BATTLE OF THE SOMME
CONCEPT DOCUMENT

INTRODUCTION

"Battle of the Somme" is a web resource being developed by Leo Robert Klein in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Masters Degree at the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at NYU. His academic adviser is Frank Migliorelli.

The purpose of "Battle of the Somme" is to serve as a resource of information on the battle which took place between July 1st, 1916 and November 13th, 1916 and resulted in over a million casualties.

The Somme is an area in France some distance above Paris. It was part of the "Western Front"--a trench system running from Belgium in the north all the way across France to Switzerland in the south-east.

The battle was planned as an offensive by the British under General Sir Douglas Haig. Its objective, in part, was to relieve the extraordinary pressure on the French line further to the south as a result of German efforts at Verdun. It was also hoped that a breakthrough would be achieved with British forces overrunning the German line reaching the "green pastures" in the rear. In this way, the frustrating war of "position" would turn back into a war of "movement".

The recipe to do this essentially entailed massive shelling of the opposing side for days on end after which thousands and tens of thousands of men would stream over No Man's Land meeting a hail of bullets and artillery shells coming from the other side. Progress was measured in yards. The results were catastrophic.

The purpose then of the Web site is to give the user an idea of just what this catastrophy was all about. It will present a sampling of the vast material available about the battle from the period in question or shortly thereafter. This material will consist of texts, images, film clips and an interactive battlefield that will bring many of these elements together in a way only possible using digital media.

 

 

EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE

The following is an in depth look at the purpose and scope of "Battle of the Somme".

 

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience of Somme is anyone interested in the era and the subject matter though the principle audience is students from either the High School or undergrad level. The material itself--mostly uninterpreted primary resources--is best used in conjunction with a broader introduction to the subject.

 

DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT
AND
INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH

"Battle of the Somme" will consist of five main areas:

Texts

During the Twenties and Thirties there was a great wave of reminisence

 

 

PROJECTED TIME LINE

The following is an in depth look at the purpose and scope of "Battle of the Somme".

 

POTENTIAL CHALLENGES

The following is an in depth look at the purpose and scope of "Battle of the Somme".