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The Battle of Verdun (French: Bataille de Verdun [bataj də vɛʁdœ̃]; German: Schlacht um Verdun [ʃlaxt ʔʊm ˈvɛɐ̯dœ̃]) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north of Verdun.
Built from 1881 to 1884 for 1,500,000 francs, it housed a garrison of 150 men. Vaux was the second fort to fall in the Battle of Verdun after Fort Douaumont, which was captured by a small German raiding party in February 1916 in the confusion of the French retreat from the Woëvre plain. Vaux had been modernised before 1914 with reinforced ...
Construction work started in 1885 near the village of Douaumont, on some of the highest ground in the area and the fort was continually reinforced until 1913. It has a total surface area of 30,000 m 2 (36,000 sq yd) and is approximately 400 m (440 yd) long, with two subterranean levels protected by a steel reinforced concrete roof 12 m (13 yd) thick resting on a sand cushion.
French illustration of the road during the battle of Verdun Map of Voie Sacrée, France. The Voie Sacrée ("Sacred Way") is a road that connects Bar-le-Duc to Verdun , France. It was given its name because of the vital role it played during the Battle of Verdun in World War I.
Bird's-eye view of Verdun in 1638 Map of the city and citadel of Verdun (c. 1770) Verdun (Verodunum, a latinisation of a place name meaning "strong fort" in Gaulish) was founded by the Gauls. [citation needed] It has been the seat of the bishop of Verdun since the 4th century, with interruptions. [6]
The fort is situated on some of the highest ground in the area. At the very beginning of the Battle of Verdun (February 1916) and due to French unpreparedness, the fort was easily captured by a small German raiding party. Douaumont was later recaptured by the French Army in October 1916, after major casualties on both sides.
During the Battle of Verdun in 1916 it was captured and recaptured by the Germans and French 16 times, with all structures being completely destroyed. Since then, it has been declared to have "died for France", and this remains unoccupied (official population : 0), as have the communes of Bezonvaux , Beaumont-en-Verdunois , Haumont-près ...
The Douaumont Ossuary (French: Ossuaire de Douaumont) [1] is a memorial containing the skeletal remains of soldiers who died on the battlefield during the Battle of Verdun in World War I. It is located in Douaumont-Vaux, France, within the Verdun battlefield, and immediately next to the Fleury-devant-Douaumont National Necropolis. [2]