21. 2. 1916 Calendary

21.2.1916 - The Battle of Verdun began

Categories: First World War , Calendar

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There's probably no point in describing 10 months of battle, all the twists and turns, the hopes. They are described in many books and studies. I think it is much more important to remember why the German army decided to attack the fortress area in the middle of which Verdu lies.

The reality of trench warfare made the German General Staff think quite inhumanly. Verdun was chosen as a place that the French would have to defend with everything at their disposal simply for the sake of prestige. The battle itself, seizing territory, gaining the initiative, etc. was secondary in the planners' view. The main one was the attrition battle, the purpose of which was to achieve a 2:1 casualty ratio in Germany's favour.

This ratio was ultimately not achieved. More than 300,000 soldiers on both sides were killed and hundreds of thousands more wounded. After Verdun, ordinary soldiers were no longer under any illusions; the losses, previously accurately recorded, were suddenly only estimates. But this strategy eventually led to the fall of the three old monarchies of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia.

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Díky za článek, byla to strašná bitva, nejhorší na Všem je, že z dějin 1 světové války tato bitva neměla prakticky žádný význam. Zatímco bitva u Stalingradu ve 2 světové válce znamenala obrovský posun válečných dějin, bitva u Verdunu nezměnila nic.

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