Anniversary of the start of WW1 Battle of Verdun today

[Gecko]

The Battle of Verdun in 1916 was the longest single battle of World War One. The Battle of Verdun started on February 21st 1916 and ended on December 16th in 1916.

Verdun resulted in 698,000 battlefield deaths (362,000 French and 336,000 German combatants), an average of 70,000 deaths for each of the ten months of the battle. It was the longest and one of the most devastating battles in the First World War and the history of warfare. Verdun was primarily an artillery battle: a total of about 40 million artillery shells were exchanged, leaving behind millions of overlapping shell craters that are still partly visible.

The casualties from Verdun and the impact the battle had on the French Army was a primary reason for the British starting the Battle of the Somme in July 1916 in an effort to take German pressure off of the French at Verdun.

 

[ppgser]

Just been helping my daughter with History homework.
Subject: Battle of the Somme.
First question: Were the British Generals responsible for the huge number of casualties sustained by the British forces?

 

[Simon_h]

First question: Were the British Generals responsible for the huge number of casualties sustained by the British forces?

surely it was the Germans that caused the majority of our casualities

 

[Timpo]

surely it was the Germans that caused the majority of our casualities

Exactly.

 

[Davy F]

I've been to the Verdun area. It's a good place to visit for the war buff and when you go into the likes of Fort Vaux and Fort Douaumont, well, it certainly puts a chill up your spine.

 

[Fanum]

Exactly.

French actually.

It may have been German munitions that killed them, but it was the fault of the French

 

[Glyno]

Just been helping my daughter with History homework.
Subject: Battle of the Somme.
First question: Were the British Generals responsible for the huge number of casualties sustained by the British forces?

A question about a massive subject with no simplistic answer. Try "The Great War Forum". Heaps of info there with members more than willing to help. Good luck.

 

[Rasher]

I've been to the Verdun area. It's a good place to visit for the war buff and when you go into the likes of Fort Vaux and Fort Douaumont, well, it certainly puts a chill up your spine.

There is loads around there, some good trenches at Vouqais and the Ossary near the forts plus a number of museums.

Back there again in two months

 

[boatman]

I found the Verdun experience deepy moving and very depressing
Humans eh and some say we are the top species