Leading German expert to talk on the Somme

Published On Wed 22 Jun 2016 by Grant Hill

A public lecture at the University of Dundee next week will explore the most devastating battle of the Great War from a German perspective.

Benjamin Ziemann, Professor of Modern German History at the University of Sheffield will deliver the Great War Dundee (GWD) partnership’s Somme commemoration lecture on Saturday, July 2.

The Battle of the Somme was the largest Western Front battle of the First World War, beginning on July 1, 1916 and ending 141 days later. By the end of the battle, the British Army had suffered 420,000 casualties. There were 57,470 on the first day alone, 19,240 of whom died.

Fifty-one Scottish battalions took part in the campaign, including five from The Black Watch, whose 8th Battalion was reduced to just 171 men by the battle’s conclusion.

Dr Derek Patrick from the University’s History department and one of the foudners of the GWD project, said, “This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the Somme from a German perspective.

“The battle has had a lasting legacy in Britain, and for many the heavy casualties sustained on its opening day have become representative of the entire conflict. Professor Ziemann's lecture will focus on the men on the opposite side of No Man's Land, giving insight into the battle's significance in German collective memory.”

Professor Ziemann, regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on German history during and after the First World War, will tell how the battle of the Somme in 1916 has been overshadowed by that of Verdun in German collective memory as the latter could be imagined as a heroic offensive action.

Yet during the war, the events at the Somme had a potent significance in Germany as they encapsulated the readiness and the willingness of the German troops to hold out in defensive warfare. Thus, the Somme became a symbol of endurance and collective resolve.

‘Watch at the Somme, German Perceptions of the Battle of the Somme’ takes place at the University’s Dalhousie Building from 7pm on Saturday, 2^nd July.

Entry is free and tickets can be booked online at sommedundee.eventbrite.co.uk

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384768
Mobile: 07854 953277
Email: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk