forces were superior in numbers, had better training and leadership and made more effective use of modern technology, particularly railroads and artillery."