The Battle of Verdun, 1916 (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Zoe Wade
The Battle of Verdun, 1916 - Timeline & Summary
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The Battle of Verdun is remembered as the longest battle of the First World War. The battle lasted 300 days from 21st February to 18th December 1916. It was a German offensive planned by their Chief of Staff, Erich von Falkenhayn, aiming to 'bleed the French white' using a strategy of attrition to exhaust French forces.
Verdun held great significance for France as a fortress town on the River Meuse, with 20 major forts and 40 smaller ones. It was also a symbol of national pride and history. German leaders believed that capturing Verdun would devastate French morale.
The French eventually claimed victory on 15th December 1916. However, this success was only possible due to the start of the Battle of the Somme. This battle diverted German troops away from Verdun to defend their positions at the Somme. Both battles highlighted the devastating impact of attritional warfare, a defining feature of 1916.
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Causes of the Battle of Verdun
The German aims at Verdun
Germany aimed to destroy the French Army before the Allies grew their full strength
The British had not yet fully deployed their army
The German plan at Verdun
The German Army planned to 'bleed the French white' and destroy French morale
This meant that they planned to force France to surrender by creating a high amount of casualties
Falkenhayn planned to take the east bank of the River Meuse and dominate the surrounding area
He believed that the French would be forced to retake the area to prevent them from losing Verdun
Germany used the military strategy of attrition to break the French and force them to surrender
Falkenhayn planned on using more than 1,200 artillery guns to defeat the French Army
This would also reduce the use of German infantry and casualties
Events of the Battle of Verdun
February 1916
The Battle of Verdun started in the early hours of the morning on the 21st February 1916
The battle started with an eight-hour-long artillery bombardment
Approximately 1,400 guns fired 2 million shells on French defences
On the afternoon of the 21st of February, 1 million German troops attacked 200,000 French soldiers, led by Crown Prince Wilhelm
This resulted in the French Army retreating to their reserve trenches
By the 24th of February, the French had retreated to their third line which was eight kilometres from Verdun
The French commander, Philippe Pétain, was given command at Verdun
Pétain decided to:
reorganise the French troops by reinforcing the strongpoints along the French line
Instead of placing all of the French soldiers on the front lines
regularly rotate the French army
To stop French troops from spending long periods of time on the front line
increase artillery
Germany was also greatly affected by the artillery bombardment and lost many soldiers
ensure food and supplies continued to enter Verdun
This happened along the 'Voie Sacree', the Sacred Way, a single road which led to Verdun
During the battle, 6,000 vehicles a day used the Sacred Way to deliver supplies and soldiers to Verdun
March - June, 1916
On March 6th, 1916 Germany created a new attack
Germany gained three kilometres
In April 1916, France counterattacked
This attack pattern continued from April to June 1916
In June 1916, Germany took Fort Vaux
Fort Vaux was a large fort
This was their last victory at Verdun
Germany attempted other advances but was not successful, despite their use of phosgene gas
On 24th June 1916, the Allies began an artillery bombardment on the Somme
The Allies launched this attack to help take the pressure off France at Verdun
The German offensive at Verdun was reduced as they were ordered to reinforce the Somme front lines
At the same time as the Somme offensive, Russians on the Eastern Front launched an attack
German troops are also taken from Verdun to support the efforts on the Eastern Front
July - December, 1916
The fighting in Verdun continued
However, the size of German attacks was significantly reduced due to the German troops being moved to the Somme and the Eastern Front
Robert Nivelle, who replaced Pétain as commander-in-chief of the Second Army at Verdun, attacked the Germans with a counter-offensive
This counter-offensive used new tactics
France was able to retake forts occupied by Germany and push the Germans back
On December 15th, 1916 the Battle of Verdun was over
The winter conditions and fighting on the Somme Offensive made fighting impossible
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Examiner Tips and Tricks
You could be asked to write a 'Write an account' question on the Battle of Verdun in the AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension: The First World War exam paper.
When revising this battle, you should focus on the sequence of events and organise them into causes and consequences. This will help you understand the battles and to answer the 'Write an account' question.
More help and guidance on the 'Write an account' question can be found here.
Significance of the Battle of Verdun
By the end of the battle, the French Army had lost 377,000 soldiers and Germany lost 330,000
The French Army claimed the victory, despite the large casualties
The German Army had failed to achieve its main objective to 'bleed the French white'
Verdun was under French control
Despite France claiming a victory, neither France nor Germany had achieved any real military gains
Nine villages around Verdun were destroyed
After the war, there was a 'Red Zone' around Verdun because of the large amount of unexploded bombs left in the ground
Even today, the land around Verdun contains approximately 10 million shells
Both Germany and France suffered heavy casualties
With the combined casualties at the Somme and Verdun, both sides struggled to overcome this loss which made it difficult to end the war
The Battle of Verdun is an example of the 'War of Attrition' which was a key feature of the battles of 1916
Examiner Tips and Tricks
There are several battles which you will need to learn about in the AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension: The First World War course. Students often find it difficult to remember what happened at which battle. An easy way to remember each battle is to assign one key feature or outcome to each battle.
For example, the Battle of Verdun is significant as it is an example of attrition. Therefore, attrition is the key feature or outcome that could be associated with this battle.
Worked Example
Study Source A.
Source A is critical of the German army. How do you know?
[4 marks]
Source A: A British political cartoon from a weekly magazine called Punch. The image was created on 8th March , 1916.
Answer:
Source A is critical of Germany as it was created by a British cartoonist in 1916 (1). In 1916, Britain was at war with Germany. Germany was fighting against Britain's ally, France, at the Battle of Verdun when this political cartoon was created. The author is critical as Germany has been successful in gaining land in Verdun (1).
Source A is also critical of Germany as it refers to the large amount of French and German casualties at Verdun (1). German High Command, as shown in Source A, decided to use the warfare strategy of 'attrition' at Verdun. The author of Source A is critical as this decision was made by the Kaiser, and his wartime generals, to 'sacrifice' their soldiers at the Battle of Verdun. Using such strategies as attrition resulted in high casualties (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension: The First World War exam paper, you may be asked to answer a 12-mark 'How useful' question on the Battle of Verdun.
Some students misinterpret the demands of this question and start to explain the limitations of a source or explain that a source is not useful. Remember, all historical sources are useful and marks will not be awarded to students who claim that a historical source is not useful.
More guidance and help on this question can be found here.
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