The Important Phases of the Battle of Verdun
The central attack (February 21st-25th) endangered the position of Verdun but the arrival of the first French reinforcements saved the place.
The enemy widened his attacking front, but his effort to outflank the position was a failure.
The defence was reorganised, road and rail taking their part in the battle. The enemy’s attempts at attrition on the spot were a failure.
On July 1st the allied offensive was launched on the Somme.
As soon as this new engagement allowed him, the French Commander intended to turn the enemy’s failure before Verdun into defeat.
Three operations were prepared with the greatest skill and most energetically carried out, by which the enemy were driven out of the positions they had captured. These were the three victories of October 24th 1916 (Douaumont-Vaux), December 15th 1916 (Louvemont-Bezonvaux) and finally August 20th, 1917 (Samogneux-Mort-Homme, Hill 304).