In November at the River Somme, the morning air carried a slight chill. The deciduous trees on both banks showed little green, with only a few brown leaves clinging to the bare branches, adding to the sense of desolation.
British Expeditionary Force Commander Haig hid in the trench, cautiously holding binoculars to observe the distant German positions.
Everything was so quiet; there was no German activity, only a few small birds foraging freely in front of the positions.
Putting down the binoculars, Haig nodded in satisfaction to his staff, "The Germans have no idea they're under artillery fire. They're finished!"
...
South of the River Somme, French Army Commander Nivelle was also observing the Germans. He proudly said to his subordinates, "When the leaves on the trees fall (in a few days), we will have won and gone home!"
