Verdun is the town in France which became known after bloody fight of times of World War I. Fortress Verdun and the area surrounding it became a mass grave for hundreds of thousands of German and French soldiers. It gave to historians a reason to call those events "The Verdun meat grinder".
Verdun: the facts from history
Fortress Verdun was put in the 18th century. The French in such a way tried to create the strengthened center for protection of Paris against possible attack from east direction. Verdun was exposed to the attacks during military operations of France with Prussia more than once, but every time after a siege the strengthening nevertheless was given to the enemy. Only during World War I Verdun could fulfill the main destination, having done not pass the German troops to the capital of France.
At the end of 1915 the command of the German army developed the detailed plan of defeat of armies of the opponent on the Western front. The task of Germans included break of the powerful "Verdun arch" representing a strong stronghold of the front from France. The German command expected to come out after overcoming this boundary to Paris and to force the French government to capitulate.
"Verdun meat grinder"
Active army operation began in the neighborhood of Verdun at the end of February, 1916. 21 numbers Germans started one of the most bloody battles in the history. Nearly one thousand tools opened fire at positions of the French troops. The German shells destroyed the enemy, razing to the ground all strengthenings. Shelling was followed by the attack of infantry. The numerous flow of troops was resisted by only two divisions of the French. Subsequently military historians counted that from the German side about one million soldiers and officers participated in that first operation near Verdun in total. In operation flame throwers and poison gas were actively used. Forces defending were half smaller on number. But only for the fifth day the German parts took the strengthened fort Duamon. However the attempt of Germans to seize straight off the strengthened area failed. The French army managed to concentrate quickly near Verdun considerable group and to create some overweight in the number of troops. Daily hundreds of French trucks with soldiers and ammunition went to the place of "The Verdun meat grinder". Verdun persistently continued to keep. But losses were terrifying: by the end of March France lost more than 80 thousand people in this area of fighting. In the middle of June, 1916 the German command made the last attempt to break resistance of Verdun and its defenders. After the most powerful artillery preparation, perfect German parts numbering up to 30 thousand people were thrown into fight. This fighting vanguard worked desperately and ruthlessly. But approach choked. Thousands of German soldiers found the death on the approaches to Verdun. However on it events near Verdun did not end. Operation continued some more months, up to the middle of December, 1916. Any of the parties could not brag of a total victory, despite a huge number of the victims of bloody "meat grinder". For all the time of army operation in total not less than one million people on both sides died.