Somme 1916: Joffre’s Command in Action

March into the chaos of 1916 with this silent footage of Marshal Joseph Joffre departing to lead France against Germany in the Battle of the Somme, one of World War I’s bloodiest clashes. The reel thunders with close-ups of heavy artillery guns spitting fire, British troops hunkered on the front line, and the grim tide of refugees fleeing Comble amid the roar of war. Joffre’s steely presence anchors the scenes, while vivid shots of artillery supply lines reveal the relentless machinery of conflict. Filmed amid a battle that claimed over a million lives, this stark treasure grips history buffs, WWI scholars, and military enthusiasts with its raw glimpse of the Western Front’s fury.