The 37-mile (57-km) dirt road connecting the railhead at Bar-le-Duc to Verdun came to be known as La Voie Sacrée (“the Sacred Way”) for its critical role in the French defense. How did the Battle of Verdun get its name? The road was later renamed “La Voie Sacrée” (“the Sacred Way”) to commemorate its vital contribution to the war effort. Petain also used the road to rotate more than 40 divisions in and out of the Verdun sector, which kept the French troops fresh and helped combat the effects of shell shock. Why was the Sacred Way important in the Battle of Verdun? For the French it was a huge blow, to the Germans a great success. Why did Douaumont fall in the Battle of Verdun?ĭouaumont fell to the Germans on 25 February The largest and most powerful fort in the Verdun system fell without a shot being fired, partly due to German audacity but partly also because the French had removed almost all the defenders from the fort. The French also greatly increased the number of artillery pieces at Verdun, leading to the Germans suffering equally from incessant shelling. Petain also rotated units through Verdun on a regular basis and whilst this exposed much of the French Army to the battle, it ensured troops did not spend long periods of time at the front. What did Petain do at the Battle of Verdun? The Print Collector/Getty Images German infantrymen line up before leaving a village near Verdun. Who was the French general at the Battle of Verdun?įrench General Robert Nivelle famously proclaimed “Ils ne passeront pas!” or “They shall not pass!” as he was assigned to guard the front lines at Verdun. The Roman Army: The Roman Army famously conquered the Western world over a period of a few hundred years.Here are some of the most powerful armies in history. What is the longest battle in history? What was the strongest army in history? The battle lasted for 302 days, the longest and one of the most costly in human history. In September and December, French counter-offensives recaptured much ground on the east bank and recovered Fort Douaumont and Fort Vaux. What did the French gain from the Battle of Verdun? The German death toll was 143,000 (out of 337,000 total casualties) while the French lost 162,440 (out of 377,231). How many died at Verdun?ĭespite the Germans’ plan to “bleed France white,” the Battle of Verdun resulted in roughly equal casualties for both sides. It was originally planned by the German Chief of General Staff, Erich von Falkenhayn to secure victory for Germany on the Western Front. Between 22 February and 7 March the trucks carried 2,500 tonnes of supplies and 22,500 tonnes of ammunition into Verdun and 6,000 evacuated civilians out of the city.The Battle of Verdun, 21 February-15 December 1916, became the longest battle in modern history. At any given time half the available vehicles would be en route to Verdun loaded with supplies, while the other half headed away from the city loaded with wounded personnel or relieved units. The latter consisted of a wheel with bucket-like containers attached to the rim that rotated as the current filled the container the dirt road from Bar-le-Duc thus became a stylised noria with the water containers replaced with motor trucks running in a never ending stream around the clock. Richard also designed a system for deploying the vehicles dubbed noria, the French term for an industrial waterwheel. By February 1916 Major Richard had presciently assembled a fleet of 3,500 motor trucks by commandeering civilian vehicles across France – no mean feat considering that at the outbreak of war in 1914 the French Army could only muster a mere 170 vehicles.
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