The Battle of the Somme was a major battle during World War I, fought between July 1 and November 18, 1916. It took place near the Somme River in France and involved British and French forces against the German Empire. The battle aimed to relieve pressure on the French forces at Verdun and to weaken the German army. The first day of the battle remains the bloodiest in British military history, with nearly 60,000 British casualties. Over the course of the battle, there were more than one million total casualties, making it one of the largest and deadliest battles in history.