Battle of Verdun

The Battle of Verdun, which began on February 21st and ended on December 19th, 1916, was one of the longest and most violent conflicts of World War One.

This conflict involved nearly three-quarters of the French army. According to sources from the Verdun Memorial Museum, it began when the German forces, led by General Erich Von Falkenhayn, began pounding French forts and trenches with artillery fire from 1200 guns. To allow his forces to deploy, the General sought to put an end to the trench warfare that began in 1914. The Germans broke through the French front lines and took over Fort Douaumont without a struggle in the early days. Despite severe shelling, the French infantry remained in their posts and resisted the Germans. Henri Petain, a French general, was assigned to defend Verdun and command the men. He increased traffic on the Bar-le-Duc to Verdun route, which transported men, supplies, and weaponry to the battlefield. This route was utilized by over 4000 trucks, 2000 vehicles, 800 ambulances, 200 buses, and vans. This guaranteed that when the Germans attacked the left bank of the Meuse on March 6, 1916, despite severe combat on Le Mort Homme that lasted into April, they were unable to break the French front line. However, by the end of June, the Germans had taken Fort Vaux.

When: 1916