First World War.com - Battles - The Battle of Verdun, 1916 What's New Battles - The Battle of Verdun, 1916 The German siege of Verdun and its ring of forts, which comprised the longest battle of the First World War, has its roots in a letter sent by the German Chief of Staff, Erich von Falkenhayn , to the Kaiser, Wilhelm II , on Christmas Day 1915. Sponsored Links In his letter to the Kaiser, Falkenhayn argued that the key to winning the war lay not on the Eastern Front, against Russia - whom he believed was on the point of revolution and subsequent withdrawal from the war - but on the Western Front. He reasoned that if France could be defeated in a major set-piece battle Britain would in all likelihood seek terms with Germany, or else be defeated in turn. In his letter to Wilhelm Falkenhayn believed that Britain formed the foundation of the Allied effort ranged against Germany and that she must be removed from the war. To that end he recommended implementation of a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare against merchant shipping, a policy directed squarely at starving Britain.

This combined with a knock-out block to France would, he believed, bring about a successful conclusion to hostilities. The Kaiser acted upon Falkenhayn's recommendations, agreeing to the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, dangerous as it was in running the risk of bringing the U.S. into the war. He also sanctioned implementation of a set-piece siege against Verdun, Falkenhayn's choice of French target, starting in February 1916. In so doing he agreed to switch focus from the Eastern Front to the Western Front. This latter strategy was not without its critics: in particular Paul von Hindenburg argued that the opportunity was lost to capture the bulk of the Russian army. Ultimately the failure of Falkenhayn's recommendations cost him his position. Falkenhayn's choice of Verdun as the focus of the German offensive was shrewd. Although relegated by France to the status of a minor fortress during the early stages of the war, France having lost faith in the value of fortress defences, Verdun maintained a great psychological hold in the minds of the French people. On a practical level the woods immediately behind Verdun would have proved far easier to defend than the Verdun forts.

The last fortress town to fall to the Prussians in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71, Verdun's fortifications had been significantly boosted in the 1880s to withstand further attacks. In addition its status as an important fortress since Roman times guaranteed recognition of the name ‘Verdun' to most Frenchmen. In short, it was of greater value symbolically than strategically. Falkenhayn counted upon this. His plan was to subject Verdun to intense bombardment, thus drawing in and diverting French troops from all over the Western Front to the eight mile wide front around Verdun. Falkenhayn's stated aim was to "bleed France white" in its defence of the ancient fortress town. The fact that Verdun formed a French salient into German lines only served to help Falkenhayn, since it meant that it was open to attack from three sides at once. The task of besieging Verdun fell to the German Fifth Army under Crown Prince Wilhelm .

He planned to assault the town from both side of the surrounding Meuse River, a plan vetoed by Falkenhayn, who, cautious by nature, feared heavy losses, ordered the attack to be confined to the east bank of the river. Originally scheduled to start on 12 February the offensive was postponed to 21 February on account of poor weather, preceded by a 21 hour preliminary bombardment . In the interim between the planned and actual start date French Commander-in-Chief Joffre received intelligence of the imminent attack, hastily deploying reinforcements to the French Second Army. Meanwhile the fortress commander, Lieutenant Colonel Emile Driant, also a politician and published author, vainly attempted to improve Verdun's trench systems in time. Driant prepared for the onslaught by posting two battalions, led by himself, at the tip of the Verdun salient on the east bank of the Meuse River. He faced formidable opposition: one million German troops against 200,000 defenders.

The attack finally began at 07:15 on 21 February, Crown Prince Wilhelm opening the battle with 1,400 guns packed along the eight-mile front, the guns well served by good nearby railway facilities. 100,000 shells poured into Verdun every hour, Wilhelm's intention being to kill the majority of the French defenders before the infantry even started their advance into the fortress. An optimistic assessment, a German scouting party sent in following the initial bombardment later that day reported half of the French fighting force remained to meet the planned attack. It is arguable that had Wilhelm chosen to attack at this point the fortress might still have been taken. Instead, daunted by the apparently formidable defences, Wilhelm chose to renew the bombardment. By the close of the day the German forces had succeeded only in capturing the French front line trenches, much less than planned, although Driant himself had been killed during the battle, and his two battalions demolished. Wilhelm withdrew his forward infantry in preparation for a further artillery bombardment, thus taking the sting out of the momentum that had been generated.

More importantly it allowed the French defenders to position themselves such that they were able to enfilade the advancing German troops from across the river. Verdun remained in French hands, although the defensive situation was dire. A message was sent to French headquarters on 23 February reporting that Driant had been lost, as had all company commanders, and that the battalion had been reduced from 600 to around 180 men. The following day, 24 February, German troops succeeded in over-running the French second line of trenches, forcing the defenders to within 8 kilometres of Verdun itself. Nevertheless, two outer forts, Vaux and Douaumont, continued to hold out. A French division sent in piecemeal that same day was dispersed under heavy German artillery fire. The next day Douaumont fell to the 24th Brandenburg Infantry Regiment. The effect on French morale of the loss of Douaumont was marked, both upon the remaining defenders and the reinforcements freshly arrived. Popular French sentiment within the country demanded its recapture: withdrawal from Verdun was therefore politically impossible. The French Commander-in-Chief, Joffre, remained unflappable.

He issued a statement noting that any commander who gave ground to the advancing Germans would be court-martialled. He summarily dismissed General Langle de Cary, who was responsible for the defence of Verdun, for deciding to evacuate Woevre plain and the east bank of the Meuse River. In Langle de Cary's place Joffre promoted Henri-Philippe Petain , a talented officer whose progress through the French army had been slowed on account of his defiance of the prevailing motto of ‘attack at all costs', believing that this was a recipe for disaster, defensive technology being so much greater advanced than offensive technology. Nevertheless, his own imperturbability in the face of adversity, somewhat similar to Joffre's, had led to his advancement to command of the French Second Army by the time he was appointed to the defence of Verdun. Pledging to Joffre, "Ils ne passeront pas!" - literally "They shall not pass!" - Petain telephoned the commander of the Verdun front line and instructed him to hold fast. In a sense Petain's appointment could hardly have better-suited Falkenhayn. His stated aim of the campaign was to bleed the French army at Verdun.

A quick German victory at Verdun would hardly meet this criteria, whereas Petain's dogged determination to hold out suited his intentions perfectly. However he could hardly have determined just how effective Petain's defensive strategies turned out to be. Petain understood that the defence of Verdun would result in many French casualties: the nature of the terrain made this inevitable. However he was determined to inflict the maximum damage to the German invaders in the course of these losses. Hence he effectively re-organised French use of artillery, personally taking commanding of this aspect of the defence. He also took action to ensure that an effective supply route to Verdun was maintained, designating a single artery road leading to a depot 50 miles to the west, Bar-le-Duc, and ensuring constant access by assigning columns of troops whose sole duty it was to maintain clearance of the road and to perform repairs as necessary. The road was christened ‘ Voie Sacree ' - the 'Sacred Road'. On 6 March the Germans began a fresh offensive after receiving fresh artillery supplies, at first making great progress until French counter-attacks pushed back the advancing German infantry. For the remainder of the month Wilhelm launched repeated attacks against the French reinforcements constantly pouring into the fortress.

Of the 330 infantry regiment of the French army, 259 eventually fought at Verdun. Falkenhayn reluctantly committed another corps of men to an attack up the left bank of the Meuse River towards a small ridge named Le Morte-homme (the 'Dead Man'), a battle that raged continuously without conclusion. Meanwhile the casualties were mounting rapidly on both sides. The French were certainly losing huge numbers of men, as were their German opposition. By the time the battle ended almost one million casualties had been incurred in roughly equal numbers on either side. April 9 saw the third major German offensive launched, this time on both sides of the salient. Again Petain's defences held, the attacks and counter-attacks continuing until the close of May, the German forces inching ever closer to the remaining forts. During this period Petain received a promotion and was replaced at Verdun by the aggressive Robert Nivelle . Mort Homme Hill was secured by the Germans on 29 May and finally, on 7 June, Fort Vaux fell. Situated on the east bank of the Meuse River, the fort had held out against constant bombardment since the start of the battle in February.

However, by now out of reserves of water and the fort itself lying in ruins, its French defenders could hold out no longer. With the capture of the fort Wilhelm offered his congratulations to the fort commander, Major Raynal, for holding out so long. Encouraged by the success in capturing Fort Vaux, German troops almost succeeded in breaking through the French line at the close of June and into early July. It was at this stage that the latest form of chemical warfare was unveiled by Germany: phosgene gas , which acted by forming as hydrochloric acid once inhaled into the lungs. Joffre, meanwhile, pressed the British government to stage a major diversionary offensive elsewhere on the Western Front to serve as a drain on German manpower. Originally scheduled for 1 August, the Battle of the Somme was brought forward to 1 July upon the insistence of the French. Petain, against Nivelle's recommendation, recommended a withdrawal from the western Meuse line.

Joffre, however, supported Nivelle in dismissing the suggestion, a decision that was fortunately vindicated by a sudden drain upon German resources as a result of a Russian offensive on the Eastern Front, which meant that fifteen German divisions had to be withdrawn from Verdun to aid in the defence on the east. By this stage the German Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg , was scathing in his condemnation of Falkenhayn's lack of success in Verdun, which was proving as costly in terms of manpower to Germany as it was to France. Falkenhayn was consequently dismissed by the Kaiser and dispatched to the Transylvanian Front on 29 August to command Ninth Army. Falkenhayn's arch critic, Paul von Hindenburg, replaced him as Chief of Staff, buoyed by his successes in the east. A new French commander of the Verdun forts, Third Army's General Charles Mangin , was also appointed, reporting to Nivelle. Taking the offensive Mangin managed to retake Douaumont on 24 October, followed by Fort Vaux on 2 November. Following a rest pause, Mangin renewed his offensive, retaking ground lost since the start of the German attack.

Between 15-18 December alone, when the battle ended, the French captured 11,000 prisoners and with them 115 heavy guns. Simply put, Hindenburg saw no point in continuing Falkenhayn's pointless attacks. French casualties during the battle were estimated at 550,000 with German losses set at 434,000, half of the total being fatalities. The only real effect of the battle was the irrevocable wounding of both armies. No tactical or strategic advantage had been gained by either side. Click here to view a map detailing the progress of the battle Click here to read Erich von Falkenhayn's justification for the Verdun offensive. Click here to read Crown Prince Wilhelm's summary. Click here to read Wilhelm's summary of its abandonment. Click here to read von Hindenburg's decision to call off the offensive. Click here to read Erich Ludendorff's dismissive view of the battle. Click here to read Joffre's August 1916 summary of the battle. Click here to read British newspaper baron Lord Northcliffe's despatch during the early days of the battle.

Click here to read a French memoir of the German attack on Le Mort Homme in May 1916. Click here for a memoir of the struggle for Fort Douaumont the same month. Click here for a memoir of the German assault upon Fort Vaux in June 1916. Click here to read General Millerand's official account of the see-saw fighting at Thiaumont in July and August 1916. Click here to read a semi-official German historian's account of the end of the battle. Click here to read General von Zwehl's memorandum issued immediately before the French recapture of Forts Vaux and Douaumont. Click here to read Ludendorff's statement regarding the loss of Forts Vaux and Douaumont. Click here to read French General Pierre Dubois's view of the German approach at Verdun. Click here to read a French staff officer's account of the recapture of Fort Douaumont in October 1916.

Battle of Verdun - World War I - HISTORY.com Battle of Verdun A+E Networks Introduction This World War I siege stemmed from German General Erich von Falkenhayn’s edict to elicit major bloodshed from the French defense of the fortress complex around Verdun. German forces advanced quickly in February 1916, claiming Fort Douaumont and Fort Vaux after brutal subterranean melees. Despite coming within two miles of Verdun cathedral, the Germans called off their offensive in mid-July, and Falkenhayn was relieved of his position. The French retook their forts and pushed back the line, and by the time their forces ground to a halt in December, both sides were left with more than 600,000 casualties. Google Only the World War I Western Front could have produced the rationale for the Battle of Verdun. In his so-called Christmas Memo of 1915, Erich von Falkenhayn, the chief of the German General Staff, made a uniquely cynical proposal: not to take territory but to take lives, to cause the French army to “bleed to death” defending the fortress complex around Verdun on the Meuse heights.

On February 21, 1916, more than 1,220 guns around an eight-mile perimeter opened fire. It was the sort of drenching shellstorm that would distinguish the battle. Verdun did act as a “suction cup”: three fourths of the French Western Front divisions would eventually serve there. But even from the start, the “Meuse Mill” did not achieve the five-to-two kill ratio Falkenhayn had predicted. The attackers soon forgot this object. Orders went out to take French positions “without regard to casualties.” At the end of the first week, the Germans had advanced six miles; a few men walked into an almost undefended Fort Douaumont and took possession. For the French, that marked the low point. Fighting degenerated into isolated struggles for shellholes, forcing the French into an impromptu but successful defense-in-depth. At the beginning of June, the Germans took another key stronghold, Fort Vaux, after hideous subterranean melees. A few of their troops actually reached a point from which the twin towers of Verdun cathedral were visible, two miles away. Then, on July 14, the Germans called off their offensive.

Falkenhayn was dismissed shortly after, largely for his failure at Verdun. Now it was the turn of the French. In the autumn they retook Douaumont and then Vaux. By the time their advance ground to a halt in mid-December, they were close to the line where the battle had started ten months earlier. Casualties for both sides totaled between 600,000 and 700,000 and were roughly equal. (The total casualty figure for the entire war in the Verdun sector approaches 1.25 million.) Even today the skeletons of Verdun still surface, to be added to the towering bone piles in the basement of the Douaumont ossuary. The Reader’s Companion to Military History. Edited by Robert Cowley and Geoffrey Parker. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Tags Battle of Verdun 1916 - the greatest battle ever Click here to see the map of the Battle of Verdun 1916 The German plan of attack The German commander-in-chief General Erich von Falkenhayn considered England to be Germanyï¿½s most important enemy.

He believed England would collapse as soon as France, their most important ally, would be defeated. That is why a target had to be found that would be so important to the French, that they would be willing to sacrifice their entire army. This army would 'bleed to death' (the Germans called this 'weissbluten') and could then easily be defeated. Geographically this had to be Verdun. Of old, Verdun was an important stronghold at the Eastern border. Firstly, because it played an important part in the line of defence, which was built after the French - Prussian war of 1870. Secondly, it was the Northern gate to the Champagne plain and therefore Paris. Another reason was that Verdun had been able to withstand the German attacks of 1914. It was an important garrison and had a fortified citadel. Three main characters in the battle of Verdun: from left to right: Von Falkenhayn, the Crown Prince and Pï¿½tain. The German preparations On 24 December 1915 the final decision was made to attack Verdun. In total secrecy preparations were made by the Germans. These plans were hardly known to their other army units.

The plan was to crush the French front-line completely with a massive artillery bombardment. Over 1,200 German guns were made available for this. A heavy German mortar in front of Verdun The situation from the French perspective Verdun was a garrison town surrounded by a double ring of fortresses and fortifications situated among nearly impenetrable hills. However, the defence of Verdun had been seriously neglected since the beginning of the war. In 1915 the French supreme command judged the Verdun fortresses to be useless as the heavy German artillery had just destroyed similar fortresses in Belgium to pieces. The French fortresses were stripped from their guns and only a few man remained. The lines of defence surrounding Verdun were neglected as well. There had been repeated pleas for reinforcement, especially when it became obvious that the Germans were preparing an attack. However, the French headquarters were not interested in the pleas: 'Verdun is not an important target', was their judgement.

Phase 2 - The German Offensive of 21 February The delayed attack German troops were placed in position in the night of 11 to 12 February 1916, but because of the terrible weather circumstances the attack was delayed until 21 February. This delay probably saved France from the defeat as the two French divisions that had been hastily added to the Verdun front-line could be placed in position and defensive improvements could be made at the last minute. A Big Verdun salient Pï¿½tain takes defence measures The French headquarters appointed general Phillipe Pï¿½tain commander-in-chief of the Verdun front. He immediately ordered the formation of a line of defence on the right bank of the Meuse. This line had to be formed between the remaining fortresses which had to be defended at any cost to buy the time needed to build fortifications. French troops on their way to the front-line Especially on the left bank more artillery was quickly set up to check the German advance. The Germans were stopped near the village of Douaumont which is very close to the fort. Between 26 February and 2 March the French fought over the village only to give it away to the Germans in the end.

However, general Pï¿½tain did win something: the necessary time to fortify the French defence. It became clear to the Germans that the attack of Verdun was coming to a halt and that the French artillery on the left bank had to be destroyed first. Phase 3 - The Battle of the Flanks: the Left Bank of the Meuse The battle of Cï¿½te 304 and Le Mort-Homme The German army command decided to attack both banks of the Meuse at the same time. The most important aim of attack on the left bank was the Bois Bourrus. The French artillery was concentrated here. Before this Bois could be attacked a hill called Le Mort-Homme [Dead Man Hill] had to be taken. The attack started on 6 March 1916. Germans helping a French wounded soldier At first the Germans advanced well, but Le Mort-Homme was fiercely defended by the French and the Germans were more and more bothered by gun fire from a nearby hill: the Cï¿½te 304 [Hill 304]. That is why they decided to take the Cï¿½te 304 first.

The attack started on 3 May with 500 guns thundering on a field of not even a square 2 kilometres. Under terrible circumstances and suffering horrible losses the Cï¿½te 304 and then Le Mort-Homme were taken by the Germans at the end of May. After three months of continuous warfare the Bois Bourrus was theirs. Phase 4 - The Battle of the Flanks: the Right Bank of the Meuse The battle of Vaux Two days later, 8 March 1916, the battle started on the right bank. The aim of attack was the fortress of Vaux that had by now been fortified and could be counted among the strongest forts of war. The German attack was immediately put to a stop by the heavy French gunfire. The intense fights over the fort lasted until 19 March but nothing was achieved. The German troops were exhausted and the battle was therefore deferred. Pï¿½tain is replaced by Nivelle By the end of April a crisis had developed in the French army command. Pï¿½tain was kicked upstairs and replaced by general Nivelle per 1 May 1916. He was known as a merciless basher who favoured the frontal attack.

His right-hand man was general Mangin; a ruthless front general who was known as 'the slaughterer'. The explosion at fort Douaumont Starting from 1 May fort Vaux was attacked; an earlier German attack had failed. There was a lot of French resistance and when an explosion occurred on 8 May in fort Douaumont taking the life of over 700 Germans it was decided to delay the attack and concentrate the attack on the left bank. However, the Thiaumont fortification and fort Vaux had to be taken first. The fall of fort Vaux Surprisingly, before a German attack could take place the French undertook a counter attack of fort Douaumont. Two days of bitter fights followed. The attack was warded off by the Germans and only a few French soldiers returned to Verdun. Fort Vaux shortly after the war Fort Vaux was taken on 7 July after heroic resistance by the French major Raynal. French attempts to recapture the fort ended in pointless massacres. Phase 5 - The Last German Offensive The first German attack: the occupation of Fleury The next major German offensive was aimed at the occupation of the village of Fleury and fort Souville.

From these points the Germans intended to advance to Verdun. On 23 June three German army corps attacked. This was the first attack in which phosgene gas was used. 230 Guns fired a total of 110,000 of these poison gas shells. French prisoners of war are deported This did not have the anticipated result and the German attack came to a halt. The attack of fort Souville failed completely. The Thiaumont fortification and the village of Fleury were the sole objects of occupation. The attack of Verdun had failed again. The Crisis of the French Defence At the same time the French found themselves in a crisis situation. Verdun was under heavy attack: there was even some thought of clearance of the right bank of the Meuse. In the nick of time a German breakthrough was stopped due to the individual actions of French officers. These officers independently organised the defence at the front and stood their ground. The Crown Prince takes the salute The German army commander Von Knobelsdorf intended to undertake a last attack of Verdun, but before this could take place the French mounted a counter attack, causing the preparations of the planned attack to be postponed.

There were still bitter fights fought over Fleury under the most abominable circumstances. The second German attack: the Failed Attack of Fort Souville The planned German attack took place on 11 July. The French answered with violent gunfire and soon stopped the attack. Nevertheless, the Germans did have one victory: the village of Fleury was finally theirs. However, the German reserve troops that had to force a breakthrough did not show and the French were able to bring fortifications at the last moment to stop the German army. There was another attempt to take fort Souville, but that failed as well. The German attack of Verdun had failed again. Funeral of a comrade The battle of the Somme started on 1 July 1916 and as a result of this the activities at the Verdun front were temporarly halted. The German troops were instructed to be economical with munitions. More and more troops and artillery were transferred to the Somme and the eastern front where a large Russian offensive had started. The battle at Verdun continued unrelentingly although on a smaller scale. General Mangin started a large offensive at Fleury on 15 July, but this attack was stopped causing numerous French losses.

The third German attack: the Battle of Fleury The German army command decided to attack once more, to consolidate the front between Fleury and the Thiaumont fortification. The attack begun on 1 August and lasted on and off until 6 September. The advantage alternated between the Germans and the French, but neither party achieved any real success. The fighting zone was the area between fort Souville and the Froideterre fortification. This area had turned into a quagmire with shell holes where both sides took turns in attacking and counterattacking. Exhausted French troops after a battle The battlefield was covered with casualties; there was no longer one front-line. The troops on both sides survived under ghastly circumstances. There was an enormous shortage of drinking water, munitions and food. The losses on both sides were enormous. As of 6 September rest had (temporarily) set in at the battlefield of Verdun. Phase 6 ï¿½ The French Offensive The Relief of Von Knobelsdorf and Von Falkenhayn On 23 August the message was received in the Stenay headquarters that general Von Knobelsdorf had been relieved of his duties.

The criticism on Von Falkenhayn increased as well. The German Kaiser decided that Ludendorff and Von Hindenburg should be the new commanders-in-chief, as they had proven to be worthy of this position at the eastern front. Von Falkenhayn was posted to Rumania. The first action of general Ludendorff was a cease fire at Verdun, but the French army command had set their mind on striking back. The Fall of Fort Douaumont and Fort Vaux On 21 October 1916 the French attack on the right bank of the Meuse started with a heavy bombardment over a part of the front-line that was seven kilometres wide. At the same time fort Douaumont was bombed with a new sort of 400 mm gun. On 24 October the French attackers stirred: the new system of the moving fire screen [barrage] was working excellently and the German front was rounded up. Two direct hits found their way into the heart of fort Douaumont and caused enormous damage. The Germans left the fort because it was considered indefensible. Therefore it came into the hands of the French rather easily.

Fort Vaux shortly after the war Fort Douaumont shortly after the war On 25 October fort Vaux was attacked. German machine-gun fire destroyed the trench waves of attack every time. After this the attacks of fort Vaux were ceased. When the German army command concluded that the fort was in danger of being separated from the German front, it was decided to clear the fort and blow it up. The French could occupy the ruins. After this it stayed quiet on the front for a long time. The Last French Offensive The French decided to attack once more to force the Germans back to their original positions of February 1916. On 11 December the French artillery fire started again and on 13 December the French advanced behind a rolling artillery barrage. The Germans clung on determinedly. The French losses were huge but finally the front broke. On 19 December 1916 the German army command concluded that they had suffered a defeat at Verdun. The German army had once and for all been pushed back to its original positions. The battle of Verdun had come to an end.

First world war: Lord Northcliffe reports on the Battle of Verdun, 1916 | World news | The Guardian Close 1916: The Battle of Verdun, by Lord Northcliffe What is the secret motive underlying the German attempt to break the French line at Verdun, in which the Crown Prince's army is incurring such appalling losses? From the evidence of German deserters, it is known that the attack was originally intended to take place a month or two hence, when the ground was dry. Premature spring caused the Germans to accelerate their plans. There were two final delays owing to bad weather, and then came the colossal onslaught of February 21. Nothing whatever has been admitted by the Germans as to the appalling price in blood they have paid and are still paying. Yet none of the prisoners questioned estimated the losses at less than one-third of the total effectives. Taking into account all available indications, it may safely be assumed that, during the fighting of the first 13 days, the Germans lost in killed, wounded and prisoners at least 100,000 men.

The profits - as the soldier speaks of such matters - being so small, what then were the motives that impelled the attack on Verdun? Was it economic pressure which led to the miscalculation that the taking over of the French line here was a means of ending the war? The Germans are so wont to misread the minds of other nations that they are quite foolish enough to make themselves believe this or any other foolish thing. It cannot be pretended the attack had in it anything of military necessity. The district of Verdun lies in one of the coldest and most misty sectors in the long line between Nieuport and Switzerland. Changes of temperature, too, are somewhat more frequent than elsewhere - not long ago here occurred one of nature's furious and romantic reminders of her power to impose her will. The opposing French and German trenches, their parapets hard frozen, were so close that they were actually within hearing of each other. Towards dawn a rapid thaw set in.

The parapets melted and subsided, and two long lines of men stood up naked, as it were, before each other, face to face with only two possibilities: wholesale murder on the one side or the other, or a temporary unofficial peace for the making of fresh parapet protections. The situation was astounding and unique in the history of trench warfare. The French and German officers, without conferring and unwilling to negotiate, turned their backs so they might not see officially so unwarlike a scene, and the men on each side rebuilt their parapets without the firing of a single shot. This instance serves to illustrate the precarious weather in which the Germans undertook [this] adventure. It is one of the most gruesome facts of the war that the French, peering through the moonlight at what they thought to be stealthily crawling Germans, found them to be wounded men frozen to death ... This vast battle might have been arranged for the benefit of interested spectators, were it not that the whole zone for miles is as tightly closed to the outer world as a lodge of freemasons.

Furnished with every possible kind of pass, accompanied by a member of the French headquarters staff in a military car, I was nevertheless held up by intractable gendarmes at a point 25 miles away from the great scene. Even at that distance the mournful reverberation of the guns was insistent. As the gentry examined our papers and waited for telephonic instructions, I counted more than 200 of the distant voices of Kultur. When one finally arrives at the battlefield, there are a dozen vantage points from which, with glasses or the naked eye, one can take in much that has happened. Verdun lies in a great basin with the silvery Meuse twining in the valley. Small groups of firs darken some of the hills, giving a natural resemblance to Scotland. The present attack on the French is by far the most violent incident of the whole western war. As I write it is late, yet the bombardment is continuing, and the massed guns of the Germans are of greater calibre than have ever been used in such numbers.

The superb calm of the French people, the efficiency of their organisation, the equipment of their cheery soldiery, convince one that the men in the German machine would never be able to compare with them. Whatever may be the result of the attack on Verdun, every such effort will add many more thousands of corpses to those lying in the valley of the Meuse. Could neutrals see the kind of men whom the Germans do not scruple to use as soldiers, their faith in Teutonic physical efficiency would receive a shock. Battle of Verdun - World War I World War I World War I: Battle of Verdun Battle of Verdun. Photograph Source: Public Domain Updated December 01, 2015. Battle of Verdun - Conflict & Dates: The Battle of Verdun was fought during World War I (1914-1918) and lasted from February 21, 1916 until December 18, 1916. Armies & Commanders at Verdun: 30,000 men (Feb. 21, 1916) Germans 150,000 men (Feb.

21, 1916) Battle of Verdun - Overview: By 1915, the Western Front had become a stalemate as both sides engaged in trench warfare. Unable to achieve a decisive breakthrough, offensives simply resulted in heavy casualties with little gain. Seeking to shatter the Anglo-French lines, the German Chief of Staff, Erich von Falkenhayn, began planning a massive assault on the French city of Verdun. A fortress town on the Meuse River, Verdun protected the plains of Champagne and the approaches to Paris. Surrounded by rings of forts and batteries, Verdun's defenses had been weakened in 1915, as artillery was shifted to other sections of the line. Despite its reputation as a fortress, Verdun was selected as it was located in a salient in German lines and could only be supplied by a single road, the Voie Sacrée, from a railhead located at Bar-le-Duc. Conversely, the Germans would be able to attack the city from three sides while enjoying a much stronger logistical network. With these advantages in hand, von Falkenhayn believed that Verdun would only be able to hold out for a few weeks.

Shifting forces to the Verdun area, the Germans planned to launch the offensive on February 12, 1916. Due to poor weather, the attack was postponed until February 21. This delay, coupled with accurate intelligence reports, allowed the French to shift two divisions of the XXXth Corps to the Verdun area prior to the German assault. At 7:15 AM on February 21, the Germans commenced a ten-hour bombardment of the French lines around the city. Attacking with three army corps, the Germans moved forward utilizing storm troopers and flamethrowers. Staggered by the weight of the German attack, the French were forced to fall back three miles in the first day of fighting. On the 24th, troops of XXX Corps were compelled to abandon their second line of defense, but were buoyed by the arrival of the French XX Corps. That night the decision was made to shift General Philippe Petain's Second Army to the Verdun sector. Bad news for the French continued the next day as Fort Douaumont, northeast of the city, was lost to German troops. Taking command at Verdun, Petain reinforced the city's fortifications and laid out new defensive lines.

On the final day of the month, French resistance near the village of Douaumont slowed the enemy advance, allowing the city's garrison to be reinforced. Pushing forward, the Germans began to lose the protection of their own artillery, while coming under fire from French guns on the west bank of the Meuse. Pounding German columns, French artillery badly bled the Germans at Douaumont and ultimately forced them to abandon the frontal assault on Verdun. Changing strategies, the Germans began assaults on the flanks of the city in March. On the west bank of the Meuse, their advance focused on the hills of Le Mort Homme and Cote (Hill) 304. In a series of brutal battles, they succeeded in capturing both. This accomplished, they began assaults east of the city. Focusing their attention on Fort Vaux, the Germans shelled the French fortification around the clock. Storming forward, German troops captured the fort's superstructure, but a savage battle continued in its underground tunnels until early June. As the fighting raged, Petain was promoted to lead the Centre Army Group on May 1, while General Robert Nivelle was given command of the front at Verdun.

Having secured Fort Vaux, the Germans pushed southwest against Fort Souville. On June 22, they shelled the area with poison diphosgene gas shells before launching a massive assault the next day. Over several days of fighting the Germans initially had success, but met increasing French resistance. While some German troops reached the top of Fort Souville on July 12, they were forced to withdraw by French artillery. The battles around Souville marked furthest German advance during the campaign. With the opening of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, some German troops were withdrawn from Verdun to meet the new threat. With the tide stemmed, Nivelle began planning a counter-offensive for the sector. For his failure, von Falkenhayn was replaced by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg in August. On October 24, Nivelle began attacking the German lines around the city. Making heavy use of artillery, his infantry was able to push the Germans back on the east bank of the river. Forts Douaumont and Vaux were recaptured on October 24 and November 2 respectively, and by December the Germans had been nearly forced back to their original lines.

The hills on the west bank of the Meuse were retaken in a localized offensive in August 1917. Battle of Verdun - Aftermath: The Battle of Verdun was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of World War I. A brutal battle of attrition, Verdun cost the French an estimated 161,000 dead, 101,000 missing, and 216,000 wounded. German losses were approximately 142,000 killed and 187,000 wounded. After the war, von Falkenhayn claimed that his intention at Verdun was not to win a decisive battle, but rather to "bleed the French white" by forcing them to make a stand at a place from which they could not retreat. Recent scholarship has discredited these statements as von Falkenhayn attempting to justify the campaign's failure. The Battle of Verdun has assumed an iconic place in French military history as symbol of the nation's determination to defend its soil at all costs.

Selected Sources Battle of Verdun French forest is still littered with WW1 bodies, arsenic and shells | Daily Mail Online Next Inside the toxic grave of the longest battle in history: The French forest where 300,000 died in 300 days at the Battle of Verdun is still littered with so many bodies, arsenic and unexploded shells that nothing grows after 100 years The battle for Verdun in 1916 was the longest in history, with millions of shells fired over 10 months At its end in December of that year, the French victorious, an area larger than the city of Paris had been destroyed The French labelled it a 'Zone Rouge' shortly after the end of the war, leaving it to be reclaimed by nature A century on, the ground is still littered with unexploded shells, strewn with barbed wire and filled with arsenic Parts of the forest are still so dangerous the French have sealed them off, while shells are still turned up by farmers France remembers Battle of Verdun, symbol of suffering and resistance France remembers Battle of Verdun, symbol of suffering and resistance Camille Bouissou Share View photos People wearing uniforms of the 56th and 5

9th light infantry battalions and standard-bearers pose during a ceremony marking the centenary of the beginning of the battle of Verdun at the Ossuary of Douaumont, eastern France, on February 21, 2016 (AFP Photo/Jean-Christophe Verhaegen) More Paris (AFP) - France remembered the horror of the Battle of Verdun on Sunday, exactly 100 years on from the first shots fired in World War I's longest battle, which became a symbol of resistance and suffering.

Gathering at dawn in the forest of Caures, near Verdun, around 300 people in WWI military uniform marched down the narrow lane where the fighting started on February 21, 1916. "It was here, 100 years ago, that the first shells fell," one man said to the sound of explosions. "Some 1,400 guns and mortars threw up almost a million shells. Nearly 400 guns were focused on the forest of Caures." The last veteran of Verdun died in 2008 so this year's commemorations have put the emphasis on educating the young, with thousands of French and German children attending the re-enactment. "Time has done its work. Today, Verdun is no longer a memory, it is history," said Thierry Hubscher, director of the Verdun Memorial, which has been renovated for the centenary. A strong point on the long frontline dividing the French and German armies, Verdun in northeastern France was the target of a German offensive whose aim -- according to commander-in-chief Erich von Falkenhayn -- was to "bleed France dry".

The battle was waged over a tiny stretch of land and ended with neither side making any significant headway. Around 300,000 French and German soldiers died in the 10-month battle in which some 30 million shells are estimated to have been fired. With some three-quarters of France's soldiers having experienced the "hell of Verdun", the battle quickly embedded itself in the country's traumatised psyche, viewed by the French in much the same way as the British saw the Battle of Somme. "It's important to be here to honour those who lost their lives, but also to confirm the friendship of France and Germany at a moment when nationalism is growing," said French secretary of state for veterans Jean-Marc Todeschini, after a mass at the Douaumont memorial where the bones of 130,000 unidentified soldiers are kept. - 'They shall not pass' - French General Robert Nivelle's stirring phrase, "On ne passe pas" ("They shall not pass") came to symbolise the essence of national resistance and was appropriated by military leaders across the world in later years.

For Germans, the soldier of Verdun, striving forward under heavy mortar fire became a mythical hero, praised in Nazi propaganda as the forerunner to the regime's own SS soldiers, said German historian Gerd Krumeich, who has co-written a new book about the battle with a French colleague, Antoine Prost. But behind that mythologising about courage and sacrifice lay horrific carnage. Such was the trauma of the battle that it took decades before the governments of France and Germany could contemplate joint commemorations. In 1966, German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer hoped to commemorate the battle of Verdun alongside France's President Charles De Gaulle, but it was deemed too soon, said Prost. Germany had to wait until 1984 for an official invite, leading to the iconic image of Helmut Kohl and Francois Mitterrand standing hand-in-hand at a memorial ceremony that came to symbolise the new era of peace in the heart of Europe. Such a moment did not come easily. It was just a few months since Germany had been left out of the 40th anniversary ceremony of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, said Prost.

In all, the First World War killed some 10 million military men and left 20 million injured, many of them disfigured by explosives or poison gas, or reduced to human wrecks by what became known as "shell shock". Between 1914 and 1918, among the major belligerents, Germany lost 1.9 million troops, Russia 1.7 million, France 1.4 million, the Austro-Hungarian empire a million and Britain 760,000. Reblog 10 Significant Battles Of The First World War | Imperial War Museums 10 Significant Battles Of The First World War By Q 51489 At the start of the First World War , Germany hoped to avoid fighting on two fronts by knocking out France before turning to Russia, France’s ally . The initial German offensive had some early success, but there were not enough reinforcements immediately available to sustain momentum. The French and British launched a counter-offensive at the Marne (6-10 September 1914) and after several days of bitter fighting the Germans retreated. Germany’s failure to defeat the French and the British at the Marne also had important strategic implications.

The Russians had mobilised more quickly than the Germans had anticipated and launched their first offensive within two weeks of the war’s outbreak. The Battle of Tannenberg in August 1914 ended in German victory, but the combination of German victory in the east and defeat in the west meant the war would not be quick, but protracted and extended across several fronts. The Battle of the Marne also marked the end of mobile warfare on the Western Front . Following their retreat, the Germans re-engaged Allied forces on the Aisne, where fighting began to stagnate into trench warfare. The opening months of the war caused profound shock due to the huge casualties caused by modern weapons . Losses on all fronts for the year 1914 topped five million, with a million men killed. This was a scale of violence unknown in any previous war. The terrible casualties sustained in open warfare meant that soldiers on all fronts had begun to protect themselves by digging trenches, which would dominate the Western Front until 1918.

Q 13234 The Gallipoli campaign (25 April 1915 - 9 January 1916) was the land-based element of a strategy intended to allow Allied ships to pass through the Dardanelles , capture Constantinople (now Istanbul) and ultimately knock Ottoman Turkey out of the war. But Allied plans were based on the mistaken belief that the Ottomans could be easily overcome. At dawn on 25 April 1915, Allied troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in Ottoman Turkey. General Sir Ian Hamilton decided to make two landings, placing the British 29th Division at Cape Helles and the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps ( ANZAC ) north of Gaba Tepe in an area later dubbed Anzac Cove . Both landings were quickly contained by determined Ottoman troops and neither the British nor the Anzacs were able to advance. Trench warfare quickly took hold, mirroring the fighting of the Western Front. Casualties mounted heavily and in the summer heat conditions rapidly deteriorated . Sickness was rampant, food quickly became inedible and there were vast swarms of black corpse flies. In August a new assault was launched north of Anzac Cove.

This attack, along with a fresh landing at Suvla Bay, quickly failed and stalemate returned. In December, it was decided to evacuate – first Anzac and Suvla, and then Helles in January 1916. Gallipoli became a defining moment in the history of both Australia and New Zealand, revealing characteristics that both countries have used to define their soldiers: endurance, determination, initiative and 'mateship'. For the Ottomans, it was a brief respite in the decline of their empire. But through the emergence of Mustafa Kemal (later known as Atatürk) as one of the campaign's leading figures, it also led to the foundation of modern Turkey. SP 1592 The Battle of Jutland (31 May - 1 June 1916) was the largest naval battle of the First World War. It was the only time that the British and German fleets of 'dreadnought' battleships actually came to blows. The German High Seas Fleet hoped to weaken the Royal Navy by launching an ambush on the British Grand Fleet in the North Sea.

German Admiral Reinhard Scheer planned to lure out both Admiral Sir David Beatty’s Battlecruiser Force and Admiral Sir John Jellicoe's Grand Fleet. Scheer hoped to destroy Beatty’s force before Jellicoe’s arrived, but the British were warned by their codebreakers and put both forces to sea early. Jutland was a confused and bloody action involving 250 ships and around 100,000 men. Initial encounters between Beatty’s force and the High Seas Fleet resulted in the loss of several ships. The Germans damaged Beatty’s flagship, HMS Lion, and sank HMS Indefatigable and HMS Queen Mary, both of which blew up when German shells penetrated their ammunition magazines. Beatty withdrew until Jellicoe arrived with the main fleet. The Germans, now outgunned, turned for home. Although it failed to achieve the decisive victory each side hoped for, the battle confirmed British naval dominance and secured its control of shipping lanes, allowing Britain to implement the blockade that would contribute to German defeat in 1918. The British lost 14 ships and over 6,000 men, but were ready for action again the next day.

The Germans, who had lost 11 ships and over 2,500 men, avoided complete destruction but never again seriously challenged British control of the North Sea. Q 69971 The Battle of Verdun (21 February - 18 December 1916) was the longest battle of the First World War . It was also one of the costliest. It began in February 1916 with a German attack on the fortified French town of Verdun , where bitter fighting would continue for most of the year. The ten-hour opening bombardment saw an unprecedented concentration of firepower and although the French were forced back they did not break. In the summer, the Germans were forced to reduce their strength at Verdun after the British and Russians launched their own offensives elsewhere. The French retook lost ground in the autumn and through careful management of their army, efficient logistics and the resilience of the troops fighting for their homeland, the French secured a defensive victory before the year’s end. The Germans had lost over 430,000 men killed or wounded and the French approximately 550,000.

The trauma of this loss not only affected French political and military decision-making during and after the war, it had a lasting effect on French national consciousness. Verdun also had serious strategic implications for the rest of the war. The Allies had planned to defeat Germany through a series of large co-ordinated offensives, but the German attack at Verdun drastically reduced the number of French troops available. Britain and its Empire would have to lead the 'Big Push' on the Western Front . Art.IWM ART 4484 The Battle of the Somme (1 July - 18 November 1916) was a joint operation between British and French forces intended to achieve a decisive victory over the Germans on the Western Front . For many in Britain, the resulting battle remains the most painful and infamous episode of the First World War . In December 1915, Allied commanders had met to discuss strategies for the upcoming year and agreed to launch a joint French and British attack in the region of the River Somme in the summer of 1916. Intense German pressure on the French at Verdun throughout 1916 made action on the Somme increasingly urgent and meant the British would take on the main role in the offensive.

They were faced with German defences that had been carefully laid out over many months. Despite a seven-day bombardment prior to the attack on 1 July, the British did not achieve the quick breakthrough their military leadership had planned for and the Somme became a deadlocked battle of attrition. Over the next 141 days, the British advanced a maximum of seven miles. More than one million men from all sides were killed, wounded or captured. British casualties on the first day – numbering over 57,000, of which 19,240 were killed – make it the bloodiest day in British military history. The Somme, like Verdun for the French, has a prominent place in British history and popular memory and has come to represent the loss and apparent futility of the war. But the Allied offensive on the Somme was a strategic necessity fought to meet the needs of an international alliance. British commanders learned difficult but important lessons on the Somme that would contribute to eventual Allied victory in 1918.

Q 98440 The Russian Army had suffered a series of crushing defeats in the first year of the war, but the Brusilov Offensive (4 June - 20 September 1916) would be the most successful Russian offensive – and one of the most successful breakthrough operations – of the First World War . Named after the Russian commander Aleksei Brusilov who led it, the offensive used tactics that were to also prove successful on the Western Front. Brusilov used a short, sharp artillery bombardment and shock troops to exploit weak points, helping to return an element of surprise to the attack. The offensive coincided with the British attack on the Somme and was part of the effort to relieve pressure not only on the French at Verdun, but on the Western Front as a whole. The Russian attack also drew Austro-Hungarian forces away from the Italian Front and put increased pressure on the already strained and increasingly demoralised Austro-Hungarian Army. Germany was forced to redirect troops to the Eastern Front in support of its ally. This was part of an emerging pattern of Austria-Hungary’s growing dependence on Germany, which in turn would create a strain on German resources.

The Russians were never able to duplicate Brusilov's success. It was their last major offensive of the war and led to an overall weakening – both militarily and politically – of both Russia and Austria-Hungary. The war stoked political and social unrest, leading to revolution and eventually the total collapse of the Russian Army. Q 5938 The Third Battle of Ypres (31 July - 10 November 1917) has come to symbolise the horrors associated with the war on the Western Front . It is frequently known by the name of the village where it culminated – Passchendaele . The area surrounding the Belgian town of Ypres was a key battleground throughout the war. By 1917 British forces were suffering steady casualties there, holding a salient surrounded by higher ground. Sir Douglas Haig planned to break out of this poor position and, by capturing an important rail junction a few miles to the east, to undermine the whole German position in Flanders. If this succeeded he hoped to threaten the German submarine base at Bruges as the German U-boat campaign was threatening Britain with defeat.

A preliminary operation to seize the Messines Ridge was a dramatic success, but the Germans had reinforced their position by the time the main battle was launched on 31 July. Initial attacks failed due to over-ambitious plans and unseasonal rain. The drainage of the low-lying battlefield had been destroyed by the bombardment, creating muddy conditions that made movement difficult. Drier conditions in September enabled British forces to make better progress during this phase of the offensive. This demoralised the Germans, who did not have an answer to the British 'bite and hold' tactics of taking limited portions of German positions and holding it against counter-attacks that cost the German Army further casualties. This period encouraged Haig to continue the offensive in October. But the rain returned and conditions once again deteriorated. Although the Canadians finally captured Passchendaele ridge on 10 November, the vital railway still lay five miles away. The offensive was called off. Many soldiers felt utterly demoralised and the government's confidence in Haig hit a low point. Both sides had suffered heavy casualties, but the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) had made no strategic gain.

Art.IWM ART 1986 The German Spring Offensives (21 March - 18 July 1918) represented a calculated gamble for Germany in trying to tip the balance on the Western Front once and for all. Operation 'Michael', the first of the offensives, began on the damp and misty morning of 21 March 1918. British and Allied troops were met with a huge concentration of German artillery, gas , smoke and infantry. The German Army achieved unprecedented gains measured in miles rather than yards. Germany had concentrated all of its resources on the Western Front after the defeat of Russia. Facing them were weary Allied forces that for three years had largely been on the offensive, had not fully organised their defences in depth and were beginning to suffer manpower shortages. In the face of the onslaught the Allied line bent but did not break. The fighting became uncharacteristically open as isolated pockets of defenders attempted to slow the German advance. Such was the situation that on 11 April, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig issued a special order of the day using the phrase 'Backs to the Wall' to sum up the desperate but determined fighting in progress that needed to be maintained.

But whilst the German offensives were tactical successes, they were strategic failures. The advances had no decisive goal other than to punch a hole in the Allied line and primarily target the British. The largest gains took place where the Allies were most willing to give ground. German casualties were high, particularly amongst the best units. The Allies appointed Marshal Ferdinand Foch as Allied Generalissimo to better co-ordinate a united defence. The tide began to turn and by early summer the German offensives ground to a halt. Q 9353 The Battle of Amiens (8-11 August 1918) heralded the start of the Hundred Days campaign, a four-month period of Allied success. After surviving the German Spring Offensives, Allied forces launched a counter-punch of their own and from the summer of 1918 onwards, they were constantly on the advance. Through the harsh experiences of the past the Allies had developed advanced operational methods that best used the materiel power at their disposal. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was at the forefront, combining scientific artillery methods and flexible infantry firepower with the use of tanks and aircraft. These combined arms methods were to form a blueprint for the future.

The first Allied counter-attacks began in July and the Battle of Amiens opened on 8 August. Secretive preparations ensured surprise and the BEF made gains of seven miles on that one day – German General Erich Ludendorff described it as the 'black day' of the German Army. But unlike offensives of the past, the Allies now knew when to stop. After four days of fighting at Amiens the battle was halted as its effects diminished, with a fresh offensive launched elsewhere. This set the pattern for success. A series of co-ordinated hammer blows forced increasingly exhausted German forces back. Allied attacks were flexible, utilising surprise and mobility but also the methodical approach of 1917 when necessary to break German defences. Casualties were still significant, but the gains were decisive. By November the German Army could fight no longer. It had been pushed back to the battlefields of 1914 and was moving in only one direction. The Hundred Days was an impressive feat of arms that led to Allied victory .

Question: In which year of the First World War was the Battle of Verdun?
Answer: 1916