Verdun, Schlacht um

Verdun, Schlacht um, an offensive ordered by Field-Marshal E. von Falkenhayn (1861-1922) and carried out by the Crown Prince's Army Group in 1916. Verdun was the projecting bastion of the French lines, and since, for reasons of prestige and morale, it was unlikely that the French would abandon it, Falkenhayn believed that their army could be exhausted by massive and prolonged attacks (Ermattungsstrategie). These began on 2 February 1916 and were broken off in June. Verdun remained in French hands, though some of the outer forts fell; they were regained by the French later in the year. The appalling loss of life was about equal on both sides.

Works dealing with the battle for Verdun include Sieben vor Verdun, by J. M. Wehner Opfergang by F. von Unruh, and Erziehung vor Verdun by A. Zweig. In 1971 H. Risse published the essay Wer denkt heute noch an Verdun?