Austria's Involvement In The Battle Of Verdun

The Battle of Verdun was fought between February 21 and December 18, 1916, on the Western Front in France. It was one of the longest, bloodiest, and most brutal battles of World War I, lasting 300 days and resulting in an estimated 800,000 casualties. The battle was planned by the German Chief of General Staff, Erich von Falkenhayn, to secure victory for Germany on the Western Front by crushing the French army before the Allies grew in strength. The ancient fortress city of Verdun on the River Meuse was chosen as the location for the battle because of its strategic importance and symbolic value to the French. The Germans aimed to capture the heights on the east bank of the river, which would force the French to attempt to retake the ground or lose Verdun. The Germans employed a massive artillery bombardment, using more than 1,200 artillery pieces, and advanced steadily with troops of the German Fifth Army under Crown Prince Wilhelm. Despite initial success, the Germans ultimately failed to defeat the French, who were able to hold off the German offensive.

The German attack on Verdun was designed to be a battle of attrition

The Germans commenced their attack on 21 February 1916 with a massive artillery bombardment and a steady advance by troops of the German Fifth Army under Crown Prince Wilhelm. Five days into the battle, German forces captured Fort Douaumont, the largest and highest of the 19 forts protecting Verdun. The battle appeared to be going Falkenhayn's way. French military leaders declared Verdun could not be held if the east bank of the Meuse was lost and that French national morale would not survive the loss of the city.

However, Crown Prince Wilhelm and his staff then deviated from Falkenhayn's strategic concept. They committed the Fifth Army to greater offensive action, making the seizure of ground the priority. By the end of February, German losses at Verdun were similar to French casualties. Falkenhayn's original plan to destroy the French army through a battle of attrition was not going as intended.

The battle was fought over a symbolic location

The Battle of Verdun was fought over a symbolic location. The ancient city of Verdun was among the last to fall during France's humiliating defeat in the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War. It was also built into one of the most heavily fortified strongholds along the border with Germany. The loss of such a storied citadel would be an enormous blow to French morale. The city also had sentimental value for the Germans, thanks to the 843 AD Treaty of Verdun, which divided the Carolingian Empire and created the core of what later became Germany.

Verdun was also chosen for its position on the Allied line. The fortress of Verdun, with its surrounding fortifications along the Meuse River, threatened the main German communication lines. The Germans believed that the French would throw in every man they had to defend it, draining their army of resources.

The French were taken by surprise

The French managed to make last-minute preparations after poor weather delayed the German onslaught, but they still found themselves on their back foot during the early stages of the battle. By 24 February—just three days after the initial bombardment—the Germans had advanced several miles and overrun the first two French defensive lines.

The French were also surprised by the German capture of Fort Douaumont, the most sprawling of the several dozen French bastions surrounding Verdun. Douaumont would have been all but impregnable under normal circumstances, but its garrison had been reduced to just 57 men in the months before the battle. After gaining access to the fort through an undefended passage, a small party of Germans led by Lt. Eugen Radtke was able to wander its subterranean chambers and round up French defenders one by one. They soon captured the entire garrison without suffering a single casualty or firing a shot.

Fort Douaumont was seized without a fight

The ease with which the Germans captured the fort underscored the surprise and lack of preparedness on the part of the French. The Verdun front had remained relatively stable for the previous 18 months, leading the French garrison to be caught off guard by the sudden German assault. The French divisional commander predicted that the loss of Fort Douaumont would cost the French army 100,000 lives.

The fort's easy fall was a disaster for the French and a glaring example of the lack of judgement prevailing in the General Staff at the time, under General Joffre. In August 1915, Joffre had approved the decision to partially disarm all the Verdun forts, acting under the erroneous assumption that the forts could not resist the effects of modern heavy artillery.

The capture of Fort Douaumont set the stage for the rest of the Battle of Verdun, which lasted nine months and resulted in enormous human costs. Douaumont was finally recaptured by three infantry divisions of the French Second Army on October 24, 1916, bringing closure to the battle.

The French defence was kept alive by a 'sacred' road

The Battle of Verdun, fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916, was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of World War I. The French defence was kept alive by a road known as the Sacred Way or the Voie Sacrée.

The Sacred Way was a 75-kilometre route between Bar-le-Duc and Verdun. During the ten months of the battle, it was the scene of an uninterrupted stream of vehicles, with 8,000 vehicles, including 6,000 trucks, continuously plying the route. The Sacred Way was the only road into Verdun and was kept open despite constant German shelling. It played a critical role in the French defence, as it was used to transport ammunition and supplies to the front line.

Captain Doumenc, adjutant to the director of the French Army's automobile section, organised road transport to send supplies to the front line. During the height of the battle, there was one vehicle on the Sacred Way every fourteen seconds, with 500,000 tonnes of equipment and 400,000 men transported per month. Renault, Berliet, and Latil trucks were chosen for the operation due to their endurance, adaptability, and easy maintenance.

The French defence at Verdun was also aided by General Philippe Petain, who was given command of the French Second Army at Verdun. Petain had a reputation as a master of defence and organised his forces to defend in depth by establishing a series of mutually supporting strong points. He also rotated units through Verdun regularly, ensuring that troops did not spend long periods of time at the front.

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