Future German blitzkrieg experts, Heinz Guderian and Erich von Manstein, took part in the Battle of Verdun.ģ4. Due to the rotation system, 75% of the entire French Army participated in the Battle of Verdun.ģ3. The city of Verdun after heavy artillery bombardmentsģ2. The French achieved artillery parity with the Germans at Verdun in July 1916. Did he really want to capture Verdun or just inflict as many French casualties as possible? These are 2 questions many historians are still trying to find answers to.ģ1. There is still a debate among historians about Falkenhayn’s real intentions. Unlike Hindenburg and Ludendorf who wanted to prioritize the Eastern Front, Falkenhayn thought that the decisive battle should take place on the Western Front.ģ0. The mastermind behind the German offensive at Verdun was Erich von Falkenhayn, the chief of the German General Staff. Seven French Aerial Squadrons were specially reserved for the defense of the critical supply road known today as Voie Sacree.Ģ9. According to a German commander, General von Gallwitz, at a rate of advance of only 3 km in 4 months, the German forces would’ve reached Verdun in 1920.Ģ8. According to the French military, the Germans troops wore French uniforms, thus confusing the defenders.Ģ7. Because Fort Douaumont was captured so easily, the French accused the Germans of “ ruse de guerre”(military deception). At the start of the Battle of Verdun, the French artillery was low on ammunition, only 6400 rounds for the 75 mm guns, while the Germans had 6000 rounds for each of their artillery batteries.Ģ6. Believing that Charles de Gaulle was killed in battle, Phillipe Petain awarded him the Legion d’Honneur, the highest French order decoration.Ģ5. Future French Leader, Charles de Gaulle, was captured by the Germans in March 1916, near Fort Douaumont.Ģ4. Fort Douaumont was the biggest among the other 19 Major and 40 minor Forts of the Verdun Region.Ģ3. (French Name: Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897.)Ģ2. 75% of the artillery shells fired by the French Army during the Battle of Verdun came from the famous 75 mm field guns. Though the French received 85 heavy guns before the battle, the heaviest artillery gun still had only 305 mm, by comparison, the Germans brought many more howitzers of 380 to 405 mm calibers.Ģ1. Luckily for the French Army, the commander of the Verdun garrison, choose to disobey Joffre’s orders.Ģ0. Even Joffre ordered the commander of the French garrison to evacuate Verdun. In September 1914, the Germans were so close to capturing Verdun, that the supply routes were cut off and the city was surrounded. There was a real possibility that the Battle of Verdun could’ve been avoided. These villages were never rebuilt and the inhabitants never returned.ġ9. Nine villages around Verdun were completely obliterated during the battle. This bought precious time for the French who anticipated the German plans.ġ8. The Fate of the Battle was literally decided by the poor weather conditions, which delayed the German offensive by 9 days. His excuse was that Verdun was a very quiet sector of the Front.ġ7. Joseph Joffre, Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, ordered the removal of the heavy artillery guns(in august 1915 only: 54 artillery batteries and 128.000 ammo rounds) from the forts around Verdun in 1915. Verdun was only on paper the best-defended sector of the French Frontline. An important spy network of 60 agents, under the command of Louise de Bettignies, a brave French woman was discovered and destroyed by the Germans.ġ6. Before the Battle of Verdun, the French intelligence services lost the informational war. After a surprise artillery bombardment, in which 2000 tear gas shells were used, the Germans captured 2.400 French soldiers.įrench soldiers leaving their trenches for an assault, Verdun 1916ġ5. During their last major assault against Verdun, 22-23 June, the Germans bombarded the French defenses with 110.000 shells filled with phosgene gas.ġ4. It happened on February 25, 1916, just 3 days after the official start of the battle.ġ3. Fort Douaumont was captured by a small German unit of 19 officers and 79 soldiers without a fight. The name of the pilot was Kiffin Rockwell, an American from North Carolina.ġ2. The first aerial victory of “ Escadrille Lafayette” was obtained on May 18, 1916. Though the Germans had the initial air superiority over Verdun, they failed to utilize it to cut down all French Supply routes to the battlefield.ġ1. By comparison, the French only had 70 planes at the beginning of the Battle of Verdun.ġ0. In February 1916, the German mobilized 168 planes, 14 observation balloons, and 4 Zeppelins. In the initial phase of the offensive, the German advance can be best described as steadily, around 1-2 miles in the first three days.ĩ.
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