Bringing History to Life Magazine

26 October, 2025

Early in the morning of 1st July, 1916, the men from 18 French and British divisions were sent “over the top” – out of the trenches and into no-man’s land. The aim was to smash a large hole in German lines and end the Great War. But the results horrified even the most ruthless generals. By nightfall, 30,000 soldiers had died in the mud, and even though the enemy line wavered, the offensive soon stalled. The war would continue for another two years, an entire generation was sacrificed on the battlefield. Read the full story of World War I with unique eyewitness accounts, comprehensive timelines and detailed maps.