The Battle of Verdun in was the longest single battle of World War One. From the Flying Tigers to the Red Baron, experience the Great War in this quiz. By the end, casualties numbered to about 400,000 for the French and 350,000 for the Germans. (Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images). As the French defense was reorganized, the Germans captured the undefended Fort Douaumont, arguably the most formidable of the strongpoints surrounding Verdun. Battle of Verdun Facts. The Battle of Verdun was the longest of World War I and was also among the costliest. The following day the Germans capitalized on their gains, repelling a French counterattack. The millions of artillery shells that pummeled the … In a letter to German Emperor William II in late 1915, he argued that Britain was the most formidable of the Allied powers, but he conceded that it could not be assaulted directly, save by submarine warfare, as the British sector of the Western Front did not lend itself to offensive operations (an assessment that would be proved correct at the First Battle of the Somme). Total casualties are estimated at one million. Omissions? The Battle of Verdun took place in and was the longest single battle of World War One. Combat engineers then followed, ahead of the main body of the advance. Battle of Verdun Facts. Falkenhayn knew that any threat to it was likely to be fiercely contested, since its fall would come as a serious blow to French morale. Battle of Verdun; 1916. Using rugged terrain and a huge air presence to screen their movements, Falkenhayn’s men spent seven weeks constructing new railway lines, assembling heavy concrete bunkers to house troops, and stockpiling more than 1,200 artillery pieces. German losses were approximately 142,000 killed and 187,000 wounded. The road was later renamed “La Voie Sacrée” (“the Sacred Way”) to commemorate its vital contribution to the war effort. Over the next 10 days, thousands of men and dozens of guns were moved to Verdun to oppose the expected German attack. Upon taking command of French forces in late-February 1916, General Philippe Petain took steps to keep the lifeline open. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Each of these advances was itself to be secured by an intense artillery bombardment, brief for surprise and making up for its short duration by the number of batteries and their rapidity of fire. Not only that, but the strategic plan was to draw all the resources from the French Army into the artillery. Following the establishment of a relatively static front, the heavily fortified area of Verdun remained a formidable salient into German territory. Germany seized command of the skies during the early stages of the Battle of Verdun, but the tables later turned after the French assembled a force of 226 planes and organized them into some of history’s first fighter squadrons. After a huge eight-hour artillery bombardment, German soldiers advanced. Quiz. German Chief of General Staff, … (Credit: Public Domain). News of Douaumont’s fall was met with impromptu celebrations and even a school holiday in Germany, but it came as a severe blow to the already wounded French morale. “I arrived there with 175 men,” wrote one Frenchman whose unit fell victim to a German artillery attack at Verdun. It was the chosen one because it was a communication for the Germans and a representation of the French defense. The Battle of Verdun—also known as the "Mincing Machine of Verdun" or "Meuse Mill"—became Despite the Germans’ plan to “bleed France white,” the Battle of Verdun resulted in roughly equal casualties for both sides. The Battle of Verdun was the longest battle of World War I and the world history. The chief architect of the Battle of Verdun was Erich von Falkenhayn. Petain also used the road to rotate more than 40 divisions in and out of the Verdun sector, which kept the French troops fresh and helped combat the effects of shell shock. German Gen. Erich von Falkenhayn believed that the war would be won or lost in France, and he felt that a strategy of attrition was Germany’s best hope of achieving its goals. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Uncover the history of the most ferocious battle of World War I, the Battle of Verdun, 1916, Location of French forts in the area around Verdun, 1916, taken from the, Key sites of the Battle of Verdun, taken from the. Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. Was Italy an ally of Germany in World War I? At 7:15 am on February 21, the Germans commenced a massive bombardment of a front some 25 miles (40 km) long, from the Bois d’Avocourt to Étain. French resistance stiffened over subsequent days, however, and the German advance slowed. Interestingly, the city also had sentimental value for the Germans thanks to 843 A.D.’s Treaty of Verdun, which had divided the Carolingian Empire and created the core of what later became Germany. It was one of the longest, bloodiest, and most-ferocious battles of the war; French casualties amounted to about 400,000, German ones to about 350,000. 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