In this article, you'll learn about the German strategy, the Artillery bombardment, and the French resistance to the Germans' attack on Verdun. Also, you'll learn how the French won the battle in the end. If you're a history buff, you may be interested in learning about the Verdun fort and its technology.
Artillery bombardment
Artillery bombardment was a key factor in the battle of Verdun. German artillery used a staggering amount of shells, over two million in the opening eight-hour bombardment. In addition to these heavy shells, the Germans used flamethrowers. Despite the heavy bombardment, the French army was able to hold its ground for only three days before the Germans overran their first two defensive lines.
The Battle of Verdun is one of the most important battles of World War One. It was one of the longest and costliest battles in history. It was fought on the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse. It was a planned offensive by German Chief of General Staff Erich von Falkenhayn to secure Germany's victory on the Western Front. The Germans hoped to annihilate the French army before British forces arrived and grew in strength.
German artillery firepower was crucial to the German plan. The goal of the artillery bombardment was to limit the German infantry casualties. The initial German attacks were successful, but the French counter-offensives were unsuccessful, and the French commander Philippe Petain ordered his troops to dig in. This strategy proved to be very effective, but at great cost. As a result, the French commander was soon a controversial figure in French politics.
Although the French managed to hold Verdun, the defensive situation was dire. A message sent to French headquarters stated that the Germans had overran the French second line of trenches, reducing the French to eight kilometers away. Nevertheless, two outer forts held the city.
The battle of Verdun is considered the longest battle in the history of the world war, and is often ranked alongside the Battle of the Marne as the most dramatic. It is also considered to be the checkmate for the German strategy of bringing the war to a swift end.
The Germans chose Verdun for the bombardment primarily because of its strategic location on the Western Front salient. Furthermore, it was an ancient city with rich political history. It was also one of the last cities to fall in the Franco-Prussian War, which took place between 1870 and 1871. Afterwards, it was built up into a heavily fortified stronghold along the German border.
German strategy
The German strategy in the battle of Verdun revolved around its use of artillery firepower. It was meant to limit German infantry casualties and was successful in the early days. However, as the Russian offensive on the Eastern Front drained German resources, the Germans' strategy had to be revised. As a result, fifteen German divisions were pulled from Verdun and redirected towards the eastern front.
Unlike the plains of Artois, Picardy, or Champagne, the theatre of operations at Verdun was not as inviting to the offensive. The terrain was hilly, and its population was spread across an area with uneven terrain. These factors made it difficult for German forces to plan an offensive in Verdun.
The Germans' first offensive was delayed due to weather conditions and a 21-hour preliminary bombardment. As a result, the French commander-in-chief, Joffre, received information of an impending attack. Lieutenant Colonel Emile Driant, who had commanded two battalions in the Verdun salient, tried to improve the trench systems in time. The French Second Army was then sent to the area, bringing 90,000 men and two-and-a-half tons of ammunition.
The Germans initially believed that the battle would be short-lived, but it lasted ten months, from February 21 to December 16. The battle consisted of three phases: the first, the second, and the third. The first phase was the German frontal drive, followed by an attack by wings. This attack, supported by the Crown Prince's army, was thought to be the finishing touch for the German victory.
The German attack on Verdun was planned to crush the French defense. In addition to being poorly defended, the city was also the center of an extensive railway system. The Germans had a vast advantage in firepower and numbers. However, due to bad weather, the German offensive was delayed. This delay allowed French divisions to rush to Verdun.
The Battle of Verdun was the longest battle of the First World War. It was also the most costly. It lasted for 10 months, and caused more than a half-million dead and wounded. It is one of the most important battles in the history of warfare, but it was largely a matter of strategy.
French resistance
The battle of Verdun ended as a decisive victory for the French. The French Army had prepared itself for this victory by digging defensive positions behind the front line, which helped keep the troops fresh and rotate them out of the frontline trenches more often than usual. This innovation was instrumental in winning the battle and preserving French morale.
German forces had turned the area around Verdun into a slaughter, pushing the French to their limit. One of the key factors that helped the French maintain their endurance was the transport of munitions down a single road, nicknamed the 'Voie Sacree', which helped keep the French war machine rolling.
The long and bloody battle of Verdun was a symbol of war and suffering. The first day of the battle, three hundred and twenty men in uniform marched down a narrow lane to the battlefield, where the fighting began. Today, the last survivor of Verdun died in 2008, and commemorations of the battle focus on educating young people about the conflict.
In 1917, German forces began to shift their offensive activities from the left bank of the Meuse to the right bank, where French troops were defending their positions. The French command's objective was to hold firm at Verdun at all costs, so they sent only a few divisions and scant munitions to the battle. The French officers, under the command of Petain and Nivelle, were determined to hold their ground.
Verdun was a fortified town, with forty fortifications and smaller defences. The town's location was important for the French, as it was close to Paris. Falkenhayn intended to deplete the French resources by attacking the town, and inflict as much damage as possible. The loss of the town would be devastating both psychologically and historically.
In February 1916, the Germans began to attack Verdun. They had already established trench warfare in the Western Front and had incurred huge losses from battles in Northern France and Flanders. The Germans thought that the French would not let the city fall to the Germans without a fight. In the end, General Petain's men held their ground and repelled the Germans. The battle of Verdun lasted about 300 days, and cost about 400,000 lives.
French victory at Verdun
In the fifth century, Attila failed to take Verdun, leaving the city largely in French hands. Over the years, the French built forts and fortifications in the area. However, as World War One raged, the French troops realized that the enemy heavy guns were proving to be too powerful to defeat. This led them to remove many of their own heavy guns from the Verdun forts. By 1915, only 300 guns were left in the Fortified Region of Verdun.
At Verdun, the French held three distinct geographic advantages: the Ardennes, the Sambre, and the Meuse rivers. The gorge of Sambre from Namur to Charleroi and the deeper river of Meuse made it impossible for the Germans to proceed across the plain with their main forces.
The author's tally of casualties in the Verdun battle is slightly off. Axelrod gives a casualty count of fewer than one million. The Reuters article on Verdun reinforces that point. Axelrod's account also includes several references to the French Interior Ministry.
The Germans' attack was also limited by the unffordable terrain of the Vosges. The French counterstroke imprisoned a large number of German forces on a peninsula, and their encircling stream prevented them from advancing farther. As a result, they were unable to capture the entire front line.
As the battle went on, the French had to retreat. Their heavy artillery destroyed every fort under its fire, but natural defenses allowed them to hold off the Germans. These natural defenses saved Verdun, Nancy, and Toul. During the following days, German infantry had advanced three miles into the RFV.
After the battle, Axelrod's prologue is a three-page introductory chapter that introduces the subject matter and historiography of the battle. He then discusses who won the battle and the length of the battle. This section of the book has a lengthy section that connects the different aspects of the battle.
The battle line, curved southward along the Petit Morin gorge. The opposing forces were unable to move further north because the marsh was impassable.
