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The Germans wanted to make France bleed white. The aim of the battle was to crush the French army before the allies grew in strength through deployment of British forces. Chief of Staff Erich von Falkenhayn believed the French army was more vulnerable then the British and that a major defeat would push the allies to open negotiations

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Started from German General Erich von Falkenhayn’s order to draw out major blood shed from the French defense.

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Germany claims Fort Douamont and Fort Vaux

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Germany claims Fort Douamont and Fort Vaux

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In February 1916 German forces advanced quickly claiming Fort Douaumont and Fort Vaux. On February 21, 1916 more than 1,220 guns opened fire around an eight mile perimeter. Verdun acted as a “suction cup”: ¾ of the French Western Front eventually served there. At the end of the first week the Germans advanced 6 miles, and claimed Fort Douaumont. After Germany's gains the battle settled into a bloody stalemate.

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Soldiers dug long, deep, narrow trenches and used them for protection. They became a fundamental part of strategy with the arrival of modern weapons of war. It is likely that all these factors which stemmed from the widespread of Trench warfare, made WW1 the deadliest conflict in global history.

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By climbing over the top edge into “no man’s land” the area between the opposing forces usually in a single straight line and under a barrage of gunfire. This approach was rarely effective and led to mass casualties. It is believed that 1 out of 10 of all fighting forces in the conflict were killed.

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Disease and shell shock were rampant in trenches. With soldiers fighting in close contact with each other in unsanitary conditions infectious diseases spread rapidly.

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Constant exposure to wetness caused trench foot, a condition where dead tissue spread across one or both feet, sometimes requiring amputation. Trench mouth, a type of gum infection was also very problematic. It is thought to be associated with stress of nonstop bombardment.

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Soldiers who were trapped in the trenches for long periods of time under almost constant bombardment , many soldiers suffered “shell shock”.  The mental illness also known as today as PTSD.

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The Flammenwerfer also known as Flamethrower was developed by the German's a decade before the war. In 1901 Richer Fielder rolled out a prototype, it was capable of throwing fire as far as 120 feet. The Germans finally unleashed it at the battle of Verdun on Feb. 26, 1915. The French counterattacked and got their lost ground back and managed to get a hold of one of the Flammenwerfer. The Flammenwerfer's material effectiveness seldom exceeded its physiological effect.

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In the middle of July the Germans called off their offensive forces and the French retook their forts and pushed back the line. In July the Kaiser, frustrated about the way things were going on in Verdun, removed Falkenhayn and sent him to command the 9th Army in Transylvania. Paul von Hindenburg replaced him.

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On December 15 the French offensive pushed the German forces all the way back to where they were when they began the Battle. The German’s have by now lost all territory gains. The last three days of battle the French took 11,000 German prisoners before Hindenburg finally called a stop to German attacks. The French won the Battle of Verdun. It was one of the longest, bloodiest, and most ferocious battles of WW1. Both sides had over 600,000 casualties. The battle lasted 303 days between February and December of 1916.

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The battle left nine French towns in total ruins; Beaumont, Bezonvaux, Cumières, Douaumont, Fleury, Haumont, Louvemont, Ornes, and Vaux.

Verdun’s unidentified dead are housed in a battlefield ossuary.

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Verdun’s unidentified dead are housed in a battlefield ossuary.

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The German's used phosgene gas at the Battle of Verdun. Though it wasn't as strong and effective, it still caused mass casualties in the French's army. The trenches helped give them a few extra seconds to get on a gas mask before the gas starts to choke you.

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History.com--
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/battle-of-verdun

Thehistorypress.co--
https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/verdun-timeline/

History.com--
https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-battle-of-verdun

History.com--
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-verdun-ends

History.com--
https://www.history.com/news/life-in-the-trenches-of-world-war-i

Historynet.com--
https://www.historynet.com/flammenwerfer-hell-on-earth-in-the-trenches.htm