Sourceįrench attackers struggling with the barnbed wire In the aftermath, casualties amounted to over 550,000 on the French side and 450,000 for Germany. Although the Germans gained ground again at several points, they lost their overall momentum and were eventually driven out of the city. When French General Robert Nivelle took command of French forces, the French took the offensive against the Germans for the first time. As the Germans continued their offensive, the tide began to turn in favor of the French, now well supplied thanks to their new supply line. French General Philippe Pétain immediately ordered the expansion of this route, drastically improving French supply lines. Increasing the French woes was the fact that there was only one supply route in and out of the city, and it was utterly inadequate. The initial onslaught of German artillery and manpower overwhelmed the French, and in several places the defensive lines collapsed as units broke rank and fled to the rear. The point of attack chosen by German High Command was Verdun, a city built within a loop of the Meuse River.Īfter a slow start, the German force broke through the main French defensive line, capturing over 10,000 prisoners. By attacking such a point, Germany created an opportunity to inflict massive casualties on French forces by forcing the French into a battle of attrition. In early 1916, the German High Command sought to take advantage of the constant French reserve forces pouring into German offensives by attacking a point that the French forces would sacrifice every last man to protect. In trench warfare, however, trenches and other fortifications slowed attackers significantly, which allowed defensive reinforcements time to arrive and strengthen the position, which very seldom allowed for attackers to make significant gains by capturing significant strategic positions. In the past, two opposing armies had merely faced off against one another, and the victor was apparent when the opposing force either retreated or was overcome. With the advent of trench warfare, achieving a clear cut victory on the battlefield became nearly impossible.
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