2.2 - Verdun Flashcards
Who was Verdun between?
French and German
Who were the generals at Verdun?
Phillippe Pétain - French
Falkenhayn - German
What explains why the French believed they had won?
Germans suspended further advancement
Kept hold of Verdun after heavy fighting
General Phillippe’s tactics created strong defensive lines
How many forts was Verdun protected by?
60
In total, how many shells were fired by the Germans?
How many were fired on the first day?
32 million
2 million
What was the ‘sacred way’?
The road along which resources were constantly brought into Verdun, using 6000 trucks a day for the first 5 months
Germany and France lost around the same number of soldiers at Verdun. How many did each side lose?
300,000
French - 315,000
German - 280,000
How long did Verdun last for?
10 months
How many villages around Verdun were permanently destroyed?
15
What was the Zone Rouge?
170km squared of unexploded shells left in the ground.
What was the ratio of men?
1m Germans to 200,000 French defenders.
What was the strategy used in Verdun?
Falkenhayn wanted to “bleed France white” and give Germany a chance in the War of Attrition.
It was a direct route to Paris, and Verdun was culturally significant to France, having a kick on morale.
What impact did Russia have on the Battle of Verdun?
Russia was causing problems in the East, forcing Germany to split her army among the Western and Eastern fronts.
