100th Anniversary of the Battle of Verdun: A Bloody Symbol of Modern War
Thursday, February 18th, 2016February 18, 2016
This Saturday, February 21, marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Verdun in France during World War I (1914-1918). The battle was fought between German and French troops around Verdun, a fortress city on the Meuse River. The brutal battle lasted more than nine months (until late December 1916), and ended in a slim and costly French victory. Together with the Battle of the Somme, which began a few months later, Verdun was one of the bloodiest examples of trench warfare in history. Verdun is a city of great historic and strategic value to France. The Germans knew the French would defend it at all cost.
The 1916 Battle of Verdun, in northeastern France, came to symbolize the destructiveness of warfare in World War I. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers died over the exchange of very little ground. Much of the fighting centered on the French forts northeast of Verdun, particularly Vaux and Douaumont. Credit: WORLD BOOK map
The Battle of Verdun began on Feb. 21, 1916, with a massive German attack on French positions around Verdun. For months, French defenses held the city against overwhelming force. However, a number of key positions—including forts Douaumont and Vaux—fell to the German attack. As the battle dragged into summer, both sides suffered major casualties. In July 1916, after the start of the Allied offensive on the Somme River, the Germans reduced their efforts at Verdun. In the autumn, repeated French attacks regained the lost forts. By battle’s end in December, the lines were almost exactly where they had been at the start.
Graves of French soldiers surround the Douaumont Ossuary near Verdun, France. The ossuary holds the remains of about 130,000 unidentified soldiers killed on nearby battlefields. Credit: © Julia Gavin, Alamy Images
General Henri Philippe Pétain organized the defense of Verdun. France hailed him as a hero. However, the Battle of Verdun came to symbolize the destructiveness of modern war. More than 2 million soldiers fought in the battle, and more than 700,000 of them were killed, wounded, or went missing. Verdun and the surrounding area were almost completely destroyed.
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