By Nathan Cartmell
The Battle of Verdun was the brainchild of the German Chief of Staff, General Erich Von Falkenhayn. He stated that he wanted to “bleed France white” by creating a new offensive around the French city of Verdun. The objective wasn’t about gaining territory but simply trying to make it too costly in lives and resources for the French. From February 21st to December 18th, 1916, the French, led by Colonel Phillipe Petain, defended Verdun desperately and appealed to their allies for help. Over the 303-day battle of Verdun, there were over 700,000 casualties. The French suffered about 377,000 casualties, while the Germans suffered 337,000.
In response to the call for help at Verdun, the British and French launched an offensive against the Germans at the River Somme in northern France, hoping to force them to divert troops and supplies from Verdun. From July to September 1916, the combined casualty count was over a million, with approximately 420,000 British casualties, 180,000 French casualties, and approximately 600,000 German casualties. In just the first day of the battle, from 8 AM to 8 PM, the British lost over 57,000 men, making it the single bloodiest day in the history of the British Army.
In the end, Verdun didn’t break the spirit of the French but instead steeled their resolve. It also saw the rise of Phillipe Petain, who would later become the leader of Vichy France during World War II. The Somme, alongside a new offensive from Russian General Brusilov, caused the German Army to abandon the original plan for Verdun. For the failure of his plan, General Von Falkenhayn was fired and replaced with Generals Paul Von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff.
This year marks the 110th anniversary of two major battles that occurred during World War I, the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of the Somme. These were two of the most devastating battles in human history, and I feel that it is important to look back and commemorate these events.
These two battles, and the suffering they caused, represent the carnage of the First World War. The dangers of an industrial war of attrition were on full display at Verdun and the Somme, and I feel it’s important to look back and remember them.
