The Battle of Verdun
February 21st-December 18th, 1916
Verdun during WWI was French Fortress town on the River Meuse and about 124 miles east from Paris. To the French, Verdun was of importance to their hearts and not so much in war terms.
In a letter sent to German Kaiser Wilhelm II, German Cheif of Staff Erich von Falkenhayn argued that the key to winning the war was to focus fighting on the Western Front and not so much on the Eastern Front against the Russians(who Falkenhayn believed was on the verg of a revolution and would leave to war). He also argued that if France were to be defeated, then remaining Britian would seek terms with Germany or suffer utter defeat. Falkenhayn talked about this because he believed that Britain was the foundation to the Allies and needed to be removed from the war. Along with that letter in December 1915, Falkenhayn decided to attack the French army at cherished Verdun.
Although Falkenhayn decision to attack Verdun as apart of the German offensive was canny and that he wasn't going to be able to break through this part of Allied line, he believed this would be the place were he would quote ,"bleed the French army white." The first part of Falkenhayn's plan was to bombard the fort thus drawling the French army in from all over the Western Front to defend it. On February 21st, the 21 hour bombardment of Verdun began at 7:15am with 1,400 guns firing 100,000 shells at Verdun every hour. This was done in the effort to weaken the French troops on the front lines before the Germans could advance into the town.
Leading the bombardment and the German 5th army was Crown Prince Wilhelm who was chosen to lead the advance into the town and to capture it. After a renewed bombardment on the French trenches, Wilhelm and his one million troops advanced causing the 200,000 French troops to retreat to their second line. However, by halting his advancing troops in order bombard the French, Wilhelm caused the momentum of his troops to decrease.
By February 24th, the Germans had successfully pushed the French to their third line of trenches which were only about 13 miles away from Verdun itself. They also managed to capture outer fort Fort Douaumont which caused the moral of the French troops to falter. French Chief-in-Commander Joseph Joffre remained determined in stopping the German attack and declared that he would court-martial and officer who withdrawled due to the German advance. He placed Henri-Philippe Pertain incharge of the Verdun sector who literally told Joffre ,"They shall not pass!" Pertain then gave orders that no French force could withdrawl and for French division around the Western Front to fight at Verdun. Out of the whole 330 divisions in the French army, 259 of them would fight at Verdun.
The German advance was halted by the end of February but on March 6th, the Germans began a new offensive making good progress first but French counter-attacks would push the Germans back. Wilhelm for the rest of the month continued to attack the French and by now casualities were increasing rapidly on both sides. The Germans then launched a third offensive on April 9th on both sides of the Verdun salient of trenches. The Germans then captured Mort Homme Hill the second outer fort on May 29th and also secured Fort Vaux when it fell on June 7th. But Pertain defences still managed to be held.
After the momentum gained at the fall of Fort Vaux, the Germans continued to advance and almost broke through the French line by late June early July. It was during this offensive where the Germans launched Phosgene which worked by forming hydrochloric acid within the lungs. Meanwhile, Joffre was pressing the British to launch an offensive in the Western Front to diver the Germans and to drain their manpower. On July 1st, the battle of Somme started causing the Germans to send more of their troops to those lines fulfilling the French wishes.
With a lack of success at Verdun, Erich von Falkenhayn was dismissed, sent to the Transylvanian Front on August 29th by German Kaiser Wilhelm II and was replaced by a more successful Paul von Hindenburg. Also the French General Charles Mangin became the new commander of the Verdun sector and luanched a counter-offensive capturing all the land gained by the Germans. Forcing them back to their original lines at the beginning of the battle.
The battle ended on December 18th making it the longest battle fought during WWI. The French suffered an estimated 550,000 troops while the Germans lost 434,000 troops.
In a letter sent to German Kaiser Wilhelm II, German Cheif of Staff Erich von Falkenhayn argued that the key to winning the war was to focus fighting on the Western Front and not so much on the Eastern Front against the Russians(who Falkenhayn believed was on the verg of a revolution and would leave to war). He also argued that if France were to be defeated, then remaining Britian would seek terms with Germany or suffer utter defeat. Falkenhayn talked about this because he believed that Britain was the foundation to the Allies and needed to be removed from the war. Along with that letter in December 1915, Falkenhayn decided to attack the French army at cherished Verdun.
Although Falkenhayn decision to attack Verdun as apart of the German offensive was canny and that he wasn't going to be able to break through this part of Allied line, he believed this would be the place were he would quote ,"bleed the French army white." The first part of Falkenhayn's plan was to bombard the fort thus drawling the French army in from all over the Western Front to defend it. On February 21st, the 21 hour bombardment of Verdun began at 7:15am with 1,400 guns firing 100,000 shells at Verdun every hour. This was done in the effort to weaken the French troops on the front lines before the Germans could advance into the town.
Leading the bombardment and the German 5th army was Crown Prince Wilhelm who was chosen to lead the advance into the town and to capture it. After a renewed bombardment on the French trenches, Wilhelm and his one million troops advanced causing the 200,000 French troops to retreat to their second line. However, by halting his advancing troops in order bombard the French, Wilhelm caused the momentum of his troops to decrease.
By February 24th, the Germans had successfully pushed the French to their third line of trenches which were only about 13 miles away from Verdun itself. They also managed to capture outer fort Fort Douaumont which caused the moral of the French troops to falter. French Chief-in-Commander Joseph Joffre remained determined in stopping the German attack and declared that he would court-martial and officer who withdrawled due to the German advance. He placed Henri-Philippe Pertain incharge of the Verdun sector who literally told Joffre ,"They shall not pass!" Pertain then gave orders that no French force could withdrawl and for French division around the Western Front to fight at Verdun. Out of the whole 330 divisions in the French army, 259 of them would fight at Verdun.
The German advance was halted by the end of February but on March 6th, the Germans began a new offensive making good progress first but French counter-attacks would push the Germans back. Wilhelm for the rest of the month continued to attack the French and by now casualities were increasing rapidly on both sides. The Germans then launched a third offensive on April 9th on both sides of the Verdun salient of trenches. The Germans then captured Mort Homme Hill the second outer fort on May 29th and also secured Fort Vaux when it fell on June 7th. But Pertain defences still managed to be held.
After the momentum gained at the fall of Fort Vaux, the Germans continued to advance and almost broke through the French line by late June early July. It was during this offensive where the Germans launched Phosgene which worked by forming hydrochloric acid within the lungs. Meanwhile, Joffre was pressing the British to launch an offensive in the Western Front to diver the Germans and to drain their manpower. On July 1st, the battle of Somme started causing the Germans to send more of their troops to those lines fulfilling the French wishes.
With a lack of success at Verdun, Erich von Falkenhayn was dismissed, sent to the Transylvanian Front on August 29th by German Kaiser Wilhelm II and was replaced by a more successful Paul von Hindenburg. Also the French General Charles Mangin became the new commander of the Verdun sector and luanched a counter-offensive capturing all the land gained by the Germans. Forcing them back to their original lines at the beginning of the battle.
The battle ended on December 18th making it the longest battle fought during WWI. The French suffered an estimated 550,000 troops while the Germans lost 434,000 troops.