February 21December 18 1916

Their expressions... seemed frozen by a vision of terror: their postures betrayed a total dejection; they sagged beneath the weight of horrifying memories. - a returning French general

 Operation

Judgment

Code name for Germans to attack Verdun, France Falkenhayn wanted to bleed France white by launching

a massive attack on a narrow stretch of land that had historic sentiment to France Believed French would lose so many men in battle that it would change the course of the war stop Trench warfare/Stalemate Launched February 21st, 1916

Verdun transformed men's souls. Whoever floundered through this morass full of the shrieking and dying... had passed the last frontier of life, and hence bore deep within him the leaden memory of a place that lies between life and death. - A German survivor

 Launched

by Germans here because of military

standpoint
Was a narrow stretch of land situated in a salient on the front line Chosen because the Germans, deployed in a half circle, believed they could surround battlefield for advantage point in gunnery bombardment

Verdun

had sentimental value to the French

contained 20 major forts and 40 smaller ones that historically protected the

Eastern border of France There were other more strategic places that Germany could have attacked but Verdun had the most sentimental value and France would protect it or die trying Also, one of Frances oldest and most sacred cities
In the fifth century, Attila the Hun had burned the city to the ground. Now the "Huns"

were back. (Bosco)

Having despaired of living amid such horror, we begged God to let us be dead. - a French army chaplain

 French:
Poorly defended because half the artillery was gone Very unprepared, bad communication Delay in attack due to weather gave French a slight advantage to

prepare Constant fresh artillery and rotated troops were brought in to keep up battle
The French rotated their troops so the ones that saw a lot of action were put in more quiet spots and the ones in the quiet spots were put in the front lines so every man could have equal time in the front lines

Germans:

Part of Schlieffen Plan to defeat

England/France as soon as possible, then turn around and attack Russia Thought they could surround French troops by attacking in a circular form, because Verdun was surrounded on 3 sides by old military forts

 Philippe Petain Commanded the Second Army at the start of the

battle
Robert Nivelle French artillery officer Erich von Falkenhayn German official who led attack on Verdun Crown Prince Wilhelm Last Prince of Prussia, German Empire Led 5th Army

Ils ne passeront pas!! (They shall not pass!!!) Gandalf - Robert Nivelle

 FRENCH

VICTORY (to some extent)

By the end of October, the French had recaptured

the two forts at Vaux and Douaumont Germans finally withdrew due to casualties, and British began to step in (Battle of Sommes) Also, Germans had to handle Russians on Eastern Front

 542,000

French casualties 434,000 German casualties

 Disrupted

both troops (French and German)

French win interrupted Schlieffen Plan, but French

casualties disrupted troops, the French lost so many troops, the death toll was monumental
Reason

British started the Battle of Sommes with Germans

In an effort to relieve pressure from French in Verdun