Monday, November 9, 2009

Battle of Verdun of WWI claimed 306,000 lives

 
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The Battle of Verdun was the most critical battle of WWI and resulted in 306,000 men killed in action. It was fought between the German and French armies, from Feb. 21 to Dec. 18, 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in NE France. The battle ended in a French victory, because the German High Command failed to achieve its two strategic objectives: to capture the city and to inflict a much higher casualty count on its adversary. But the victory came at a high price, with 378,000 French casualties, of whom 163,000 died. Germany suffered 330,000 casualties, of whom 143,000 died. Verdun was the longest battle of WWI and one of the most devastating in history. It was also the first battle to see large-scale use of industrial weapons; more than 60 million artillery shells were exchanged by both sides during the battle. In France and Germany, the Battle of Verdun has come to represent the horrors of war.

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