Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-04-13
THE WAR PRIMER
Verdun.

History has repeated itself with Gu
rious fidelity in the struggle for
Verdun and in some of its side
lights In 1892 as in 1914 the Prus-
slams approached the fortress by way
of Longwy and in the same month of
August. In 1892 as well as in 1914,
Longwy fell after two days lombard
ment. The Duke of Brunswick avoid
ed the armies of the Marquis de Laf-
ayette and de Luckner in 1892, and
marched on Verdun as did the crown
prince in 1914. In 1892 as in 1916, the
king of Prussia was a spectator of the
assault. Then as in 1916 the PrusSians
took the route by Ormont and Hau
mont, and approached the stronghold
in exactly the same sector as in 1916.
Goethe related the passage of the
troops through SamogneuX August 80,
1892, to biVouav at Bras, just south of
the Cote du PoiVre pepper HID, the
object of furious attacks by Germans
in 1916. Etain, Elk, Manheulles, as
well as Samognaux were the scene of
figured in the official cOmmunique of
the revolutionary government had
there been such thing.
In 1892 as in 1914 France was I'M
prepared for war. Legislators had
neglected to supply war material; Yer
dun was armed with only four pieces
of heavy artillery and had a garrison
of only $500 men; then, as today, the
cry was more cannon-more ammu-
nition;" that was the demand made to
the revolutionary leaders by Lieuten-
ant Colonel Galbaud, commanding the
fortressses. His cry was unheard, and
he solicited and obtained of Lafayette
the privilege of fighting in the ranks.
| Nicolas Joseph Reaurepaire, who sue
! ceeded him, went to his post like a
man approaching suicide. Assure the
| legislative corps" he wrote. that when
! +1a aOaOoV has hecOTl1a master of Var-
dun, Beaurepaire shall have ceased tC
| live"
! The legislative assembly, impressed
! by the fall of Longwy, sent 5000 rifles
to Verdun-too lfSe. The Prussiar
| commander had occupied the place iii
the name of Louis XVI" and Beaure,
paire shot himself.
The Prussians held Verdun in 179:
just long enough for Kellermann and
Dumouriez to organize a counter.
attack.
| Verdun had 140 pieces of cannon and
| was garrisoned by 5000 troops in 1870
1t was again in the month of Angus
that the Prussians poured into the Ar
come, 122 years almost day for da.
after the surrender of the place 20 tn
Duke of Brunswick and the suicide o
Beaurepaire.
The fortress had elements of bot
strength and weakness then in the es
timation of so good an authority a
Marshal Won Moltke himself. Thank
to its high walls and its deep ditcne
filled with water" he said, 'Verdul
was in a state to resist an assault alb
solutely. On the other hand it wa
surrounded and dominated on all side
by heights at the feet of which wer
villages and vineyards permitting tn
besiegers to approach very close
the exterior works"
None of the fortssof 1e14-15-16 ex
isted in 1870. The interior fortres
had to rely upon its own strength
| That the herOism of the garrison wa
equal to that of the. men who recap
tured Douaumont, Won Moltke himsel
testified in his memoirs.
During the night of October 18th,
) he wrote, while the wind blew a huT
! ricane, the advance guard on the Hay
: VauX Hill were surprised and the gun
l of our battery spiked. The 2Sth ther
was an even more important stortie b
the garrison. The French climbed tn
Mount Sinai Michael, north of the fol
: ress, destroyed the parapets and she
tiers from which we were able to with
draw our guns. Another detachmeT
attacked the Hayvaux Hill again an
put out of action the guns posted thel
and which we could not withdraw be
3 cause Of the soaked ground"
$ Then as today the assailants requil
K ed reinforcements to reduce the valial
Y defenders of Verdun. A great differ
ence between 1870 and today is tn;
while then the losses were 60 to 70 p'
day, they now run into the tens
: | thousands.
. Verdun resisted in 1870 until ovel
whelmed at the end of October by IL
0 reinforcements in men and guns thi
came to the Prussians after the fall
Metz.
n The name of Verdun as it is pr
g nounced today in every household
France is a concentrated expression
. all the higher sentiments of the Gael
+ race. There is the tenderness of {
affection little suggestive Of the coll
ness Of stone and mortar; there is vel
a GRAFTON for a superior force that ms
t be counted upon; there are pride gra
d itude and reinsurance, for Verdun b
9 a wider application than the name
. a fortress; to the French it means Il
u army as well as the town, apart fro
% the ramparts and the meats. that mo
ern science has rendered useless.