With the battle largely bogged down, both sides began using poisonous gas to end the stalemate, but to no avail.Īirplanes were used by both sides, but mainly for reconnaissance. The battle largely became a quagmire at that point. The bombing affected the city of Verdun and allowed the first wave of German attackers to advance with flame throwers.Īlthough the Germans took Douaumont early in the battle, most of tis weapons had been moved to the front at Belgium. The battle began with a heavy German artillery bombardment along a nineteen mile front. The French commander on the Western Front was Joseph Joffre. The German attack was led by the 5 th Army. The most heavily armed and modern of the French forts was at Douaumont.
#Verdun battle facts series#
The Verdun region was protected by a series of forts, which were modernized in the late nineteenth century. In terms of theater logistics, the French referred to the region around Verdun as Région Fortifiée de Verdun (Fortified Region of Verdun/RFV). Falkenhayn's strategy was simply to win a battle of attrition by luring the French into a battle where they would have to use their reserves into hold ground. The war on the Western Front had become a battle of attrition at that point, bogged down by brutal trench warfare. The Germans were commanded by General Erich von Falkenhayn. The Germans eventually gave up on Verdun and focused on other areas of the Western Front. The battle was also extremely to both sides, with the Germans having about 140,000 of their men killed and the French having more than 160,000 killed. Since it was such an important strategic area, both side dedicated immense resources to the battle: the Germans sent about fifty divisions to the battle, while the French dedicated up to eighty-five divisions. The Germans hope to capture the Meuse Heights near Verdun, which they would then use as a defensive position to reign artillery fire down on the French. The battle was named for the French town on the Meuse River near where most of the fighting took place. It was fought from February 21 to Decemin the hills of northeastern France over a small area of land between the Germans and French. When France recaptured Douaumont, the German forces recognised the end was nigh.The Battle of Verdun was the longest of World War I and was also among the costliest. Though they had some initial victories, the success was not maintained. The Battle of Verdun was a fierce attempt by the German forces to break through the Western Front.
It also houses a military museum where visitors can see authentic armaments from both sides. The memorial remembers French and German soldiers as well as the civilians who lost their lives during the battle. It was constructed in the 1960s and has been open for the public to visit since 1967.
The Verdun Memorial is situated on the battlefield not far from the site of Fleury-Devant-Douaumont, a village completely destroyed by the battle. It remains one of the most violent and bloody battles in world history and the losses had a significant impact on the trajectory of the whole of the First World War. Nearly 75% of the French army was involved in the Battle of Verdun, with colonial forces also playing their part.
Historians have since argued the figures should be over 500,000 and Germany, of course, had significant losses too. Official records show that France lost 162,440 soldiers and a further 216,337 were wounded. Read more about: Sport Walter Tull: The Tottenham Hotspur trailblazer and WW1 hero
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