The Battle of Verdun

Name The Battle of Verdun During the first year of World War I, the battle lines on the western front changed little. In spite of repeated attacks i ·=·wr-:11'..I 7T, •• , by both sides,_1he_fronLdid_no_tmmte_ more-1ban_a.Jew_miles 7~1, 11/J , in either direction. Priority was placed on holding ground previously gained and not giving an inch to the enemy. Even the holes created between the trenches by exploding shells were fought over with a ferocity that claimed countless lives. In February 1916 the Germans attempted to break the deadlock by assaulting the fortified French town of Verdun on the Marne River. The Germans hoped to wipe out as many French soldiers as possible, believing this would force France to surrender. They knew that France could not afford to lose the city and that the French army would defend Verdun by sending every last man into the battle. After bombarding the city with artillery for 24 hours, the Germans attacked in force on February 21. The battle raged until December 15. At one point the Germans were within four miles of their goal. Under General Henri-Philippe Peta.in, the French fought heroically and stopped the German advance in mid July. In October, the French counterattacked and drove the Germans back. By the time the fighting ended, the French had suffered 540,000 casualties, and the Germans had suffered 430,000. Of these numbers, 315,000 French soldiers were killed compared to 282,000 German soldiers. Like other assaults on the western front, the Battle of Verdun accomplished little. Hundreds of thousands of troops were killed or wounded to no avail. Verdun, however, did become a symbol of French resistance, and, in spite of the slaughter, General Petain was hailed as a hero. After the battle, the French called the road to Verdun the Holy Way because of the huge number of men who died in the battle there. ·-,~::iMil · 1. What did the Germans hope to accomplish by attacking Verdun? 2. In spite of the fact that the battle was a massacre, why did the French hail General Petain as a hero? 3. What was the total number of casualties at the Battle of Verdun? _ _ _ _ __ 4. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers died in futile attacks on the western front. Considering the fact that neither side gained clear victories despite the huge loss of life, why do you think peace was never seriously considered? © 2000 McDONALD PUBLISHING CO. 14 WORLD WAR I