Verdun Hell on Earth February December 1916 1 The Battle of - - PDF document

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Verdun

“Hell on Earth” February – December 1916

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The Battle of Verdun in Perspective

21 February 1916 = 1 Million Artillery Shells Fired February – December 1916 = 37 Million Artillery Shells Fired

6 miles x 6 miles

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Verdun Moonscape

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Verdun

• Historic City – Part of the French

Identity

• Treaty of Verdun 843 A.D.
• Divides Charlemagne’s

empire among his three grandsons .. Modern France and Germany will emerge.

• Surrounded by fortifications

built in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War.

• Largely ignored in the first year
• f World War I.

Port d’ Chaussee 17th Century

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Verdun (Overview)

Part of a long line of fortifications on the Franco – German border established after the Franco – Prussian War of 1870 – 1871. Begins 21 February 1916 -- Ends 16 December 1916 (Longest Battle of WWI!) Nearly 2/3’s – ¾’s of entire French army will serve at Verdun! Largest Fort Douaumont (falls 25 February) Smallest Fort Vaux (falls 7 June) (Less than one mile apart!!)

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Unknown Soldier

• f France

Verdun – Paris 11 November 1920

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German General Falkenhayn “Bleed the French White”

• German Chief of Staff
• Operational Goals
• Deprive the British of the French as an ally.
• Kill so many French that they will lose the will

to fight.

• Selects a place that France will defend no

matter what will come.

Marshal Henri Philippe Petain French Army

• Leading French Hero of

the War

• Rebuilt French Army after

1917 mutinies.

• 1940-Arranged armistice

with Nazis & Headed Vichy

Government.

• Convicted of Treason;

Sentence commuted to life.

Battle Begins on 21 February 1916 (Concealed in a Snow Storm!)

The Verdun Battlefield will be six miles wide by six miles deep The Germans will bring up 1,240 pieces of artillery and mortars vs. the French who will have only 270 … after the front stabilized in 1915 France removed the heavy artillery from Verdun to be placed elsewhere.

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Lt.Col Driant’s Regiment helps to slow the Germans advance

• Lt. Col. Driant was a member of the French Chamber of Deputies, had criticized Gen Joffre for

removing the big guns and predicted that the Germans would attack. 18

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Douaumont falls without a fight

Captured by a small German company (100 men) French felt it could not withstand the German 420mm guns. Was not defended from inside!

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Fort Douaumont

Before After

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Destroyed Villages Surrounding Verdun 1916

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Terrain surrounding Fort Douaumont and Fort Vaux as the Battle for Verdun raged on

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General Petain

• French General Petain sent to Verdun – “Your country needs you at this moment”.
• Defensive specialist – believes that a good defense can make a difference in war.
• “They shall not pass!” --- Halts German advance
• Shows great concern for the troops.
• Listens to their complaints – Restores their morale – Gains soldiers respect
• May – Promoted up (out – he will not attack)
• La Voie Sacree = “The Sacred Road”

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Note the distance in-between!

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Vaux Village January 1916 Vaux Village April 1917

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Smallest of all the Verdun forts

• Shelled daily March – June (8,000 per day)
• Germans attack 2 June 1916
• French surrender on 5 June 1916.
• Major Raynal – Vaux’s Commander honored by

German Crown Prince Wilhelm

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Inside Vaux Before & After

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Major Raynal in German Captivity

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Voie Sacree (The Sacred Road)

• Lifeline to Verdun

72 km (45 miles)

• Road kept open 24/7
• Small gauge railway

ran parallel to road

• Trucks passing every

10 seconds Feb – Dec 1916

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Voie Sacree Today

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German Crown Prince Wilhelm’s HQ Dugout Complex

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• Petain will not attack.
• Replaced by General Nivelle – May 1916

General Nivelle

• Pioneers the French use of the “Rolling / Creeping Barrage”
• Over time recaptures nearly all that was lost.
• Will become the French Army Chief of Staff.
• Makes big mistakes in 1917 – will be replaced by Petain in

May 1917.

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Germans introduce the flamethrower at Verdun

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Germans introduce Phosgene (green cross) gas in artillery shells at Verdun

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• Capt. Charles DeGaulle

33rd Infantry Regiment

• Wounded 3 times and was

eventually captured at Verdun. Tried to escape 5 times.

• Led Free-French forces in WWII;

provisional President of France 1945-46.

• First President of Fifth French

Republic.

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• Sgt. Andre Maginot

44th Territorial Regiment

• Awarded Medal Militaire for

service at Verdun in 1914; wounded & discharged

• As Deputy & Minister became

advocate of strong frontier defense.

• Namesake of Maginot Line.

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Falkenhayn is relieved in June 1916 by the Kaiser (ends up in Turkey by end of war)

• Replaced by Hindenburg and Ludendorff

Hindenburg calls off the offensive after the British attack at the Somme on 1 July 1916.

• 377,000 French killed or wounded (162,000 Dead)
• 337,000 Germans killed or wounded (100,000+ Dead)
• Survivors likened the experience to “being

condemned to Hell”

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Ossuary of Douaumont

130,000 (French & German) unidentified!

Cemetery of Douaumont

16,000 graves – largest in France!

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16,000 Known French Graves

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130,000 Unknown French / German Soldiers

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• Neither side won the battle.
• There was no change in the battlefront.
• The battle weakened both armies.

End Results!!

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“Never Again”