Verdun

The Battle of Verdun is considered the greatest and lengthiest in world history. Never before or since has there been such a lengthy battle, involving so many men, situated on such a tiny piece of land. The battle, which lasted from 21 February 1916 until 19 December 1916 caused over an estimated 700,000 casualties (dead, wounded and missing). The battlefield was not even a square ten kilometres. From a strategic point of view there can be no justification for these atrocious losses. The battle degenerated into a matter of prestige of two nations literally for the sake of fighting......

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• world
• war
• 1º

[fp470]

@0Zolrender0 There was a point to this battle as well, the problem is that it is so poorly taught at school. By gaining this section of river front the Western Allies secured 2 very important outcomes. Firstly it was a prominent position that had a view over other sectors of the line. Winning this destroyed the German ability to wage offensives surrounds. Further the area ahead of the Somme was important staging ground for future offensives (although not utilised to 1917) and relief of Verdun.

[stripymccatpuss]

not the film, or even the people that were there, can truely show us the horror of that time......

[0Zolrender0]

staingrad might come close to this is losses. but there was a point to stalingrad.

[ultradumbass]

@crescentfresh80 most offensive raids had no fighting either. it is nothing like saving private ryan where you are under fire the whole time. you might go for 3 days on an attack and not meet anything, and by the end of the offensive you might be called back seeing no action or your whole battalion is wiped out. generally soldiers did not know what was happening from more than a few hundred yards from them. it was just luck if you encountered the enemy head on.

[crescentfresh80]

@ultradumbass a "trench raid" was different from an offensive.

[ultradumbass]

@RegistrationCop actually the idea that every trench raid would end in a massacre was a myth. 90% of the time when you went over the top, you and your unit would get in with no casualties. because either the enemy wasn't there, or for strategic reasons allow you to take it or to not let you know where they really are hiding. and if you really do get resistance, you had nearly 100% chance of survival. as most trench raids were more done for harassment and a brief exchange of fire.

[RegistrationCop]

What a brutal war. Getting out of your trench was almost always a death sentence because of the heavy artillery and machine guns. And staying in the trench meant certain misery, stuck next to dead, rotting bodies and getting ever more deteriorating health.

[jarjarstudios99]

I wish more would watch this.