The rulers of the Central Powers stumped by Verdun. Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary, Mohammed V of Turkey, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, and Czar Ferdinand of Bulgaria puzzle over a map labeled "Verdun." The ink and watercolor drawing is dated March 4, 1916. By R. DLC?The German assault on Verdun began on February 21, 1916 and continued through August.
Illustrated map labeled "Verdun." Drawing dated March 4, 1916. By R. DLC?
"Early on the morning of 3 April [French Captain Jean Tocaben] watched in amazement and horror as a unit from Mangin's 9th Brigade advanced, not just without artillery preparation but without any clear idea of where the enemy was—unsupported, headed in the wrong direction, exposed to the light of the rising sun. It went, he said, 'blindly to the slaughter':And on its polished helmets the morning sun broke in splashes of light and, clothing in splendour the men, the young men going to their deaths, covered them with a nimbus of glory and crowned them with a crest of fire. What a sublime, what a poignant sight""
French Generals Robert Nivelle and his subordinate Charles Mangin were posted to Verdun at the beginning of April, 1916, the former to replace General Pétain. Mangin, who was criticized for getting too many of his men killed, went immediately on the offensive, both on April 3 and 4. Captain Tocaben considered the attack from the German viewpoint: 'It's certainly a rare piece of luck to see troops coming at you deployed as if they were on maneuvers, and to shoot them at your leisure, without running the slightest risk.'
The Road to Verdun by Ian Ousby, page 271, copyright © 2002 by The Estate of Ian Ousby, publisher: Anchor Books, publication date: 2003
1916-04-03, 1916, April, Battle of Verdun, Verdun, Mangin, Charles Mangin, Nivelle, Robert Nivelle
