The Western Front Association: furthering interest in the Great War 1914-18 | explore | learn | share

ISBN: 0 14 002215 5  PB 364 pp £4.95
Published by Penguin Books. 

Many readers of the Great War have cut their teeth , figuratively speaking on Martin Middlebrooks “First Day of the Somme”, such is its importance in introducing visitors to the area . The same most certainly can be said of Alistair Horne’s classic account of the battle for Verdun in 1916. From the French or German viewpoint Verdun could have been the crucible in which the French army perished. The battle traced its origins back to the war of 1870 when a German victory so humiliated the French army that a repeat could not envisaged. With this in mind the French had adopted the strategy of Grandmaison; imposing its will upon the enemy with catastrophic consequences. French casualties were enormous but it seemed that little had been learned by the French GHQ when Falkenhayn was made Chief of the German General Staff having leapfrogged many senior generals. Alistair Horne tells us that little was known of the strange secretive man. However he had the ear of the Kaiser and that was enough for Falkenhayn to convince him that he could bleed the French forces to death by attacking certain places that the French would be compelled to defend, i.e. Verdun and Belfort. Verdun however was the place the French would not give up whatever the cost and so it proved. The Kaiser readily agreed with Falkenhayns plans and the scene was set for the great tragedy of Verdun. Based on the theory that heavy guns would blast a gap in the French defences without suffering many casualties some 1200 guns were massed for the attack on an 8 mile front .The planning and preparation for the battle is meticulously described by the author and he prepares the reader for the immense blow which was about to fall upon the under prepared French.
On the morning of the 21st February a huge artillery barrage opened up on the French positions and it continued for hours. Whole battalions vanished under the bombardment and one by one vital positions were taken by the Germans. In one section comprising of a rectangle 500 by 1000 yards it was estimated that 80,000 heavy shells had fallen. Woods disappeared; the landscape became unrecognisable, flattened by this immense bombardment. French troops were paralysed by its intensity. Communications, such as they were broke down under this torrent of shells. This pattern was to follow in the days ahead with bombardments, attacks by German infantry against isolated pockets of French soldiers. Finally there came the ultimate humiliation for the French when Fort Douaumont fell to the Germans in bizarre circumstances. Eventually General Petain was summoned to save Verdun.
The French continued to suffer and one by one fort and strongholds were lost to the enemy. It became difficult to get food and water to troops, wagons and barrels being destroyed by German artillery. By June morale was beginning to crumble and units were refusing to return to the trenches. Shades of 1917.
However the French continued to stubbornly resist in spite of the fall of its strong points, Fort Vaux was captured and the Fort Souville was threatened on June 23rd when the Germans used gas during their attack. If Souville fell the way into Verdun was open.
The Germans however were suffering as well. The French had gained air supremacy and the Germans were becoming short of infantry, a result of Falkenhayn despatching three divisions to the Eastern Front when they were needed at Verdun .The French however resisted and the attack failed the battle for Verdun was over although it wasn’t recognised at the time. The Germans made one last attack on July which failed. Both sides were now exhausted by their efforts. Casualties on both sides were horrific. .
The French lost 275000 men and 6563 officers. On the German side close to 250000 men. The Germans had fired approximately 22 million rounds and the French some 15 million. The causes, the planning, the aftermath is most graphically described and the reader is left wondering how man could inflict such misery on other humans. . Alistair Horne has written a classic of WW1 literature and this review really cannot do it justice. It really must be on your bookshelf.

Reviewer: Maurice Johnson