Figure 1.--.

After the French stopped the Germans on the Marne, the most important battle of the War was Verdun. Verdun was the most drawn out battle of the War and considered by most historians to have been the greatest battle. German Chief of Staff, Erich von Falkenhayn, accurately concluded in 1915 that the key to winning the war lay not on the Eastern Front, but on defeating the French Army on the Western Front. Falkenhayn maintained that if France could be defeated in a major set-piece battle, Britain would have no other option than seeking terms from Germany. This of course is a strategy the Germans could have pursued in 1914. If they had attacked France directly instead of through Belgium, they would not have had to fight the Belgians and British and in all likelihood would have prevailed on the Western Front. Falkenhayn correctly assessed that the French would consider the defense if Verdun as a matter of honor. His plan was essentially to bleed the French white in the defense of Verdun. One historian claims this is what all commanders said after their offensives failed and that he was actually trying to achieve break through. [Strachan] Verdun and surrounding fortifications were a strategic French position located on the eastern section of the Western Front and thus was fought by the Germans and French without British involvement. The battle took place in 10 km square around the French fortifications at Verdun. The battle began with a German offensive (February 21, 1916). The Germans hammered at Verdun for 8 months, but because of the British to the west could not concentrate all of their forces. General Henri Philippe Petain made the words " They shall not pass." (Ils ne passeront pas.) famous during the battle. The Germans were unable to completely surround Verdun. The French at great cost maintained a road connection to supply their ebatteled forces in Verdun. It came to be called the "Sacred Way". Verdun was the greatest bloodbath in European military history. Casualties totaled an incredibke 0.7 million men. The fighting did not end until the end of the year (December 19). Falkenhayn was correct in many respects. The Germans came very close to breaking the French Army. They did destroy it as an offensive force. In the process, however, the German Army was also weakened. This Falkenhayn had not foreseen. And not only would the British after the Somme begin building a large conscript army, but the Kaiser was in the process of bringing America into the War with its huge reserves of manpower. And a German Army weakened by Verdun would have to face them.

Overview

After the French stopped the Germans on the Marne, the most important battle of the War was Verdun. Verdun was the most drawnout battle of the War and considered by most historians to have been the greatest battle. It was essentially the long-awaited show down between the French and German Armies following the Franco-Prussian War. The Battle is conundrum for many historians. It was not a desisive battle. The French held Verdun, although at enormous cost. It almost broke the Frencgh Army, but the British and Americans took up the slack, There was no resulting political change. Thee were nearly 1.0 million casualties on both sides, but it was not the bloodiest battle of the War. More casualties were suffered in the Allied Hundred Day's Campaign (1.9 million), German Spring Offensive (1.5 million), and the Somme (1.2 million). It came down in history, however, to define the futility of combat on the Western Front and the teror of modern industrial warfare, especially in French eyes. This is the imprint of warfare in French national memory. [Mosier] The impact on the French ntional psyche fed by Socialist authors would thus be a factor in the Fall of France two decades later (1940).

Erich von Falkenhayn

German Chief of Staff, Erich von Falkenhayn, accurately concluded in 1915 that the key to winning the war lay not on the Eastern Front, but on defeating the French Army on the Western Front. Falkenhayn maintained that if France could be defeated in a major set-piece battle, Britain would have no other option than seeking terms from Germany. This of course is a strategy the Germans could have persued in 1914. If they had attacked France directly instead of through Belgium, they would not have had to fight the Belgians and British and in all liklihood would have prevailed on the Western Front. Falkenhayn correctly assessed that the French would consider the defense if Verdun as a matter of honor. His plan was essentially to bleed the French white in the defense of Verdun. One historian claims this is what all commanders said after their offensives failed and that he was actually trying to achieve break through. [Strachan] Von Falkenhayn would be replaced by Hiddenberg and Ludendorf, the heros of tthe Eastern Front. He was then sent to Palestine to asvise the Ottomon Army.

Verdun

Verdun and supportive surrounding fortifications were a strategic French position located on the eastern section of the Western Front. It is not accident that the major World War I battle between France and Germany was fought at Verdun. This was not the first time that Verdun, because of its strategic location, played a role in European history. Verdun was a Roman city--Virodunum. Dunum meant fortress. It lies at an important crossing point of the river Meuse, a traditional invasion route into France. Treaty of Verdun essentially created modern France by dividing the Frankish Empire between Charlemagne's descendants Charles the Bold, Louis the German, and Lothar (843). Thus from virtually the beginning of moden Rurope, Verdin was located on the faulktline between teo developing great nations: France and Germany (the Holy Roman Empire or First Reich). And the defenses of what became an Imperial (German Holy Roman Empire) city grew during the Middle Ages. French King Henry II occupied Verdun which at the time was a part of the Holy Roman Empire (1552). The threats during the Thirty Years War, the most destructive conflict in German history resulted in the strengthening of the defenses. The French were renowned throughout Europe as military engineers. And important French leaders began replacing the medieval fortifications made obselete by the development of artillery with modern emplacements. The Treaty of Westphalia ending the Thirty Years War transferred Verdun from the Holy Roman Empire to France. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) the extensive fortificationa around Verdun had become antiquated. They were virtually unchanged since the Thirty Years War. Even so, it was the last French fortress to surrender to the Prussians. Following the War, the French began to prepare for another War to regain Alsace and Loraine. They had, however, learned their lesson and were determined never to fight the Germans alone again. (Unfortunately for the Germans, they had not learned that lesson.) As part of the French preparations, several new fortifications were built on the outlying hills surronding the city. This was a measure designed to deal with the increased range of modern artillery. Verdun thus came to form the left flank of the Meuse Barrier, a strategic line of fortifications designed engineer Séré de Rivières. It consisted of a series of tunnels and vaulted galleries under the old citadel as bomb shelters. This poroved to be critical when the Germans after being turned back on the Marne, attacked Verdun (1916). Falkenhayn though he had awar-winning battle. Verdun had become was an exposed bulge. It was , exposed on three sides and no longer had a railroad conection to tranport reinforcements and supplies. On paper it should have been have been a disaster for the French, but under Pétain they fought.

Auguste Yvon Edmond Dubail (1851-1934)

Auguste Yvon Edmond Dubail was an important French Army general during World War I. Dubail commanded the French First Army and Army Group East. When the Germans declared war and invaded Belgium, Dubail was given command of the First Army. Rather than taking a defensive posture and preparing to meet the Germans, the French rashly launched an offensive to begin to retake territory lost in the Franco-Prussian war. Dubail led the First Army against well-prepared German defensive positions in an effort to retake Loraine. The effort was supported by de Castelnau’s Second Army. The Germans repulsed the French and inflicted heavy losses. As a result the First and Second Armies were in a weakened condition to help stop the German drive through Belgium and on to Paris. After the Germans were stopped on the Marne, Dubail was promoted to commander of Army Group East occupying positions around Belfort and Verdun (1915). From this position he watched German reinforcements and supplies flowing into the positions opposite his trenches. Dubail concluded accyrately that the Germans were preparing a major offensive against Verdun. He requested reinforcements and heavy artillery support as well as the the new Allied tanks to defend Verdun sector. The French commander-in-chief, Field Marshal Joseph Joffre, did not agree that a German offensive was imminent and did not reinforce Dubail's Army Group East as requested. When the Germans attacked in force (February 1916), Joffre to cover his misjudgement criticized Dubail and dismissed him (March 1916). Dubail was humiliated and claimed that he was being made a scapegoat for Joffre’s poor judgement. Dubail was ultimately given a new job, the military governor of Paris.

The Fighting

The Battle was fought by the Germans and French without British involvement. The battle took place in 10 km square around the French fortifications at Verdun. The battle began with a German offensive (February 21, 1916). The Germans hammered at Verdun for 8 months, but because of the British to the west could not concentrate all of their forces. General Henri Philippe Petain made the words " They shall not pass." (Ils ne passeront pas.) famous during the b. The Germans were unable to compleletly surround Verdun. The French at great cost maintained a road connection to supply their ebatteled forces in Verdun. It came to be called the "Sacred Way". Verdun was the greatest bloodbath in European military history. Casualties totaled an incredibke 0.7 million men. The fighting did not end until the end of the year (December 19).

The Somme (June-July 1916)

The Battle of the Somme is one of the major engagements of World War I. The BEF supported by the French attempted to take the German's strong defensive position in the Somme valley. The French had convined the Brittish commander Douglas Haig to launch an offensive to relieve the German pressure on the French at Verdun. The British casualties were horrendous. It is probable that if modern media existed at the time that the War would have endeded at Verdun and the Somme. The British public if they had fully understood what had happened would not have tolerated the War. The same can be said of the French Verdun. The Somme was a terrible bloodletting. After the Somme there was no illusioins in Britain about what war meant.

Assessment

Falkenhayn was correct in many respects. The Germans came very close to breaking the French Army. They did largely destroy its offensive capability. It would lead to British disaster at the Somme (1916). the French army mutiny (1917). In the process, however, the German Army was also weakened. This Falkenhayn had not forseen. Nor did he anticipate that the British after the Somme begin building a large conscript army, but the Kaisser was in the process of brining America into the War. These were reserves of manpower that a German Army weakened by Verdun would could not mstch.

Sources

Mosier, John. Verdun: The Lost History of the Most Important Battle of World War I, 1914-1915 (2013)

Strachan, Hew. The First World War (Viking, 2004), 354p. While we disagree with Strchan's marginalization of the impotance of the AEF, this is an excellent summary of the War.

Created: 4:59 PM 8/21/2012
Last updated: 6:08 PM 2/19/2014