The Battle of Verdun
One of the Most Brutal Events of World War I
The Battle of Verdun happened during a period of ten months. The battle began on February 21, 1916 and ended on December 18, that same year. It was fought between the French and German armies. The German Commander, General Erich von Falkenhayn led the attack against the French whose Commander was General Joseph Joffre and was later replaced by General Henri Phillipe Petain.
The battle took place at the bulge in the French front line at Verdun, which was known as the Verdun salient. The Germans launched the attack on the French, wanting the battle to be a long one, with the intention of inflicting as many casualties on the French as possible. The Battle of Verdun was part of the Germans’ unsuccessful campaign to take the offensive on the western front.
On February 21, 1916 the Germans attacked the forts surrounding Verdun using an intense artillery bombardment. This artillery bombardment along France’s eight mile front lasted for a ghastly twenty one hours. The French had to retreat as the Germans advanced quickly. Fort Douaumont (near Verdun) surrendered four days after the first attack. German commanders ordered another attack on March 6, which resulted in the surrendering of Fort Harcourt on March 22. The following week, Fort Malancourt fell to the Germans.
The Germans then turned their attention to the west bank of the Meuse River, which they focused their attack on Hill 295 (Le Mort Homme), six miles Northwest of Verdun. Hill 295 fell to the Germans on May 29, despite all French efforts.
Things were not looking good for the French as the German attacks ensued. The French Air Force was sent into the battle in April, in hopes of successfully defending Verdun and its surrounding areas. Despite the French’s efforts, Fort Thiaumont and Fort Vaux had also fallen to the German army in June. Verdun itself still remained undefeated.
The Germans attacked the heights on June 23, in attempt to overthrow the Verdun and Meuse bridges. The French were able to withstand the Germans. However both sides still ended up losing hundreds of thousands of men.
A chance for the French to regain their forts occurred when the British attacked German forces near the Somme River. This battle was known as the Battle of Somme. This British attack and a Russian offensive in the east forced the German army to transfer troops away from Verdun, to the Somme River area. The Germans were now in a defensive position which triggered the French to take the offensive, which they did quickly.
Fort Vaux, Fort Thiaumont, and Fort Douaumont had been reclaimed by France by November. By December 1916 the French had advanced back to their original position before the battle. Neither side gained anything from the battle. The loses, though, were very vivid and plentiful.
The Battle of Verdun is considered to be one of the longest and one of the most brutal events of World War I. The site of the Verdun battlefield is remembered as the “battlefield with the highest density of dead per square yard.” Both French and German armies suffered from an incredible loss of life. The casualties estimated to about 540,000 men for France and 430,000 men for Germany.
A School Link Article. Courtesy of Villelmina Cioccio, LCCHS, March 15, 1999 .
