109 years ago today, on February 21, 1916 (January 19, 1916 in the lunar calendar), the Battle of Verdun: the turning point of World War I. The town of Verdun after being bombarded In early 1916, the German high command decided to shift its strategic focus westward, and the German chief of staff Falkinhan set the target of the attack at Verdun, a famous fortress in France. Verdun is the bulge of the British and French armies' front. Like a sharp tooth, it poses a serious threat to the German flank deep into northern France. There were many battles between Germany and France here, but the Germans failed to capture the fortress. If the German army can capture Verdun in one fell swoop this time, it will definitely hit the morale of the French army heavily. At the same time, the occupation of Verdun also opened up the passage for the German army to move towards Paris. After the occupation of Paris, France would not attack and destroy itself. It is not surprising that the remaining British and Russian armies. Beginning in January 1916, Falkingham quietly gathered troops to prepare for the attack on Verdun. At the same time, Germany blatantly sent more troops to Chamberny, making a gesture of launching an offensive in Chamberny. Joffre, the commander-in-chief of the French army, was indeed fooled. Since 1914, when the Germans were unable to conquer Verdun and shifted their attack, the French considered Verdun fortress obsolete, and Joffre stopped strengthening the fortress in 1915. At this time, the German movement towards Chamberny made Joffre extremely vigilant. He thought that the German army would attack Chamberny and then march into Paris from here. However, the Germans were continuing to quietly gather troops in the direction of Verdun. As the signs of gathering gradually became obvious and exposed, the British and French allied forces finally figured out the real intentions of the German army. Joffre panicked and quickly ordered more troops to Verdun. By February 21, however, only two divisions had arrived at Verdun. On this day, the Germans began to attack Verdun. The German artillery regiment bombarded the Fortress of Verdun with heavy artillery fire and then charged. The prelude to the Battle of Verdun began. The German army's 1,000 cannons bombarded like thunder, and the charges took turns higher and higher. Pétain, commander of the Fortress of Verdun, commanded the defenders and reinforcements to resist desperately. However, because only two divisions of reinforcements arrived, plus his own two divisions, there were only four divisions in total, and they were pushed 6 kilometers by the Germans on the first day. However, he finally managed to stabilize his position. The battle was hard for the French army. The German army had 27 divisions and 1,000 cannons, while the French army had only 100,000 men and 270 cannons. But at least it withstood the German attack. After the arrival of French reinforcements, the two sides began a tug-of-war. The Germans had not captured Verdun in one fell swoop the day before, and had already lost their fighter planes. Both sides were sending more troops to Verdun, setting up a decisive battle. By April, the French army was equal to the German army's strength. The Germans were anxious, and the crown prince personally conquered it and used gas bombs for the first time. However, the French army still stopped the German offensive in front of the fortress again and again. In July, the German army launched the final climax of offensive, but it was still resisted by the French army. By the autumn, the French army began to counterattack. Germany and France invested nearly 2 million troops in the Battle of Verdun, with a total casualty of more than 700,000. The Germans were exhausted in this battle. After the French counterattack began, they successively recovered large tracts of land east of Verdun, and the Germans retreated steadily. By 1917, the German and Austrian camps were declining day by day, and finally they were defeated and surrendered in 1918, and the First World War ended immediately. The Battle of Verdun was the decisive battle and turning point of the First World War. The German army failed to realize its plan to capture Verdun and outflank the South Road of Paris. After exhausting its troops, it couldn't find a way out, and finally failed. A French soldier stationed in Verdun wears a gas mask to protect against a poison gas attack