Battle of Verdun
War conflict developed in the framework of the First World War. In this article we will let you know about How long was the battle of Verdun?
| Data | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 21 – December 19, 1916. |
| Place | Verdun-Sur-Meuse, France. |
| Belligerents | France vs. Germany. |
| Outcome | Victoria of France. |
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How Long the battle of Verdun?
- The Battle of Verdun was a warlike conflict that took place between February 21 and December 19, 1916, within the framework of the First World War. In it the armies of France and Germany faced each other, in the town of Verdun-sur-Meuse, France.
- The battle lasted for 302 days, the longest and one of the most costly in human history. In 2000, Hannes Heer and Klaus Naumann calculated that the French suffered 377,231 casualties and the Germans 337,000, a total of 714,231 and an average of 70,000 a month.
- The Battle of Verdun, the longest engagement of World War I, ends on this day after ten months and close to a million total casualties suffered by German and French troops.
- A deadly combination of strategy and circumstances ensured Germany and France fought on for nearly 10 months, even when the largest swathe of territory gained amounted to a mere five miles. Pride, politics and tactics would all play a role in prolonging one of the deadliest conflicts of the Great War.
This battle is not only characterized by being one of the longest fought during the First World War, but also by being one of the bloodiest in world history.
The German Fifth Army was commanded by Prince William of Germany, along with General Erich von Falkenhayn, while the French Second Army was under the command of Henry Phillipe Pétain , who was later replaced by Robert Nivelle.
During the beginning of the battle, the predominance was Germany, who managed to advance various positions. However, France won the final victory, as the German advance failed and French territory was successfully defended.
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Causes and effects
Causes
The war in Verdun took place in the middle of the First World War, when Germany wanted to advance on French territory using a strategy that cut off rail communication and access roads to the Verdun region. Their objective was for the French army to fall quickly isolated and without supplies .
However, for months the French army remained standing thanks to a supply line made with trucks that replaced the railway route, which had been taken over by the Germans .
On the other hand, Germany intended to invade the French reserves and then destroy them and force France to surrender .
Effects
The main consequences generated by the battle of Verdun were the following:
- Although the death toll from this war was extremely high, the exact figure will never be known. An estimated 370,000 French soldiers and 350,000 German soldiers were killed . More than half a million injured were also reported.
- The German army lost many important young leaders, which meant a weakening in its command lines and, subsequently, the progressive decline of its offensive until it lost all its positions and was declared the loser of the First World War.
- This battle prompted the British army to advance positions and carry out the Battle of the Somme , in July of that same year.
Importance
This battle was not only the longest of the First World War, but it serves as an example of how wars unfolded at the beginning of the 20th century : the attrition of troops and hand-to-hand fighting, in addition to the use of trenches, marked a time of warlike conflicts that only ended with the surrender of one side and the conquest of enemy territory.
The German army was never able to recover from the human and material losses, in addition to the moral factor that comprised the battle of Verdun. His positions never progressed in the West and finally, in 1918, he lost the war.
The importance of this battle also lies in its long and bloody duration, with thousands of casualties for both sides. Despite the great and constant advances of Germany, France won the victory, for which this became a battle of determination for French history.
