Uploaded December 2021 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
For centuries, the fortress of Verdun had played a pivotal role in the defence of the French nation. However, by 1916, much of it had been stripped away to reinforce other parts of the frontline in the Great War against Germany. It was here that General Erich von Falkenhayn chose to launch an offensive, in the hopes that one Verdun was taken he would be able to force the French to commit their strategic reserve to recapture Verdun and thus annihilate it. After an initial disastrous rout, French resistance stiffened under the leadership of Marechal Philippe Pétain. The scene was set for a battle that was to last almost a year, and become one of the bloodiest in history.
For centuries, the fortress of Verdun had played a pivotal role in the defence of the French nation. However, by 1916, much of it had been stripped away to reinforce other parts of the frontline in the Great War against Germany. It was here that General Erich von Falkenhayn chose to launch an offensive, in the hopes that one Verdun was taken he would be able to force the French to commit their strategic reserve to recapture Verdun and thus annihilate it. After an initial disastrous rout, French resistance stiffened under the leadership of Marechal Philippe Pétain. The scene was set for a battle that was to last almost a year, and become one of the bloodiest in history.
