The battk of Verdun, as an incident in the military history of the war, is a long fog of slaughter in which only the larger divisions of operations stand out, as the six stages into which it here has been divided for the con venience of the reader. It was a series of bombardmenbs any one of which may safely be pronounced the severest of the war up to the time when it occurred. To carry a position of a few yards after such artillery preparation frequently demanded charge after charge, but the Germans were willing to pay that price for a slight gain. In 130 days they went forward on an average of four miles along their entire front But this does not express the actual rate of advance in the later part of the struggle. From 9 April to 30 June the progress on the east bank was one mile while it was a mile and a half on the west bank. At this rate the city of Verdun might have been taken in another three months, but at such cost as would have revolted the world. To hold it had long been no more than a matter of honor with the French, and so deeply had they bitten into the German resources of men and material that this sense of honor was well satisfied many weelcs before 30 June. It would be no dis credit to give up a place which had been so well defended whenever th.e High C,ommand saw fit to take the step.
The Germans came to the battle of Verdun fresh from victories over Russia and Serbia, convinced that by massing artillery and men they could. break down all resistance, as in the East. They miscalculated in failing to appre ciate the endurance of French soldiers under artillery fire. *Passeront pas* sang. the poilu and he made the sentiment good with his life. It was he more than any general that won the battle for France. No figures have been given
to show how heavily he lost It is certain that he took heavier toll than he gave, and the estimate he made of the loss of the enemy at 300,000 seems no exaggeration for the whole battle. It is likely that the French losses were not more than two-thirds as heavy.
There is an addendum to the battle of Ver dun, that may as well be mentioned here. The battle of the Sonune, which began on 1 July, drew away the German forces in increasing numbers, and finally the Verdun front was left in a comparatively weak condition. General Nivelle took advantage of the opportunity and made a sudden attack on 24 October. A short bombardment leveled the German trenches and the infantry went forward two miles on a front of four and a half miles on the eastern side of the Meuse. Douaumont and several positions on its west were thus recovered. Artillery was then concentrated against Fort Vaux and made the place so hot that the enemy left it on 2 November. It was now only necessary to move the guns forward and repeat the tactics of 24 October. Thus a second bite was taken in enemy territory on 15 December when the Germans were thrown back for two miles be tween the Woevre Plain and the Meuse. They were thus in the positions from which they had begun their attacic along the Heights of the Meuse on 21 February. All their gains on the east bank were nullified, and the world was given additional evidence of the defeat they had suffered in the great battle. By this time the Germans themselves had come to realize it, as was shown by the removal on 29 August from the position of chief of staff of General von Falkenhayn, who was chiefly responsible for the battle.