Verdun Hell on Earth February December 1916 1 The Battle of Verdun in Perspective 21 February 1916 = 1 Million Artillery Shells Fired February December 1916 = 37 Million Artillery Shells Fired 6 miles x 6 miles 2 Verdun Moonscape 3 1
4 5 Verdun Historic City Part of the French Identity Treaty of Verdun 843 A.D. Divides Charlemagne s empire among his three grandsons.. Modern France and Germany will emerge. Surrounded by fortifications built in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War. Port d Chaussee 17 th Century Largely ignored in the first year of World War I. 6 2
7 8 Verdun (Overview) Part of a long line of fortifications on the Franco German border established after the Franco Prussian War of 1870 1871. Begins 21 February 1916 -- Ends 16 December 1916 (Longest Battle of WWI!) Nearly 2/3 s ¾ s of entire French army will serve at Verdun! Largest Fort Douaumont (falls 25 February) (Less than one mile apart!!) Smallest Fort Vaux (falls 7 June) 9 3
10 11 Unknown Soldier of France Verdun Paris 11 November 1920 12 4
German General Falkenhayn Bleed the French White German Chief of Staff Operational Goals Deprive the British of the French as an ally. Kill so many French that they will lose the will to fight. Selects a place that France will defend no matter what will come. 13 Marshal Henri Philippe Petain French Army Leading French Hero of the War Rebuilt French Army after 1917 mutinies. 1940-Arranged armistice with Nazis & Headed Vichy Government. Convicted of Treason; Sentence commuted to life. Battle Begins on 21 February 1916 (Concealed in a Snow Storm!) The Verdun Battlefield will be six miles wide by six miles deep The Germans will bring up 1,240 pieces of artillery and mortars vs. the French who will have only 270 after the front stabilized in 1915 France removed the heavy artillery from Verdun to be placed elsewhere. 15 5
16 17 Lt.Col Driant s Regiment helps to slow the Germans Lt. Col. Driant was a member of the French advance Chamber of Deputies, had criticized Gen Joffre for removing the big guns and predicted that the Germans would attack. 18 6
19 20 Douaumont falls without a fight Captured by a small German company (100 men) French felt it could not withstand the German 420mm guns. Was not defended from inside! 21 7
Fort Douaumont Before After 22 23 Destroyed Villages Surrounding Verdun 1916 24 8
25 26 Terrain surrounding Fort Douaumont and Fort Vaux as the Battle for Verdun raged on 27 9
General Petain French General Petain sent to Verdun Your country needs you at this moment. Defensive specialist believes that a good defense can make a difference in war. They shall not pass! --- Halts German advance Shows great concern for the troops. Listens to their complaints Restores their morale Gains soldiers respect May Promoted up (out he will not attack) La Voie Sacree = The Sacred Road 28 Note the distance in-between! 29 Vaux Village January 1916 Vaux Village April 1917 30 10
Smallest of all the Verdun forts Shelled daily March June (8,000 per day) Germans attack 2 June 1916 French surrender on 5 June 1916. Major Raynal Vaux s Commander honored by German Crown Prince Wilhelm 31 32 Inside Vaux Before & After 33 11
Major Raynal in German Captivity 34 35 36 12
37 Voie Sacree (The Sacred Road) Lifeline to Verdun 72 km (45 miles) Road kept open 24/7 Small gauge railway ran parallel to road Trucks passing every 10 seconds Feb Dec 1916 38 Voie Sacree Today 39 13
German Crown Prince Wilhelm s HQ Dugout Complex 40 Petain will not attack. Replaced by General Nivelle May 1916 General Nivelle Pioneers the French use of the Rolling / Creeping Barrage Over time recaptures nearly all that was lost. Will become the French Army Chief of Staff. Makes big mistakes in 1917 will be replaced by Petain in May 1917. 41 Germans introduce the flamethrower at Verdun Germans introduce Phosgene (green cross) gas in artillery shells at Verdun 42 14
Capt. Charles DeGaulle 33rd Infantry Regiment Wounded 3 times and was eventually captured at Verdun. Tried to escape 5 times. Led Free-French forces in WWII; provisional President of France 1945-46. First President of Fifth French Republic. 43 Sgt. Andre Maginot 44th Territorial Regiment Awarded Medal Militaire for service at Verdun in 1914; wounded & discharged As Deputy & Minister became advocate of strong frontier defense. Namesake of Maginot Line. 44 Falkenhayn is relieved in June 1916 by the Kaiser (ends up in Turkey by end of war) Replaced by Hindenburg and Ludendorff Hindenburg calls off the offensive after the British attack at the Somme on 1 July 1916. 377,000 French killed or wounded (162,000 Dead) 337,000 Germans killed or wounded (100,000+ Dead) Survivors likened the experience to being condemned to Hell Ossuary of Douaumont 130,000 (French & German) unidentified! Cemetery of Douaumont 16,000 graves largest in France! 45 15
130,000 Unknown French / German Soldiers 16,000 Known French Graves 46 End Results!! Neither side won the battle. There was no change in the battlefront. The battle weakened both armies. 47 Never Again 48 16