The Battle of the Somme and the Armistice
Study note
The First World War caused terrible loss of life. Britain alone suffered more than 2 million casualties. One of the worst single episodes was the British attack on the Somme, which began in July 1916. On the very first day of that battle there were about 60,000 British casualties, so the figure to remember for day one of the Somme is around 60,000.
The war finally came to an end on 11 November 1918, at 11 o'clock in the morning, with victory for Britain and its allies. That precise time and date, 11am on 11 November 1918, is often tested. It is also worth knowing that more than a million Indian soldiers fought on Britain's behalf in the war, and around 40,000 of them were killed.
Memory tip: Somme 1916: about 60,000 British casualties on day one; WWI ends at 11am on 11 November 1918.
Practise this topic
Question 1 of 3
On the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, roughly how many British casualties were there?
Show all questions and answers for The Battle of the Somme and the Armistice(3 questions with explanations)
The Battle of the Somme and the Armistice: questions, answers and explanations
1. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, roughly how many British casualties were there?
- About 600,000
- About 6,000
- About 600
- About 60,000
Correct answer: About 60,000
There were about 60,000 British casualties on the first day of the Somme.
2. On which date and time did the First World War end?
- 6 June 1944
- 5 November 1605
- 11 o'clock on 11 November 1918
- 8 May 1945
Correct answer: 11 o'clock on 11 November 1918
The First World War ended at 11am on 11 November 1918.
3. More than a million Indian soldiers fought on behalf of Britain in the First World War.
- True
- False
Correct answer: True
True. More than a million Indians fought for Britain, and around 40,000 were killed.
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