![]() ![]() Pétain organized a system of defenses at Verdun, well-supported by artillery and supply networks. Pétain believed in the superiority of artillery in taking down the enemy defenses, and had inspired loyalty among the soldiers, who trusted that his orders would not simply throw away their lives. The French commander at Verdun was replaced by Henri Philippe Pétain, who disagreed with the "attack to the utmost" doctrine, and had been politically sidelined in the past, despite his previous victories. When the battle started, German troops made slow advances and in five days, took the nearly empty Fort Douaumont. By the time Falkenhayn attacked, the French got two lucky breaks that prevented their complete routing: before the attack, they realized what was coming, and started to reinforce Verdun, and then on February 12, a blizzard hit the area, postponing the attack, and allowing the French to gain more time for reinforcement. The French, with their "attack to the utmost" strategy, had stripped the defensive-only forts at Verdun of artillery and men. Massing a huge concentration of armaments and supply networks, the German leader also introduced flamethrowers and air units to support ground units. German forces were led by the cautious General Erich von Falkenhayn, while the French military was headed by the imperturbable but inexperienced Marshal Joseph Joffre.įalkenhayn chose Verdun because it was well-defended, and taking it would be a major morale and casualty loss for the French. Verdun, a town on the Meuse River in northeastern France, was the strongest point in the French defenses, dating back to the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. This article examines the history and significance of the Battle of Verdun in World War I.īy 1916, the front between France and Germany had stagnated - the French had halted the German advance, but could not drive the Germans from their defensive positions.
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