The Price Of Glory: Verdun 1916

“The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916” is based on the true events of the Battle of Verdun, during WW1. From the French or German viewpoint, Verdun could have been the crucible in which the French army perished. The battle’s origin goes back to the war of 1870 when a German victory humiliated the French army to the point where they couldn’t bare a single memory of it. With this in mind the French had made the strategy of Grandmaison; imposing its will upon the enemy with catastrophic consequences. French casualties were enormous, but it seemed that little had been learned by the French HQ when Falkenhayn was made Chief of the German General Staff having surpassed many senior generals. However he had the ear of the Kaiser, and that was enough for Falkenhayn to convince him that he could bleed the French forces to death by attacking certain places that the French would be compelled to defend. Verdun, however, was the place the French would not give up whatever the cost and so it proved. The Kaiser agreed with Falkenhayn's plans and the scene was set for the great tragedy of Verdun. Based on the thought of heavy guns blasting a gap in French defences, 1200 guns were massed for the attack

on an 8-mile front.
On the morning of the 21st February, a huge artillery barrage opened up on the French positions, and it continued for hours.

Whole battalions disappeared under the bombardment. And one by one, vital positions were taken by the Germans. One section consisted of a rectangle 500 by 1000 yards, and was estimated that 80,000 heavy shells had fallen. The woods disappeared and the landscape became unrecognizable, flattened by the massive bombardment. French troops were paralyzed by its intensity. This was to follow in the days ahead with bombardments and attacks by German infantry against isolated groups of French soldiers. Finally, came the ultimate humiliation for the French when Fort Douaumont fell to the Germans in strange circumstances. Eventually, General Petain was called to save

Verdun.
The French continued to suffer, and one by one forts and strongholds were lost to the enemy. It became difficult to get food and water to troops, as wagons and barrels started being destroyed by German artillery. By June, morale was beginning to crumble and units were refusing to return to the trenches. However the French continued to resist despite the fall of its strong points, Fort Vaux was captured, and Fort Souville was threatened on June 23rd when the Germans used gas during their attack. If Souville fell, the way into Verdun was open.
The Germans, however, were suffering as well. The French had gained air control, and the Germans were becoming short of infantry. The French however resisted and the attack failed. The battle for Verdun was over, although it wasn’t recognized at the time. The Germans made one last attack on July, which also failed. Both sides were now exhausted by their efforts and the casualties on both sides were horrific. The French had lost 275,000 men and 6563 officers. On the German side close to 250,000 men. The Germans had fired almost 22 million rounds and the French nearly 15 million.
Alistair Horne describes this battle in a way of pure sincerity, and the battle of Verdun is remembered as one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the great war.