Conflict: World War I
Combatants: French vs. Germans
Location: France
Outcome: French victory
Intent on breaking the stalemate along the Western Front, the German Chief of Staff Erich von Falkenhayn launched the Fifth Army into the Battle of Verdun in February of 1916. The Germans continued attacks over the next six months and succeeded in capturing several French forts and advancing gradually west. In June, the Fifth Army nearly seized the heights over Verdun and the Meuse bridges before being driven off. Yet, in October, the French, now commanded by General Robert Nivelle, launched a counter-offensive which pushed the Germans back almost to the line as it had been in February. The fighting ended on December 18th with both sides suffering nearly half a million casualties.
Points of Interest:
Beginning in February and ending in December of 1916, Verdun was the longest battle of the war.
On August 29th, Falkenhayn was replaced on the Western Front by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg. Nivelle had replaced General Henri Petain in May.
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Sources:
Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).
Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.
Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
Ellis, John, & Cox, Michael (2001). The World War I Databook. Bodmin, UK: MPG Books Ltd.
Keegan, John (2001). An Illustrated History of the First World War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
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