Defence Forces Review 2010

Abstracts – 65 Senior Command and Staff CourseThe Somme: Warfare for Slow Learners?Reflections on Isomorphic Learning in the British Army of 1916Comdt Robert Corbet. Dip HSWW, BA, MSc.ABSTRACTThe Battle of the Somme was the greatest military disaster ever to befall the British Army. Inthe years since the war’s end contrasting perspectives have emerged regarding the conductof the Battle. These viewpoints continue to engender heated debate over what remains acontroversial and tragic episode in the Great War.This dissertation aims to examine the extent to which a form of organisational learning, knownas isomorphic learning took place at the Somme. Its significance derives from the examinationof active learning in war, a subject as relevant in defence studies today, as it was in 1916.The work considers the traditional, revisionist and culturally constructed perspectives. Thedissertation also explores the role which the author’s epistemology plays in conducting theresearch and gaining an understanding of what meaning it holds for him.A representative selection of historical literature is utilised to highlight the differing traditionaland revisionist positions on isomorphic learning at the Somme. In addition, letters, memoirs,poetic and dramatic works are studied to examine the evolving culturally constructed view, asthis provides another valuable perspective and contextualises the academic opinions.A post-positivist, reflexive methodology has been selected as this qualitative approach is bestsuited to analysis and understanding of the varying perspectives and is particularly useful inexamining both the culturally constructed view and the author’s epistemological stance.The findings indicate that isomorphic learning did take place at the Somme. However thislearning was effected at a catastrophic cost in human terms which has overshadowed whateverlessons were learned. It was also found that within the culturally constructed view, the Sommeis regarded as a disaster on such a grand scale that it allows no space for consideration oflearning experiences. Through this research, the student has come to recognise the deepinfluence his epistemology has on the study of this subject.The implications of these findings indicate that a post-positive, reflexive philosophy is avaluable tool in addressing military problems and should be formally included in DefenceForces training, particularly for overseas missions. Isomorphic learning is also seen as asignificant tool for the study of both historic and current military campaigns. On a personallevel, post-positive, reflexive research has provided a greater consciousness of alternativeviews and a recognition that for many questions, there may be more than one valid answer.109