Military
2:17 until 2:38 (german army in WW1)
Battle of verdun
Battle of Verdun was a ten month long ordeal (February 1916 until December) between the French and German armies. The battle was part of an unsuccessful German campaign to take the offensive on the western front. Both the French and German armies suffered incredibly with an estimated 540,000 French and 430,000 German casualties and no strategic advantages were gained for either side. The Battle of Verdun is considered to be one of the most brutal events of World War I.
As a response to the German threat of invasion, France built a continuous line of sunken forts and trenches in the hopes that an invading army would not be able to manoeuvre through it. The line of fortifications extended from the Swiss frontier to the French city of Verdun, thus making Verdun a vital strong point for the French war effort. |
VERDUN |
BATTLES OF YPRES
There were in fact three battles fought around the Ypres salient during the War due to its location with humongous importance. The first war took place in 1914 was an attempt by the BEF (British Equestrian Federation-before British army) to halt the rapid advances made by the Germans. The second, in 1915, was notable for the first use of poison gas by the Germans. However, it is the long-planned offensive of July 31, 1917, that holds the most significance. Here, a combination of over-ambitious aims, appalling weather conditions, and misguided persistence by Haig led to horrific losses. By the time the offensive was called off total casualties for both sides had been approximately 250,000. The horrors of the battle, in which men drowned in liquid mud has become synonymous with the images of the War. One of the central objectives, the village of Passchendale (eventually taken on November 6 by the Canadians), lent its name to the whole conflict.
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Passchendale
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