I have been to Verdun. It is a depressing, horrifying place. My worst moment was when I turned up a road leading to what I thought was a typical war memorial. The sign said "Vers l'Ossuaire". I did a double-take "Ossuary?" I thought "Boneyard". That is what it was: A tomb filled with the bones of thousands upon thousands of unidentified men. 300,000 dead, counting both sides. As if you took the entire population of Utrecht Netherlands or Coventry England or Riverside California and killed every single person.
I've been to Verdun this past september 2017; unforgettable experience, the whole place is like one big theme park for the fallen and remembrance; not depressing, more like pure history for the WWI aficionado
Imagine a being a French soldier in ww1 and dying in Verdun. Just to be called a coward after 100 years later by 12 years old arm chair warriors that base their history knowledge on memes and stereotypes.
My Great Uncle who was part of the French 99th Infantry Regiment survived Verdun. His regiment were one of the few regiments to not see a rotational system at Verdun and fought there for 10 months, along with the 151st infantry
When I heard that 1,000,000 shells were fired I decided to do some math. 808 Artillery guns being used by German forces at Verdun. 1,000,000 / 808 = 1237.6 per gun. It was a 10 hour bombardment so 1237.6 / 10 = 123.7 per hour / by 60 to get shells per minute and 2.06... Each gun had to fire 2 shells per minute for 10 hours to reach 1,000,000 fired shells. Even today two shells per minute is a fast firing rate and to keep that up for ten hours would be exhausting.
greenrate ...right and I'm sure they traded out crews and I know the allies had done similar bombardments, and this wouldn't be the largest one of the war but that's still very impressive.
the french 75mm could fire up to 20 rounds per min (usually 15) the british QF 18-pounder could fire up to 20 rounds per min (usually 4) the german 7.7 cm FK 96 n.A. could fire 10 rounds per min
I'm of age to have been enlisted to fight during the great war. it's rather humbling knowing that 100 years ago, I could be dead, wounded, or she'll shocked out of my mind. this really makes life a more humbling experience...thank you indie
+patrick crosley +Jack Evey The civil war didn't ended until 1922 you know? Stop being so close minded and do some actual research. Many of them joined the Red Army.
+Duy Linh Chu Ha Sure, it didn't end until 1922, but what year did they take the capital of St. Petersburg? What year was the royal family, as well as a lot of the ministry executed by the Bolsheviks?
More like "serious fighting" started on 1918. Sure the royal family was executed but tsarist ministers were not executed "on mass", many of them died fighting or caught up in the chaos.
You didn`t mention Emile Driant, French officer and politician. He had 2 battalions(1200 soldiers) under his command and defended Bois de Caures. They resisted 1 day(22 february) so the French High Command gained time in sending troops to this threatened sector. He was the first 'Hero" for the French at Verdun and his death inspired the French soldiers.
+motanulatomic Verdun was a tragedy populated with outstanding and/or infamous characters, perhaps Driant will get his props along the way...the battle lasted ten months, after all. A fruitful field for "Who Did What" installments, y'think?
+BonJoviworstbandever 2 colonial armys bashing away at each other hardly our worst moment. Think the Turks genocide of Armenians, think Khmer Rouge, think Rwandan Hutu... Im sure you get my point
Christian Johnston leaders sending millions of people to the slaughterhouse through the means of force and propaganda, where your only choice is whether to be violently dismembered by an explosion, gassed, burned, starved, frozen, bludgeoned, shot, or scarred for life. all that for one of the most pointless conflicts in existence. and you want to argue about what was worse. it's childish, it doesn't matter, it's all sick and deprived.
+Christian Johnston by definition, colonial armies are small since they have much better weapons than the local population that they are colonising. At Verdun you have CONTINENTAL armies.
@@radjadawamindra697 THOUGH A MILLION SHELLS HAVE SCARRED THE LAND, NO ONE HAS THE UPPER HAND, FROM THE GROUND ABOVE THE TRENCHES, WHERE THE SOLDIERS MAKE THEIR STAND!
No matter how cruel, how bloodthirsty and inhumane every second of the battle of Verdun was, you can't deny that this one heck of an offensive. Destruction on a level unprecedented even by World War One so far.
+lsq78 Indeed. The main point was to get through Verdun, and open a road to Paris. Falkenhayn realized that wasn't working and said "oh well, my plan was to bleed them dry and force peace".
My uncle, Charlot D'Heedene from the North of France, bordering Belgium and married to a Flemish girl, fought in Verdun for over 3 years. He was finally taken prisoner of war and also survived this ordeal. He was a proud, joyous, funny man in mad love with his spouse till he passed away in the early 1980's. One thing: when asked about WW1, the light in his eyes went out and reflected a deep instant of sadness. He never spoke about those years. I only can wonder how were his nights.I still have his medallion worn during the battles, with his picture as a young soldier and on the backside the photo of his girlfriend. And I still have the sabre used by my own Flemish grandfather used in one of the last cavalry regiments. I often take both relics in my hands, and they transport me more than a hundred years ago. Now we are in 2022, and the world prepares for catastrophes way more deadly and destroying than WWI. We did not learn all that much.
We need to know the horrors and carnage of Verdun, as a Historian I am a firm believer in " Those who forget History are doomed to relive it". I was a terrible war but it something everyone should know about so the same mistakes are not repeated. On another note, BRAVO on doing a wonderful job with these clips, you have taught me some things I never knew before and have shown insight and knowledge of The Great War that few academics can show. My hats off the you Indy and keep it up
A little bit disappointed that you didn't mention the last stand of Émile Driant and his 1200 men (2 battalions). They stood their ground (and even launched counter attacks to reclaim advances positions) for an entire day while heavily outnumbered and under constant bombardment and infantry attacks. Their causality rate for that day was at 70-80%, but their sacrifice gave the rest of the french army enough time to form a new line of defense. Just imagine this: 4 out of 5 men of these two battalions dead in a single day.
As the drum roll started on that day Heard a hundred miles away A million shells were fired And the green fields turned to grey The bombardment lasted all day long Yet the forts were standing strong Heavily defended Now the trap's been sprung and the battle has begun Descend into darkness 303 days below the sun Fields of Verdun, and the battle has begun Nowhere to run, father and son Fall one by one under the gun Thy will be done (thy will be done), and the judgement has begun Nowhere to run, father and son Fall one by one, fields of Verdun Though a million shells have scarred the land No one has the upper hand From the ground above to trenches Where the soldiers make their stand As the trenches slowly turn to mud And then quickly start to flood Death awaits in every corner As they die in the mud, fill the trenches with blood Descend into darkness 303 days below the sun Fields of Verdun, and the battle has begun Nowhere to run, father and son Fall one by one under the gun Thy will be done (thy will be done), and the judgement has begun Nowhere to run, father and son Fall one by one, fields of Verdun Fields of execution turned to wasteland from the grass Thou shalt go no further it was said, "They shall not pass!" The spirit of resistance and the madness of the war So go ahead, face the lead, join the dead Though you die where you lie, never asking why Descend into darkness 303 days below the sun Fields of Verdun, and the battle has begun Nowhere to run, father and son Fall one by one under the gun Thy will be done (thy will be done), and the judgement has begun Nowhere to run, father and son Fall one by one, fields of Verdun
When I think of Verdun, I always think of this quote from poor Lieutenant Alfred Joubaire who would fight and die there aged 21: "Yes, humanity has gone mad. We must be mad to do what we are doing. What massacres! What scenes of horror and carnage! I cannot find words to express my feelings. Hell cannot be so terrible. Mankind has gone mad."
+Colin Kelly: All respect to Lieutenant Joubaire . . . but wasn't he in fact part of the problem (?) It's like complaining about traffic . . . when you're in a car that is creating the traffic. It's a tough choice to have to make (fight or not) . . . but once you've made it, that's it.
@@QED_ Peoples are not truly free of making decisions when they are stuck in war or even in a traffic jam. Its a problem created through the mass, not the individual (at least not on the level of some frontline officer; there are individual responsabilities for high command and politicians on all sides who committed to the war but arguably even they would be pressured by circumstances, thus not truly free) and as such.. well nothing much can be done.
A hundred years later, Verdun is still a scarred land overgrown with the occasional sunflower field. But blistered with unexploded ordnance and chipped columns of withered wood - a ghastly reminder. I visited Verdun and the surrounding landscape over 6 years ago with my high school class. To see - and recognize - the battle (site) is interesting. Having followed your series and now that I'm older, I can't help but feel 10 times more dreary thinking back. Especially since I already know how many crosses are going to be planted into the ground when all of this is finished. I also remember the man's toilet, which was just a hole in the ground lol. So heads up to all your guys planning a holiday trip to Verdun.
+Lashb1ade not so much verdun, but Somme has entire areas you cant go on due to pieces of Barbed wire, mines and unexploaded artillery shells still there
+Lashb1ade The area has been somewhat cleared, but if you want to go into the wilderness around the major sites, you need to go with professional guide. It's an excellent option besides, as they know where all the old bunkers and ruins are that aren't part of "official" sites like the two main forts and the destroyed villages, but only operate during the summer, and I don't know if they offer English guides or not.
+bandholm There is another place much scarier and sadder than Verdun in France. It happened about 18 years later at the village of Oradour-sur-Glane. Verdun was rebuilt, is occupied and a tourist spot. Not to take away from what happened at Verdun in both wars, there are many reminders there, but Verdun is a beautiful city today. Oradour-sur-Glane was never rebuilt, most items are left were they were after the village was destroyed. All but about 20 of the men, women and children of that village were murdered. To this day the village of Orsadour-sur-glane remains empty, as it was in Jun of 1944. If you ever get a chance, go there and walk through the village. It will send shivers up your spine.
Thing is, it's probably wrong. Falkenhayn claims that he intended to bleed the French army at Verdun came only way after the fact, when people started to ask him "so, about this whole mess...", while nothing confirms it in the documentation of the time.
Une grande partie des territoire français qui ont été bombardés pendant la première guerre mondiale sont fermé et interdit au publique à cause des obus qui n'ont pas explosé qu'on retrouve encore sur place...
Maréchal Philippe Pétain was the oldest, wisest, and most honored French hero of the war. However, for a time after he became the premier of the Vichy France, many people didn't believe that the most decorated and looked up to soldier could possibly be a traitor. France looks back at Pétain with disdain but also appreciation from his work in the first war.
@davidreed9849 Totally wrong to the end! Pétain is not the oldest, born in 1856, but Joffre le Vainqueur de la Marne was born in 1852. Pétain was not the most honored of Generals Joffre in 1916, and Foch was honored before him by being named Marshal before the end of the war while Pétain will be named after the armistice, therefore the end of the fighting, Pétain was not the wisest of Verdun, seized with panic, he presented two plans for the evacuation of Verdun which resulted in his withdrawal from the battlefield of Verdun on April 30, 1916 and his replacement Pétain will renew this panic under the eyes of British Marshal Douglas Haig who mentions it in these memoirs, under the eyes of the President of the Republic Raymond Poincaré and under the eyes of the Minister of Armaments who will also mention it respectively in their memoirs. Alosr for some wise ??? You will iron! No ! quote me General De Catselnau, here is a real sage, with his cold blood, a real strategist So during the First World War we can not appreciate a bad general especially when he goes after 1918, uses his imposture of so-called winner of Verdun for political purposes especially from 1934. France is right to look at petain with disdain over his entire career. And then I remind you that from his life petain learned on August 15, 1945, at his trial that he had been stripped of his title of marshal he will be forced to leave the court in civilian clothes, as well as he will be stripped of his title of Academician , which he did not deserve, his books being written by others. (Laure, De Gaulle, Loustaunau Lacau, etc....)
The generals who directed the war believed that sacrifice was a part of war, and there seemed to be no limit on the sacrifices they imposed on their soldiers. It's always too easy to ask other men to make sacrifices.
As the drum roll started on that day heard a hundred miles away. Amillion shells were fired and the green fields turned to grey the bombardment lasted all day long, yet the forts were standing strong heavily defended, now the trap has sprung and the battle has begun descend into darkness 303 days below the sun fields of verdun!
And welcome to one of the the lowest points, even of this war. The battlefield itself is scary today, the great bone house alone and how the whole area is still, a hundred years past, undeniably marked by this battle is insane. For our younger watchers: imagine Warhammer 40k as a living reality, as a relict, still full of the remains of the battles of past, forever scarred. I can only repeat...it's a strange place, even today, and it's subtly horrible do walk among the relics... It deeply touched me. Raoul G. Kunz
My (german) grandma gave me an old, worn bible last year. It was the bible of my great-grandfather, who was at the battle of Verdun. He survived. His words were that this bible he had with him and faith were the reasons he didn't lose his mind in the trenches. I am not a very religious person, but I hold this particular book very dear.
After stumbling across this channel a while ago whilst looking at British Pathe videos, you re-ignited my passion for history. I would often binge watch all your videos with my father. So much was the influence that in early February this year we both decided to hop on the euro star and spend a few days in Ypres before driving down to the Somme. Despite the wind and rain, it was fascinating walking around the exact locations that you described whilst I watched laying in bed. Keep up the great work and just plain and simply, thank you!
I lost my ancestor in Verdun. He wrote and you can feel the patriotism that he could have for his motherland. French were never coward , France (since his creation) have to fought against all Europeans. This joke from the show Simpson « French surrender » is false and insulting for all the soldiers who died for France.
France didn’t have to fight against all Europeans though. Many times in history it was France who was the aggressor, occupying and annexing their neighbours territory, like some of the German states in the 1600s, and also the time of Napoleon.
@@Tom-2142 All the nations do the war. And during the Napoleon Time , you have to know that never France declare the war of Europe. It’s a « fun fact » about the revolutionary wars. But say that French have been agresors in some case , of course but like all the countries
Well, at least he died there to defend the homeland, my great-great-grandfather died in the interests of Germany and the emperor, although he was not a German. And from the story I know that he very much did not want to go to this war, because he sensed that he would die, and he was torn to shreds by an artillery shell and somewhere he rests under a nameless grave, or he stayed in this hole forever.
@@georgedelanoy9548 He served in the Infanterie-Regiment "Graf Schwerin" (3rd Pommersches) Nr. 14, then Bromberg, today from Bydgoszcz. And like many Poles, he served in the German uniform under the verdun. Most of the regiments with the rest of the German eastern provinces served on the western front, because Poles also served in the Russian army, the German command was afraid of fraternization and refusing to fight with compatriots from other partitions. He conquered Le Mort Homme hill several times, because the French did not want never to abandon the hill, from his letters and the stories of his colleagues from the same village, who were more lucky and drove home, I know it was terrible there, they sat hidden in makeshift dugouts, and the French fired cannons from above. The saddest thing that he survived the attack on this cruel hill, he died as he moved to the quiet section of the front for the purpose of replenishment.
I've been waiting for this moment since I'm watching this channel. I cannot figure how such an artillery bombing looks like but looking at the ground of the battle today gives an idea.
+scarfacemperor "I've been waiting for this moment since I'm watching this channel." Yes. "Pour ne pas oublier." "Lest we forget." (I couldn't put a link, so: type "Verdun chant" (minus quotation marks) in RUclips search and watch the first result).
Back in the day when we played war-games I played The game of Verdun by conflict Games. It was then i began to understand the carnage of WW1 with the piles of dead unit counters piling up on both sides. Artillery was calculated by how many tons of ammo that was available that day.
I can imagine, visited Verdun in 2004, just weeks after finishing a 10 month conscript training as part of a mortar platoon. Seeing the cemetaries, the ossuary and the forts, including Douamont some of which only grassy mounds of rubble remains with the dome of an armoured observation post you included in the video had been tossed like a childs mitten and partially shattered by artillery, revealing a cross section of it's 300+mm cast chilled me to the bone. It's a trip well worth making.
+SonsOfLorgar I wonder what kind of image you'd get seeing the actual events that transpired 100 years ago. That'd be something that could freeze a person in place.
I find it incredible that this battle started on a 20-kilometre front, and then gradually narrowed down to bloody attrition along just 4 or so miles. The so-called "Deadly Quadrilateral" on the Right Bank of the Meuse is little under 8 square miles. For reference, the Auschwitz concentration camp complex spanned a 40-square kilometre land area!
The Fog of War has a 45 min documentary on the Battle of Verdun. Indy´s comment at the end is sobering...sobering what has happened and is still happening because of war. Lord have Mercy.
I was touring the Verdun battlefield, when I remembered this video. I found my way to the February front line (it’s quite well preserved in between two forests) and watched this episode. I had the pleasure of watching a video about the beginning of the Battle of Verdun, at the sight of the battle of Verdun.
Yes, Indy, we have it pretty soft here in the 21st century: and as you say, neither you NOR I can comprehend the carnage of the Great War. Let's hope that your channel helps us to at least understand that nothing like it must ever be repeated! Perhaps you could do something on the songs that came out of the war -- from patriotic ("Verdun!! On ne passe pas!") to despairing ("La Chanson de la Craonne": "Adieu la vie! Adieu l'amour! ..."). You've already done some things on the poetry of the war, mostly in English. But the French have their poets, too, e.g. Apollonaire and Cendrars. And it is the songs and poetry that burst from these tormented souls that perhaps speak most eloquently of their inner state.
+The Great War team are doing a great job, and considering the perspective and insights you have provided me with, I'd find it very difficult to get impatient with you. It only occurred to me that, as regards portraying the carnage and the effect it had on the men who lived through it, some of their songs, etc. might prove effective in bringing it home to your viewers. Please don't go all literary! (BTW, I just noticed I spelled Apollinaire's name wrong in my first post.)
“Ils ne passeront pas.” Or, “They shall not pass” became the rallying cry at Verdun. The French fought incredibly valiantly for every inch at Verdun. But the cost was staggering, levels not seen until the Second World War at places like Stalingrad or Bastogne. Over 70,000 people were being lost per month. That’s one and a half Vietnams per month. On a battlefield less than 5 miles wide. I can’t even imagine the carnage. The casualty rate is estimated to be as high as nearly 50% for the French. For reference, a 10% casualty rate during a battle in World War II was seen as a bloodbath, and almost never did a battle reach as high as 25%, which was an outright slaughter. Tarawa, one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific, saw 9%, and there was a ton of outrage in the US over it. 10% would almost certainly get a commander fired and court-martialed today for incompetence and negligence. And at Verdun, 1 out of every 2 soldiers would get either wounded or killed. Unbelievable.
On the subject of carnage, an important element in the modern memorial at the Ossuary of Douaumont is the fact that the ossuary itself is open to the outside, and the bones of 130,000 unidentified German and French soldiers are visible to anyone walking around the exterior of the building. The building furthermore includes the crests of the varied cities and regions from which the dead hailed - including far away Montreal and Boston (foreign volunteers), and the grounds house 16,000 individual graves of French soldiers, and another 592 graves for Muslim colonial soldiers. And all this is about half of the dead, and 1/6 of the total casualties. The scale of carnage may be impossible to fully comprehend, but I have never, anywhere else in the world, been to such a place which better demonstrates vast carnage.
Wow, this episode was really great! I loved how you guys covered the intensity of the battle! I can't wait to see how you guys do more battles like this.
You should talk about the Kronprinz. He was in charge of applying the german plan. However he strongly opposed Falkenhayn on everything: He wanted to attack on both side of Meuse river, he wanted to do a breakthrough, he wanted to take Verdun, he wanted to end the battle when he saw it was lost..... But as a Professional german general, he followed Falkenhayn despite his own grievance.
The Great War has always been a war I was fascinated by, yet didn't know much about. That has changed since I find your channel. Thanks for all the wonderful material.
Great episode, one of the best so far! I have been anxiously awaiting the details of the battle of Verdun. I definitely agree with the quote you presented, that Verdun in essence is a microcosm of the entire war.
Hey guys,first of all i want to thank you for your engagement in this project. I am 16 and love your show. It is a disaster there are only a few shows with historic content, isn't it?Maybe you could do a special episode about ireland in the first world war. I guess it would be nice.Greetings
_“The defense of Fort Vaux was marked by the heroism and endurance of the French soldiers stationed there. This small garrison repulsed constant assaults of gas and fire and bullets, before physical conditions forced them to surrender. If the Germans had been able to hold the Fort, perhaps their assault on Verdun itself would have been successful, and the western front permanently breached. However, strategically, there was little justification for the atrocious losses on either side.”_ Battlefield 1, after winning the “Devil’s Anvil” operation as the French.
You forget to mention the epic resistance of lieutenant-colonel Driant and his two chasseurs bataillons in the Bois Des Caures. They resisted during 2 days before being anhilated. Just a litte miss for me but i think it's because i'm French
+Alexis Mathieu It's even more tragic that Driant had been asking for months about the sorry state of Verdun's defense, which fell only into deaf ears. He basically paid for other fool's mistake.
+Alexis Mathieu Sorry about that, arguably we will be very detailed about the battle during the next months, and Indy will try to incorporate a lot of anecdotes and personal stories but sadly we will miss some.
To put into perspective, close your eyes, put your head down and cover your ears and drum on the back of your head with your fingers for 24 hours. That was what Verdun sounded like.
Your input of Balkan states (aka Albania) has sparked an intruige of your channel. Thank God for sending someone that is consistent and accurate in historical accounts. You've done a superb job. Thank you!
+BlueStorm the town of Verdun held historical significance to them being part of the old Vauban system of fortresses Captured in 1792 by the Prussians then abandoned by them it was also the last fortress in 1870 to surrender to the Prussians so a lot of Franco-German animosity around there. plus the fact that rationalising the line during an enemy offensive would potentially weaken defensive capabilities and make it look like the Germans were winning would've caused the current French Govt. to fall breaking apart l'union sacree
+BlueStorm It also opened the way to Paris. The whole "we'll make them bleed" was only used as an argument by von Falkenhayn after it became clear Verdun wouldn't fall.
De Havilland Vampire. more importantly, Verdun is the place where the kingdom of France was created. 843, treaty of verdun. split of charlemagne frankish empire between his 3 grandsons. that is how "occidental Francia " was born.
This question might not be worthy of the Chair of Wisdom, so any answer here is good, but why was "counter battery fire" of artillery taking out other artillery not an issue? Were their firing tables not good enough? I know that formulating accurate firing tables would be a huge deal after WWI.
+Gallen Dugall Bryzum has already pointed a few of the reasons out... However there are more: The french still lacks the heavy guns, that will be good at this. No one has yet found the best way to make use of airplanes (for spotting). The germans are attacking, and the French needs most of their firepower on those units advancing. And finally, they did make use of counter battery fire, but because of the above mentioned, they were not effectiv at this point in the battle... (but don't forget, this battle will go on, all the way to december)
+Gallen Dugall Counter artillery methods were still pretty in its infancy in WW I. Sound-ranging devices were still in developmental stages, while radar was still not invented. As the results, counter artillery fire relied mostly on visual detection, which proved particularly troublesome in the hilly terrain of Verdun: artillery hiding behind woods and hill could not be reliably hit. But everyone was learning. The French sometimes examined dud shells burried in the concrete to calculate back the position of the gun firing it. Later in the battle, the Germans pioneered the techniques of suppresing enemy artillery positions with poisonous gas.
Another great video! Could you perhaps do a special on the armoured cars you mentioned. I know of them but not much of their deployment, use, or effectiveness. They sound very interesting. Thanks.
Verdun has literally entrenched itself into the German and French collective mind. When "Verdun" is mentioned, both people immediately think of useless carnage in the vain attempt to gain a few yards of territory. Verdun could be considered the Stalingard of WW1: Both sides locked in a fight to the death and no one was willing to yield. Verdun would also be the site of future reconciliation between the French and Germans, illustrated by German chancellor Helmut Kohl and president Francois Mitterrand, silently standing and holding hands at the cemetery of Verdun in 1984. The British don't remember Verdun as vividly. Their attention is more focused on the Somme and Flanders.
I havent heard of Verdun until I played BF1 and that game sparked my interest about the great war. Much respect to all those who fought in the "war to end all wars" and evenmore so to those who lost their lives in the conflict. You will never be forgotten.
![Fields of Verdun - The Battle of Verdun - Sabaton History 010 [Official]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FOTgizE36To/mqdefault.jpg)
I have been to Verdun. It is a depressing, horrifying place. My worst moment was when I turned up a road leading to what I thought was a typical war memorial. The sign said "Vers l'Ossuaire". I did a double-take "Ossuary?" I thought "Boneyard". That is what it was: A tomb filled with the bones of thousands upon thousands of unidentified men. 300,000 dead, counting both sides. As if you took the entire population of Utrecht Netherlands or Coventry England or Riverside California and killed every single person.
+Condor Boss Horrifying indeed.
I've been to Verdun this past september 2017; unforgettable experience, the whole place is like one big theme park for the fallen and remembrance; not depressing, more like pure history for the WWI aficionado
Im from coventry
I think over the 9 month battle it was more like 1.2 million casualties on both sides. He's got a video about it
Utrechtenaar reading this
Imagine a being a French soldier in ww1 and dying in Verdun. Just to be called a coward after 100 years later by 12 years old arm chair warriors that base their history knowledge on memes and stereotypes.
They waged war on Total War and Call of Duty. That's why I hate our time.
Perfectly said lol
That tends to happen when you lose.
@@Genevasplaytime It tends to happen when you raise sheep that know nothing about history
i know about this and will continue to make jokes about the French Army. After all, they don't care, they're dead.
Im not surprised they didnt pass. French is freaking difficult to learn.
Eh, it's more painful to type than anything else.
Hey if they went from Spanish to French it might have helped
+Desmond Ha!
Yeah, I´m half french and speak fluently but writing... forget it.
I'm a Portuguese native speaker, and I think French is harder than English
Indy: "This was......"
Me: "Modern W-"
Indy: "Verdun"
Me: "That too..."
The
No idea what you're saying
@@jankutac9753 That is a private joke. The narrator was known to repeatedly say "this was modern war", but this time he said "this was verdun"
@@MN-vz8qm ah ok
My Great Uncle who was part of the French 99th Infantry Regiment survived Verdun. His regiment were one of the few regiments to not see a rotational system at Verdun and fought there for 10 months, along with the 151st infantry
Wow! He was a lucky man!
@118225056947865644170 Not really :/ he was killed in 1917 from an artillery shell in the battle of Chemin Des Dames.
+Yannick Oliveres :( What a shame!
General Hux sad isn't it :/
I'm sorry about your Granduncle.
He must have been a brave man, great honors to his memory
"They shall not pass"
Apparently the French have recruited Gandalf now, Germans don't stand a chance
+Agent Camtho "Run, you fools! "
WWI veteran J.R.R. Tolkien’s inspiration.
Ils ne passeront pas
French wins the war
I wonder if that's where Tolkien got the line from?
"You will never enter Verdun" Man, he had balls.
I know
RogueCaptain you have to wonder what's been lost to history, like seriously what was his response or reaction to that?
RogueCaptain I bet he made a face..
RogueCaptain that's some movie type stuff. Damn, that makes me shudder.
I mean They did enter Verdun but by a couple of feet.
It's really ominous to see all of these Russian officials to have "-1917" and "-1918" beside their names. If only they knew
[ Insert Soviet apologist comment here ]
@dachicagoan lol
Why you wear soviet badge, was terrible time and turn Russia into dump and starve ukraine brothers
@@dennisjohnson7779 yup
Then Bols/Comms came along..
When I heard that 1,000,000 shells were fired I decided to do some math. 808 Artillery guns being used by German forces at Verdun. 1,000,000 / 808 = 1237.6 per gun. It was a 10 hour bombardment so 1237.6 / 10 = 123.7 per hour / by 60 to get shells per minute and 2.06... Each gun had to fire 2 shells per minute for 10 hours to reach 1,000,000 fired shells. Even today two shells per minute is a fast firing rate and to keep that up for ten hours would be exhausting.
+kenstr321: German training and efficiency, presumably . . .
greenrate ...right and I'm sure they traded out crews and I know the allies had done similar bombardments, and this wouldn't be the largest one of the war but that's still very impressive.
HELMUT ALTO Man, awesome facts thank you for sharing that.
the french 75mm could fire up to 20 rounds per min (usually 15)
the british QF 18-pounder could fire up to 20 rounds per min (usually 4)
the german 7.7 cm FK 96 n.A. could fire 10 rounds per min
Imagine being on the recieving end...
I'm of age to have been enlisted to fight during the great war. it's rather humbling knowing that 100 years ago, I could be dead, wounded, or she'll shocked out of my mind. this really makes life a more humbling experience...thank you indie
Right. I plan to enlist next year and I am SO thankful for my chances of survival compared to the past. It's scary, really.
I'm actually gonna be of conscription age soon. I really hope I'm not though.
Not conscripted that is.
Knowing how brave men were back then should encourage you to join the U.S military now. I'll join if my country needs me and if the war is legit.
US military - legit war. Uhmm...
I find it suspicious that a lot of these Russian dudes seem to have died in 1918. I wonder what happens to them...
+spartacus3111 the soviet revolution happened to them
Communism
+patrick crosley +Jack Evey The civil war didn't ended until 1922 you know? Stop being so close minded and do some actual research. Many of them joined the Red Army.
+Duy Linh Chu Ha Sure, it didn't end until 1922, but what year did they take the capital of St. Petersburg? What year was the royal family, as well as a lot of the ministry executed by the Bolsheviks?
More like "serious fighting" started on 1918. Sure the royal family was executed but tsarist ministers were not executed "on mass", many of them died fighting or caught up in the chaos.
You didn`t mention Emile Driant, French officer and politician. He had 2 battalions(1200 soldiers) under his command and defended Bois de Caures. They resisted 1 day(22 february) so the French High Command gained time in sending troops to this threatened sector. He was the first 'Hero" for the French at Verdun and his death inspired the French soldiers.
+motanulatomic Verdun was a tragedy populated with outstanding and/or infamous characters, perhaps Driant will get his props along the way...the battle lasted ten months, after all. A fruitful field for "Who Did What" installments, y'think?
Driant was a hero. He ordered his men to retreat and stayed behind to buy them enough time to retreat, he fought until the end.
"neither can you. Thank God for that." Well said.
I'm glad I can't imagine what it must have been like at Verdun. The horrors seen there must have been soul shattering.
humanity at it's worst. we aren't really a jovial bunch are we.
+BonJoviworstbandever 2 colonial armys bashing away at each other hardly our worst moment. Think the Turks genocide of Armenians, think Khmer Rouge, think Rwandan Hutu... Im sure you get my point
Christian Johnston leaders sending millions of people to the slaughterhouse through the means of force and propaganda, where your only choice is whether to be violently dismembered by an explosion, gassed, burned, starved, frozen, bludgeoned, shot, or scarred for life.
all that for one of the most pointless conflicts in existence.
and you want to argue about what was worse. it's childish, it doesn't matter, it's all sick and deprived.
+Christian Johnston by definition, colonial armies are small since they have much better weapons than the local population that they are colonising. At Verdun you have CONTINENTAL armies.
Fields of execution turned to wasteland from the grass
"Thou shall not go further," it was said. "They shall not pass!"
Sabaton - Fields of Verdun
"The spirit of resistance and the madness of the war."
"So go ahead! Take the lead! Face the death! Through you die! Where you lie! Never asking why!"
Descending to darkness 303 days below the sun
FIELDS OF VERDUN AND THE BATTLE HAS BEGUN NOWHERE TO RUN FATHER AND SON FALL ONE BY ONE UNDER THE GUN
"Thy will be done (thy will be done), and the judgement has begun
Nowhere to run, father and son
Fall one by one, fields of Verdun"
@@radjadawamindra697 THOUGH A MILLION SHELLS HAVE SCARRED THE LAND, NO ONE HAS THE UPPER HAND, FROM THE GROUND ABOVE THE TRENCHES, WHERE THE SOLDIERS MAKE THEIR STAND!
No matter how cruel, how bloodthirsty and inhumane every second of the battle of Verdun was, you can't deny that this one heck of an offensive. Destruction on a level unprecedented even by World War One so far.
Yet they could't pass .
"bleed the French white" was an excuse made up by Falkenhayn AFTER the battle. There was never any talk of that before or during the battle.
+lsq78 Indeed. The main point was to get through Verdun, and open a road to Paris. Falkenhayn realized that wasn't working and said "oh well, my plan was to bleed them dry and force peace".
My uncle, Charlot D'Heedene from the North of France, bordering Belgium and married to a Flemish girl, fought in Verdun for over 3 years. He was finally taken prisoner of war and also survived this ordeal. He was a proud, joyous, funny man in mad love with his spouse till he passed away in the early 1980's. One thing: when asked about WW1, the light in his eyes went out and reflected a deep instant of sadness. He never spoke about those years. I only can wonder how were his nights.I still have his medallion worn during the battles, with his picture as a young soldier and on the backside the photo of his girlfriend. And I still have the sabre used by my own Flemish grandfather used in one of the last cavalry regiments. I often take both relics in my hands, and they transport me more than a hundred years ago.
Now we are in 2022, and the world prepares for catastrophes way more deadly and destroying than WWI. We did not learn all that much.
We need to know the horrors and carnage of Verdun, as a Historian I am a firm believer in " Those who forget History are doomed to relive it". I was a terrible war but it something everyone should know about so the same mistakes are not repeated. On another note, BRAVO on doing a wonderful job with these clips, you have taught me some things I never knew before and have shown insight and knowledge of The Great War that few academics can show. My hats off the you Indy and keep it up
+Gary Pollard Thanks a lot for your praise!
A little bit disappointed that you didn't mention the last stand of Émile Driant and his 1200 men (2 battalions). They stood their ground (and even launched counter attacks to reclaim advances positions) for an entire day while heavily outnumbered and under constant bombardment and infantry attacks.
Their causality rate for that day was at 70-80%, but their sacrifice gave the rest of the french army enough time to form a new line of defense.
Just imagine this: 4 out of 5 men of these two battalions dead in a single day.
As the drum roll started on that day
Heard a hundred miles away
A million shells were fired
And the green fields turned to grey
The bombardment lasted all day long
Yet the forts were standing strong
Heavily defended
Now the trap's been sprung and the battle has begun
Descend into darkness
303 days below the sun
Fields of Verdun, and the battle has begun
Nowhere to run, father and son
Fall one by one under the gun
Thy will be done (thy will be done), and the judgement has begun
Nowhere to run, father and son
Fall one by one, fields of Verdun
Though a million shells have scarred the land
No one has the upper hand
From the ground above to trenches
Where the soldiers make their stand
As the trenches slowly turn to mud
And then quickly start to flood
Death awaits in every corner
As they die in the mud, fill the trenches with blood
Descend into darkness
303 days below the sun
Fields of Verdun, and the battle has begun
Nowhere to run, father and son
Fall one by one under the gun
Thy will be done (thy will be done), and the judgement has begun
Nowhere to run, father and son
Fall one by one, fields of Verdun
Fields of execution turned to wasteland from the grass
Thou shalt go no further it was said, "They shall not pass!"
The spirit of resistance and the madness of the war
So go ahead, face the lead, join the dead
Though you die where you lie, never asking why
Descend into darkness
303 days below the sun
Fields of Verdun, and the battle has begun
Nowhere to run, father and son
Fall one by one under the gun
Thy will be done (thy will be done), and the judgement has begun
Nowhere to run, father and son
Fall one by one, fields of Verdun
Sabaton 🫡🤟🏻
When I think of Verdun, I always think of this quote from poor Lieutenant Alfred Joubaire who would fight and die there aged 21:
"Yes, humanity has gone mad. We must be mad to do what we are doing. What massacres! What scenes of horror and carnage! I cannot find words to express my feelings. Hell cannot be so terrible. Mankind has gone mad."
+Colin Kelly: All respect to Lieutenant Joubaire . . . but wasn't he in fact part of the problem (?) It's like complaining about traffic . . . when you're in a car that is creating the traffic. It's a tough choice to have to make (fight or not) . . . but once you've made it, that's it.
@@QED_
Peoples are not truly free of making decisions when they are stuck in war or even in a traffic jam.
Its a problem created through the mass, not the individual (at least not on the level of some frontline officer; there are individual responsabilities for high command and politicians on all sides who committed to the war but arguably even they would be pressured by circumstances, thus not truly free) and as such.. well nothing much can be done.
A hundred years later, Verdun is still a scarred land overgrown with the occasional sunflower field. But blistered with unexploded ordnance and chipped columns of withered wood - a ghastly reminder.
I visited Verdun and the surrounding landscape over 6 years ago with my high school class. To see - and recognize - the battle (site) is interesting. Having followed your series and now that I'm older, I can't help but feel 10 times more dreary thinking back. Especially since I already know how many crosses are going to be planted into the ground when all of this is finished.
I also remember the man's toilet, which was just a hole in the ground lol. So heads up to all your guys planning a holiday trip to Verdun.
I have been at the old battlefield of Verdun, it is the most scary place I have ever been to!
+bandholm Is much of it still full of debris? Unexploded bombs and the like.
+Lashb1ade not so much verdun, but Somme has entire areas you cant go on due to pieces of Barbed wire, mines and unexploaded artillery shells still there
+Lashb1ade The area has been somewhat cleared, but if you want to go into the wilderness around the major sites, you need to go with professional guide. It's an excellent option besides, as they know where all the old bunkers and ruins are that aren't part of "official" sites like the two main forts and the destroyed villages, but only operate during the summer, and I don't know if they offer English guides or not.
+bandholm There is another place much scarier and sadder than Verdun in France. It happened about 18 years later at the village of Oradour-sur-Glane. Verdun was rebuilt, is occupied and a tourist spot. Not to take away from what happened at Verdun in both wars, there are many reminders there, but Verdun is a beautiful city today. Oradour-sur-Glane was never rebuilt, most items are left were they were after the village was destroyed. All but about 20 of the men, women and children of that village were murdered. To this day the village of Orsadour-sur-glane remains empty, as it was in Jun of 1944. If you ever get a chance, go there and walk through the village. It will send shivers up your spine.
+bandholm
I've been there as a kid, some 25-30 years ago, but I still remember the ossuary as if I had just been there.
Love the new tactical battle map!
Keep up the great work guys! :D
+Achillez Thanks. Kudos for our fan Dan who made the map for us.
+The Great War he should get paid that was so cool
+War Love I agree!
+Allmight ygod thanks
+War Love Hopefully one day, we will be able to do so. Will post a link to his Deviant Art profile on Social Media.
5:13 "He as reading a script written by Falkenhayn" That was well said.
Thing is, it's probably wrong. Falkenhayn claims that he intended to bleed the French army at Verdun came only way after the fact, when people started to ask him "so, about this whole mess...", while nothing confirms it in the documentation of the time.
@@Talyrion Probably but this wasn't known yet 6 years ago
God bless the soldiers of Verdun. I always get sad when watching these episodes but thank you for helping the public remember these horrors
I like your new front animation.
+Ādams Vizulis Thanks.
INDIEEE!!! Make a special playing VERDUN! Make comments on how realistic ( or unrealistic) It is!
+Copster Working on something like this.
Awesome!
+The Great War can't wait for something like this!
+The Great War Can't wait! Love the show by the way.
+The Great War Amzaing, sub for that.
So go ahead
Face the lead
Join the dead
Though you die
Where you lie
Never asking why
Awesome solo
Man I hope you guys are able to do a on site live episode from Verdun atleast once as the battle was happening 100 years ago.
+steelhammer103 We hope so too.
+steelhammer103 Second the motion - watching a few episodes from the actual locations of the battles would be great!
Une grande partie des territoire français qui ont été bombardés pendant la première guerre mondiale sont fermé et interdit au publique à cause des obus qui n'ont pas explosé qu'on retrouve encore sur place...
Maréchal Philippe Pétain was the oldest, wisest, and most honored French hero of the war. However, for a time after he became the premier of the Vichy France, many people didn't believe that the most decorated and looked up to soldier could possibly be a traitor. France looks back at Pétain with disdain but also appreciation from his work in the first war.
+David Reed He will get his episode.
@davidreed9849 Totally wrong to the end! Pétain is not the oldest, born in 1856, but Joffre le Vainqueur de la Marne was born in 1852.
Pétain was not the most honored of Generals Joffre in 1916, and Foch was honored before him by being named Marshal before the end of the war while Pétain will be named after the armistice, therefore the end of the fighting,
Pétain was not the wisest of Verdun, seized with panic, he presented two plans for the evacuation of Verdun which resulted in his withdrawal from the battlefield of Verdun on April 30, 1916 and his replacement
Pétain will renew this panic under the eyes of British Marshal Douglas Haig who mentions it in these memoirs, under the eyes of the President of the Republic Raymond Poincaré and under the eyes of the Minister of Armaments who will also mention it respectively in their memoirs. Alosr for some wise ??? You will iron! No ! quote me General De Catselnau, here is a real sage, with his cold blood, a real strategist
So during the First World War we can not appreciate a bad general especially when he goes after 1918, uses his imposture of so-called winner of Verdun for political purposes especially from 1934.
France is right to look at petain with disdain over his entire career.
And then I remind you that from his life petain learned on August 15, 1945, at his trial that he had been stripped of his title of marshal he will be forced to leave the court in civilian clothes, as well as he will be stripped of his title of Academician , which he did not deserve, his books being written by others. (Laure, De Gaulle, Loustaunau Lacau, etc....)
I've been waiting for this one. Keep it up!
+Red9808 Plenty more where that came from.
The generals who directed the war believed that sacrifice was a part of war, and there seemed to be no limit on the sacrifices they imposed on their soldiers. It's always too easy to ask other men to make sacrifices.
Tom, perhaps with the passage of time, generals have come to value the lives of soldiers to a greater extent.
Generals begin their careers as lieutenants . They would have had enough frontline experiences by the time they sat in command offices
Rewatching this masterpiece of a series. Funny I never thought that i'd miss the great war series
Visited the Verdun Battle on February 28 just two days after it fell 100 years ago great historic site highly recommend it!
Nice to see some tactical maps for battles. Hope you do more.
Keep up the good work.
+tomcat912 We will try our best.
As the drum roll started on that day heard a hundred miles away. Amillion shells were fired and the green fields turned to grey the bombardment lasted all day long, yet the forts were standing strong heavily defended, now the trap has sprung and the battle has begun descend into darkness 303 days below the sun fields of verdun!
And welcome to one of the the lowest points, even of this war.
The battlefield itself is scary today, the great bone house alone and how the whole area is still, a hundred years past, undeniably marked by this battle is insane.
For our younger watchers: imagine Warhammer 40k as a living reality, as a relict, still full of the remains of the battles of past, forever scarred.
I can only repeat...it's a strange place, even today, and it's subtly horrible do walk among the relics...
It deeply touched me.
Raoul G. Kunz
Whats warhammer 40k
im 21 atm you wrote this comment
@@vincivedivicilextalionas4036 It's a board game
My (german) grandma gave me an old, worn bible last year. It was the bible of my great-grandfather, who was at the battle of Verdun. He survived. His words were that this bible he had with him and faith were the reasons he didn't lose his mind in the trenches. I am not a very religious person, but I hold this particular book very dear.
Those who have had truly life-changing experiences tend to find comfort in the hope that life is not meaningless.
After stumbling across this channel a while ago whilst looking at British Pathe videos, you re-ignited my passion for history. I would often binge watch all your videos with my father. So much was the influence that in early February this year we both decided to hop on the euro star and spend a few days in Ypres before driving down to the Somme. Despite the wind and rain, it was fascinating walking around the exact locations that you described whilst I watched laying in bed. Keep up the great work and just plain and simply, thank you!
I've learned so much about Verdun recently and it is such a sad battle to study. I even visited once and it was so humbling to be there.
Anyone else laugh when Indy had to say 'Mister Splashy Pants' with a straight face?
Great episode, and a great job overall on this channel!
Sad to see Petain during WW1 knowing what he would end up doing in WW2
thanx mr. splashypants, you´re my favorite patreon patron so far
Yay! I finally caught up!
But now I have to wait a week in between episodes...
oh i remember that feel
happend to me 61 weeks ago.
+DylanDude120 - The Thrower of Shells Mine was 20 or so weeks ago.
***** I caught up earlier today with the previous video, and then I subscribed and to my pleasure I had caught up just in time for Verdun!
And now I'm here and I have still more than a year of episodes to watch ... !
At Verdun the fighting was so intense that on parts of the battlefield the surface was composed more of human flesh and bone than soil.
"And neither can you, thank God for that." Damn, Indy, that's good writing. I teared up a bit.
Finally, I've been waiting for this for months. The great offensive that will surely win the war begins!
+wasneeplus It's the 53th "great offensive that will win the war" that has been launched this week
***** This time they will truly be pounded into marmalade... or was that us, I forgot.
I lost my ancestor in Verdun. He wrote and you can feel the patriotism that he could have for his motherland. French were never coward , France (since his creation) have to fought against all Europeans. This joke from the show Simpson « French surrender » is false and insulting for all the soldiers who died for France.
France didn’t have to fight against all Europeans though. Many times in history it was France who was the aggressor, occupying and annexing their neighbours territory, like some of the German states in the 1600s, and also the time of Napoleon.
@@Tom-2142 All the nations do the war. And during the Napoleon Time , you have to know that never France declare the war of Europe. It’s a « fun fact » about the revolutionary wars. But say that French have been agresors in some case , of course but like all the countries
Well, at least he died there to defend the homeland, my great-great-grandfather died in the interests of Germany and the emperor, although he was not a German. And from the story I know that he very much did not want to go to this war, because he sensed that he would die, and he was torn to shreds by an artillery shell and somewhere he rests under a nameless grave, or he stayed in this hole forever.
@@arcymocarz oh what was his nationality ?
@@georgedelanoy9548
He served in the Infanterie-Regiment "Graf Schwerin" (3rd Pommersches) Nr. 14, then Bromberg, today from Bydgoszcz. And like many Poles, he served in the German uniform under the verdun.
Most of the regiments with the rest of the German eastern provinces served on the western front, because Poles also served in the Russian army, the German command was afraid of fraternization and refusing to fight with compatriots from other partitions.
He conquered Le Mort Homme hill several times, because the French did not want never to abandon the hill, from his letters and the stories of his colleagues from the same village, who were more lucky and drove home, I know it was terrible there, they sat hidden in makeshift dugouts, and the French fired cannons from above.
The saddest thing that he survived the attack on this cruel hill, he died as he moved to the quiet section of the front for the purpose of replenishment.
I've been waiting for this moment since I'm watching this channel.
I cannot figure how such an artillery bombing looks like but looking at the ground of the battle today gives an idea.
+scarfacemperor "I've been waiting for this moment since I'm watching this channel."
Yes.
"Pour ne pas oublier."
"Lest we forget."
(I couldn't put a link, so: type "Verdun chant" (minus quotation marks) in RUclips search and watch the first result).
I'm waiting for the Somme
+scarfacemperor Yeah, it's hard to comprehend. Even if there would be footage of such an barrage it would be hard to understand.
Back in the day when we played war-games I played The game of Verdun by conflict Games. It was then i began to understand the carnage of WW1 with the piles of dead unit counters piling up on both sides. Artillery was calculated by how many tons of ammo that was available that day.
I can imagine, visited Verdun in 2004, just weeks after finishing a 10 month conscript training as part of a mortar platoon. Seeing the cemetaries, the ossuary and the forts, including Douamont some of which only grassy mounds of rubble remains with the dome of an armoured observation post you included in the video had been tossed like a childs mitten and partially shattered by artillery, revealing a cross section of it's 300+mm cast chilled me to the bone. It's a trip well worth making.
+SonsOfLorgar I wonder what kind of image you'd get seeing the actual events that transpired 100 years ago. That'd be something that could freeze a person in place.
AmnAker I was moved to tears anyway.
5:07 "... beat off at all costs..." - Indy Neidell 2016
I love how quotes can sound so ridiculous if not done in its entirely or given any context.
Thank god I wasn't the only one who gave that a good chuckle
Because honestly I felt awful given how grave the subject is...
Well my nightmares will be in French tonight.
I find it incredible that this battle started on a 20-kilometre front, and then gradually narrowed down to bloody attrition along just 4 or so miles. The so-called "Deadly Quadrilateral" on the Right Bank of the Meuse is little under 8 square miles. For reference, the Auschwitz concentration camp complex spanned a 40-square kilometre land area!
My relative was wounded at Verdun, but lived 60 more years.
God bless Mr. Splashypants!
Excellent video, guys! Loving the tactical map.
+The Iron Historian All hail Mr Splashypants. And glad you like the map.
The Fog of War has a 45 min documentary on the Battle of Verdun. Indy´s comment at the end is sobering...sobering what has happened and is still happening because of war. Lord have Mercy.
"I can't even begin to imagine it. Neither can you. Thank God for that."
Very powerful line.
This channel is literally so amazing, I hope you guys do WW2 one day and keep up to good work.
+Sandi Žnidaršič Never say never.
I was touring the Verdun battlefield, when I remembered this video. I found my way to the February front line (it’s quite well preserved in between two forests) and watched this episode. I had the pleasure of watching a video about the beginning of the Battle of Verdun, at the sight of the battle of Verdun.
Yes, Indy, we have it pretty soft here in the 21st century: and as you say, neither you NOR I can comprehend the carnage of the Great War. Let's hope that your channel helps us to at least understand that nothing like it must ever be repeated!
Perhaps you could do something on the songs that came out of the war -- from patriotic ("Verdun!! On ne passe pas!") to despairing ("La Chanson de la Craonne": "Adieu la vie! Adieu l'amour! ...").
You've already done some things on the poetry of the war, mostly in English. But the French have their poets, too, e.g. Apollonaire and Cendrars. And it is the songs and poetry that burst from these tormented souls that perhaps speak most eloquently of their inner state.
+Griffin Anderson We will try our best to deal with songs and poetry but it's honestly not our strong side, you you will need to be patient with us.
+The Great War team are doing a great job, and considering the perspective and insights you have provided me with, I'd find it very difficult to get impatient with you.
It only occurred to me that, as regards portraying the carnage and the effect it had on the men who lived through it, some of their songs, etc. might prove effective in bringing it home to your viewers. Please don't go all literary! (BTW, I just noticed I spelled Apollinaire's name wrong in my first post.)
“Ils ne passeront pas.” Or, “They shall not pass” became the rallying cry at Verdun. The French fought incredibly valiantly for every inch at Verdun. But the cost was staggering, levels not seen until the Second World War at places like Stalingrad or Bastogne. Over 70,000 people were being lost per month. That’s one and a half Vietnams per month. On a battlefield less than 5 miles wide. I can’t even imagine the carnage. The casualty rate is estimated to be as high as nearly 50% for the French. For reference, a 10% casualty rate during a battle in World War II was seen as a bloodbath, and almost never did a battle reach as high as 25%, which was an outright slaughter. Tarawa, one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific, saw 9%, and there was a ton of outrage in the US over it. 10% would almost certainly get a commander fired and court-martialed today for incompetence and negligence. And at Verdun, 1 out of every 2 soldiers would get either wounded or killed. Unbelievable.
On the subject of carnage, an important element in the modern memorial at the Ossuary of Douaumont is the fact that the ossuary itself is open to the outside, and the bones of 130,000 unidentified German and French soldiers are visible to anyone walking around the exterior of the building.
The building furthermore includes the crests of the varied cities and regions from which the dead hailed - including far away Montreal and Boston (foreign volunteers), and the grounds house 16,000 individual graves of French soldiers, and another 592 graves for Muslim colonial soldiers.
And all this is about half of the dead, and 1/6 of the total casualties.
The scale of carnage may be impossible to fully comprehend, but I have never, anywhere else in the world, been to such a place which better demonstrates vast carnage.
+Patrick STOFFER Absolutely. We hope one day we can visit this place.
This is probably the best WW1 channel I’ve seen. Accessible, organized information and a cool set feel.
FIELDS OF VERDUN!
AND THE BATTLE HAS BEGUN!
NOWHERE TO RUN!
FATHER AND SON!
FALL ONE BY ONE!
UNDER THE GUN!
THY WILL BE DONE!
And the judgement has begun nowhere to run father and son fall one by one fields of verdun
sabaton
Wow, this episode was really great! I loved how you guys covered the intensity of the battle! I can't wait to see how you guys do more battles like this.
+Timasaurus007 And that was just the start.
Thanks Mr. Splashy Pants!
You should talk about the Kronprinz. He was in charge of applying the german plan. However he strongly opposed Falkenhayn on everything: He wanted to attack on both side of Meuse river, he wanted to do a breakthrough, he wanted to take Verdun, he wanted to end the battle when he saw it was lost..... But as a Professional german general, he followed Falkenhayn despite his own grievance.
Fields of execution turned to wasteland from the grass
Electroflame 618 THALL SHALL GO NO FURTHER IT WAS SAID THEY SHALL NOT PASS
@@highspy6851 the spirit of resistance and the madness of the war
SO GO aHEAD
FACE THE LEAD JOIN THE DEAD THOUGH YOU DIE NEVER aSKING WHY
@@zlatko8051 (awesome solo)
The Great War has always been a war I was fascinated by, yet didn't know much about. That has changed since I find your channel. Thanks for all the wonderful material.
+violenceteacher6669 Thanks!
YOU SHALL NOT PASSSSSSSSSS
Gandalf!!!!
But didn't they pass?
nope, they didn't...
Ils n'ont pas passés, they didn't pass !
"Run you fools."
Indy lost weight, his cheeks are no longer godfather style.
Man, I can't believe the French ripped off Gandalf like that! ;)
Tolkien ripped off the french.. (Book 1 of LOTR was written in 1933.)
Tolkien was a medic I think at. The somme
Enrique Solano, Tolkien did serve in the British army at the Somme
@@AussieLiam93 R/wooooooosh
Great episode, one of the best so far! I have been anxiously awaiting the details of the battle of Verdun. I definitely agree with the quote you presented, that Verdun in essence is a microcosm of the entire war.
+James Kipp Glad we met your expectations.
No more brother wars
Hey guys,first of all i want to thank you for your engagement in this project. I am 16 and love your show. It is a disaster there are only a few shows with historic content, isn't it?Maybe you could do a special episode about ireland in the first world war. I guess it would be nice.Greetings
_“The defense of Fort Vaux was marked by the heroism and endurance of the French soldiers stationed there. This small garrison repulsed constant assaults of gas and fire and bullets, before physical conditions forced them to surrender. If the Germans had been able to hold the Fort, perhaps their assault on Verdun itself would have been successful, and the western front permanently breached. However, strategically, there was little justification for the atrocious losses on either side.”_
Battlefield 1, after winning the “Devil’s Anvil” operation as the French.
Love the close up map of Verdun! Keep up the good work! Can't wait to see more!
And so it begins.
Oh yes! The battle so horrific yet so interesting begins. The one I've been waiting for months and months...
+Kristofer Mäkinen Hope we delivered.
And it was also the first time the Germans used a steal helmet, just thought you would like to know...
+Anal “Negro” Avacado Yes, only on a small scale though.
True
+The Great War At the start of the episode you mention Belgian armored cars fighting in Austrian Galicia... is this a mistake?
Strgar Strgar Not all. Watch the episode before that where we talk about them: ruclips.net/video/rhElEp9ifvY/видео.html
Like the music choices lately, it really helps with conveying the tension of the subject.
+ibtaba Thanks.
303 days below the sun
Father and son
Fall one by one
Under the gun
Nowhere to run,
Fields of Verdun.
As the drum roll started on that day heard a hundred miles away....
You forget to mention the epic resistance of lieutenant-colonel Driant and his two chasseurs bataillons in the Bois Des Caures. They resisted during 2 days before being anhilated. Just a litte miss for me but i think it's because i'm French
+Alexis Mathieu It's even more tragic that Driant had been asking for months about the sorry state of Verdun's defense, which fell only into deaf ears. He basically paid for other fool's mistake.
+Alexis Mathieu Sorry about that, arguably we will be very detailed about the battle during the next months, and Indy will try to incorporate a lot of anecdotes and personal stories but sadly we will miss some.
*IL NE PASSERONT PASS*
4:46 Yes, that Pétain.
To put into perspective, close your eyes, put your head down and cover your ears and drum on the back of your head with your fingers for 24 hours. That was what Verdun sounded like.
Verdun was 1000 times worse than that.
The big question is, how many take were there before Indy said Mr. Splashy Pants? Love the show great work.
Your input of Balkan states (aka Albania) has sparked an intruige of your channel. Thank God for sending someone that is consistent and accurate in historical accounts. You've done a superb job. Thank you!
Why was Verdun so important to the french? Why would it lower the moral more than other cities? #chairofwisdom #thegreatwar
+BlueStorm the town of Verdun held historical significance to them being part of the old Vauban system of fortresses Captured in 1792 by the Prussians then abandoned by them it was also the last fortress in 1870 to surrender to the Prussians so a lot of Franco-German animosity around there. plus the fact that rationalising the line during an enemy offensive would potentially weaken defensive capabilities and make it look like the Germans were winning would've caused the current French Govt. to fall breaking apart l'union sacree
Alex Summers
ok thx for answering
+BlueStorm It also opened the way to Paris. The whole "we'll make them bleed" was only used as an argument by von Falkenhayn after it became clear Verdun wouldn't fall.
there is debate on that point but certainly that's what the main army commander on the ground crown prince wilhelm thought
De Havilland Vampire. more importantly, Verdun is the place where the kingdom of France was created. 843, treaty of verdun. split of charlemagne frankish empire between his 3 grandsons. that is how "occidental Francia " was born.
60% casualties? Jesus Christ this war was bonkers
Finally it begins!
1,000,000 shells along 20Km= 50 shells per meter
This question might not be worthy of the Chair of Wisdom, so any answer here is good, but why was "counter battery fire" of artillery taking out other artillery not an issue? Were their firing tables not good enough? I know that formulating accurate firing tables would be a huge deal after WWI.
artillary postions were fortified, and pretty hard to hit a shell landing 50 feet away would do little to no damage to a artillary piece
also the frenchies didnt know the position of the pieces due to germans shooting recon planes
+Gallen Dugall Bryzum has already pointed a few of the reasons out... However there are more:
The french still lacks the heavy guns, that will be good at this.
No one has yet found the best way to make use of airplanes (for spotting).
The germans are attacking, and the French needs most of their firepower on those units advancing.
And finally, they did make use of counter battery fire, but because of the above mentioned, they were not effectiv at this point in the battle... (but don't forget, this battle will go on, all the way to december)
bandholm Thanks. It's nice to have a detailed answer.
+Gallen Dugall Counter artillery methods were still pretty in its infancy in WW I. Sound-ranging devices were still in developmental stages, while radar was still not invented. As the results, counter artillery fire relied mostly on visual detection, which proved particularly troublesome in the hilly terrain of Verdun: artillery hiding behind woods and hill could not be reliably hit.
But everyone was learning. The French sometimes examined dud shells burried in the concrete to calculate back the position of the gun firing it. Later in the battle, the Germans pioneered the techniques of suppresing enemy artillery positions with poisonous gas.
You guys are the best!
+Wolf Strife Thanks.
+The Great War
No, thank you. And keep up the great work. Only three more years left...
Geez where were you in my childhood? 😁this is good!! I was still an A student, but I would have enjoyed it more lol
Another great video! Could you perhaps do a special on the armoured cars you mentioned. I know of them but not much of their deployment, use, or effectiveness. They sound very interesting. Thanks.
+J'zargo We want to because the story behind them is really fascinating.
+The Great War, I'm excited already. Thanks.
Verdun has literally entrenched itself into the German and French collective mind. When "Verdun" is mentioned, both people immediately think of useless carnage in the vain attempt to gain a few yards of territory. Verdun could be considered the Stalingard of WW1: Both sides locked in a fight to the death and no one was willing to yield.
Verdun would also be the site of future reconciliation between the French and Germans, illustrated by German chancellor Helmut Kohl and president Francois Mitterrand, silently standing and holding hands at the cemetery of Verdun in 1984.
The British don't remember Verdun as vividly. Their attention is more focused on the Somme and Flanders.
+Corristo89 Good reasons to also remember The Somme too.
I havent heard of Verdun until I played BF1 and that game sparked my interest about the great war. Much respect to all those who fought in the "war to end all wars" and evenmore so to those who lost their lives in the conflict. You will never be forgotten.