who won the battle of somme

The Battle of the Somme was fought between the British Empire and French Republic against the German Empire from July 1 to November 18, 1916, during World War I. It was a brutal and costly battle with more than one million men wounded or killed, making it one of the deadliest battles in history. The French Sixth Army and the British Fourth Army inflicted serious defeats on the German Second Army, particularly on the southern part of the front. By the end of the battle, the British and French forces penetrated about 6.2 miles into German-occupied territory, their largest gain since 1914. However, the Allies failed to achieve all their strategic objectives, such as capturing important towns like Péronne and Bapaume, and the German armies maintained much of their positions over the winter. The outcome can be seen as a costly tactical draw: the Germans held much of their ground but suffered heavy losses, while the British and French made limited territorial gains but at great cost. Strategically, the battle benefited the Allies by diverting German resources from Verdun and wearing down German forces, which played a role in the eventual Allied victory in World War I. In summary, the battle had no clear decisive winner in terms of territorial breakthrough, but in the long run, it was more advantageous to the Allies, despite the horrendous casualties they endured.