Battle of Verdun: A History from Beginning to End

Fought from February to December 1916, the Battle of Verdun was intended to “bleed the French white” and bring their army to the point of collapse. Instigated by the Germans under the command of General Erich von Falkenhayn, it became a war of attrition that would benefit neither side. With its devastating death toll and the appalling number of wounded, the Battle of Verdun is one of the deadliest in history.

Both sides made mistakes in the longest battle fought in the First World War. General Falkenhayn’s attitude was perhaps just as astonishing as the death toll; deliberately opting for a battle plan that would slowly grind the French down, his hubris meant he overlooked the possibility of the Germans being dragged into an unwinnable situation. In this book, you will read about Falkenhayn and the deplorable conditions he put the French and his own men through for the Battle of Verdun—a battle he knew the French could not resist.