16.3.3

Battle of Verdun

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Battle of Verdun

Between 1916 AD and 1918 AD, the opposing sides (France and Germany) focused their efforts on wearing the enemy down. It became a 'war of attrition'.

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War of attrition

  • Attrition warfare is a military strategy where each side tries to wear the enemy down by continually draining their personnel and resources.
  • In these wars, the side with the most resources usually wins.
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Battle of Verdun: background

  • Germany attacked Verdun because it hoped that it would weaken the Allied Powers.
  • They hoped to use a small number of German troops to attack the French.
  • This turned out to be a serious underestimation and they had to use many more troops than planned.
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Battle of Verdun: facts

  • Verdun (February 1916 AD to December 1916 AD) was the longest battle in WW1 - it lasted 300 days.
  • This battle was between France and Germany.
  • In the first eight hours of the battle, Germany fired over two million shells.
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Battle of Verdun: facts

  • Germany thought that if it captured Verdun, the Allies' morale would be so low that Germany would win the war.
  • 140,000 German troops led the attack, supported by 1,200 artillery guns.
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Result

  • Verdun became a battle of pride - neither France nor Germany wanted to admit defeat.
  • The French suffered around 380,000 casualties and the Germans suffered around 340,000 casualties.
  • Eventually, Germany withdrew because they needed to use their troops elsewhere.

Jump to other topics

1Empires East & West: 1000 AD

1.1The Rise & Fall of Ancient China’s Empire

1.2The Medieval Greatness of the Byzantine Empire

1.3The Golden Age of the Islamic Empire

1.4The Politics & Power of the Holy Roman Empire

1.5Medieval Religion

1.6The Influence of the Church in Medieval Times

1.7How Religion Tested the Power of Kings

1.8Dynastic Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.9Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.10Revolts, Rebellions & Rights

1.11Medieval England & Her Neighbours

1.12European Renaissance

1.13Norman Conquest & Control

1.14Historical Skills

2The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

2.1Anglo-Saxon England

2.2The Contest for the English Throne

2.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

2.4King John

2.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

2.6The Black Death

3Worldviews

4The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

5The Renaissance & Reformations: 1500-1598 AD

6The British Empire: 1583-1960 AD

7The Peasants' Revolt: 1381 AD

8Religion in the Middle Ages

9Slavery: 1619-1833 AD

10The English Civil War: 1642-1660 AD

11The Industrial Revolution: 1750-1840 AD

12US Independence: 1775-1783 AD

13The French Revolution: 1789-1815 AD

14The British Empire: 1857–1930 AD

15Suffrage: 1840-1928 AD

16World War 1: 1914-1918 AD

17The Inter-War Years: 1919-1939 AD

18World War 2: 1939-1945 AD

19The Cold War: 1947-1962 AD

20Civil Rights in the USA: 1954-1975 AD

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