Visit the BBC News website for more news of this event. Professor Jankowski was invited to attend the opening of the Memorial, where he briefly met President Hollande and Chancellor Merkel in the company of a French and a German historian, both of whom have also written extensively about the First World War and about Verdun. Amid their own entourage, invited guests and members of the media, Hollande and Merkel spent most of the day visiting the extended site of the battle, each making speeches before the great ossuary that holds the remains of some who died there. This event marked the official observance of the 100th anniversary of the battle of Verdun, during which 300,000 French and German soldiers died in 1916. On Sunday May 29, at Verdun in eastern France, President Francois Hollande and Chancellor Angela Merkel officially opened a new museum called the Memorial de Verdun. Paul Jankowski Attends Battle of Verdun 100th Anniversary Commemorative Event Along with Heads of State ![]() Graduate Professional Studies (Online Programs) Rabb School: Graduate Professional Studies Differing figures have been approximated by historians, but the most common figures estimate approximately 378,000 French and 337,000 German casualties.Heller School for Social Policy and Management Total casualties neared three-quarters of a million following the ten-month battle, which was the longest of the First World War. While Falkenhayn’s attempt to bleed France white did result in large casualties on the French side, it similarly resulted in huge losses for the German Army. On December 18, 1916, he decided to fully withdraw German troops from Verdun. Further ground was retaken before Hindenburg realized the futility of continuing the battle any longer. Mangin successfully recaptured Fort Douaumont on October 24, and then Fort Vaux on November 2. On the French side, General Charles Mangin was appointed to assist Nivelle. He was replaced at Verdun by Paul von Hindenburg, who later went on to become German President. Pinterestĭue to the heavy losses and lack of ground gained by the Germans, Falkenhayn was relieved of his post and sent to the Transylvanian Front to command the German Ninth Army. Nivelle was undoubtedly aided by German troops being withdrawn from Verdun when the Battle of the Somme began on July 1, and by the withdrawal of further troops to the Eastern Front to halt a Russian offensive. Although Petain was credited with the famous statement “ Ils ne passeront pas!” (They shall not pass!), it was, in fact, Nivelle who said it. In May 1916, Petain was promoted and replaced at Verdun by the more offensively minded Robert Nivelle. German attacks and French counterattacks continued over the following months which resulted in huge losses on both sides, with very little to show for it. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north of Verdun -sur-Meuse. He personally took command of the French artillery and reorganized its use in battle so that it became a more effective defensive weapon. The Battle of Verdun ( French: Bataille de Verdun bataj d vd German: Schlacht um Verdun laxt m vd) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. Forty-three divisions were committed once, twenty-three twice, and seven three times or more.Īlthough Petain knew that defending Verdun would likely result in large numbers of casualties for the French, he intended to maximize the casualties on the German side. Pétain’s Noria system combined with the duration of the battle itself made Verdun “an exceptionally generalized experience throughout the French army.” Of the eighty-five divisions of the French army, seventy served at Verdun at some point in the battle. Pétain also introduced the Noria system at Verdun, where divisions were rotated in and out of the front lines every 15 days or when they had lost one-third of their personnel. At its peak, this vital supply line brought in 90,000 men as well as 50,000 tons of supplies each week. It was also used to withdraw the wounded or units being relieved from the front. It enabled 3,500 trucks, driving with dimmed headlights only a few meters apart, to transport in much-needed supplies. Reacting to the dire need for supplies at Verdun, Pétain made use of a narrow road, just six meters wide, which after the war would become known as â La Voie Sacree‘ (the âSacred Way’). ![]() It proved to be a masterstroke for the French Army. Pétain had begun the war as a front-line infantry colonel and had gained a reputation among ordinary soldiers of being a General who used sound reasoning and one who cared for his soldier’s wellbeing. Castelnau decided to replace General Herr with a more defensive-minded general, Henri-Philippe Pétain. On the same day, Joffre sent his second-in-command, Edouard Noël de Castelnau to Verdun to assess the situation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |