<human>:  When did the Battle of the Somme start?
<bot>: The Battle of the Somme started on July 1st 1916 and lasted until November 1916. It was a major battle in the First World War, and it was the largest battle ever fought on the Western Front. It was the first major offensive of the war, and it was also the bloodiest battle in British military history. The battle was so large that it is often referred to as the “first battle of the Somme.”