Verdun Collection (#8)

WORLD WAR I: ANTI-AIRCRAFT. Troops sighting an anti-aircraft gun from a platform improvised from the trunk of a tree on the Western Front, near Verdun, France, during World War I. Photograph, c1916

WORLD WAR I: FRENCH POSTER. Soldiers marching beside the Meuse River and over a bridge into a bombed Verdun. Lithograph poster by Maurice Toussaint, 1919

Verdun Rebuilt
circa 1925: The French fortified town of Verdun, on the Meuse, scene of the longest and most severe battle of World War I in 1916, in which the French repelled a powerful German offensive

Verdun Nuts
15th December 1916: A chest of acorns and chestnuts from Verdun. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

French Seventy-Fives at Verdun - WWI
French artillery at Verdun - WWI. Battery of seventy-five s. Date: circa 1916

French reservists at Verdun await orders - WWI
French reserve forces behind the front line at Verdun await their orders. Date: circa 1916

French soldiers with small grenade launcher - Verdun, WWI
Trenches of Verdun - French soldiers with small grenade launcher - WWI. Date: circa 1916

World War I 1914-1918: American Army infantry troops marching northwest of Verdun, France, African-American unit

French soldiers marching beside a river and over a bridge into a shelled Verdun. The battle of Verdun in 1916 was the longest and costliest battle World War I

General Fernand de Langle de Cary (1849-1931) French soldier who entered the Army in 1869. In the First World War he commanded the French Fourth Army in 1914

General Auguste Dubail (1851-1934) French Army officer. During the First World War, after the French failure at Verdun in 1916

Franco-Prussian War: the Fortress of Verdun 1870

Franco-Prussian War: View of Verdun, France

Log pile in woodland, disturbance to World War One battlefield caused by tree extraction, Verdun Battlefield, Verdun, Meuse Department, Lorraine, France, May

Vehicle tracks in woodland, disturbance to World War One battlefield caused by tree extraction, Verdun Battlefield, Verdun, Meuse Department, Lorraine, France, May

Petain, Philippe (1856-1951). French military

Verdun : too Strong
The battle of Verdun : the German finds that the French defences are too solid for him to batter down ! Date: May 1916

Verdun. Translation of title: Soldiers marching beside a river and over a bridge into a shelled Verdun. The battle of Verdun in 1916 was the longest

Verdun, road to YMCA canteen. Poster showing a canteen entrance with soldiers below an arch; the street is strewn with rubble. Date 1917

Montmedy German Cemetery, Meuse, France
Mass grave of 520 brave warriors in Montmedy. A German postcard of 1915, depicting the site of a mass burial of German soldiers killed in the early years of WWI

American ambulance destroyed, Verdun, France, WW1
An American ambulance destroyed (probably during an air attack) at Verdun, north eastern France, during the First World War. Date: 10 September 1917

German gunner with heavy artillery, France, WW1
A German gunner in action with heavy artillery near Verdun, north eastern France, during the First World War. Date: 1914-1918

Oberleutnant von Brandis who stormed Fort Douaumont
Oberleutnant von Brandis (left) in command of German troops who stormed and took Fort Douaumont in the early days of the Battle of Verdun in World War One

Aerial photograph of battle area near Verdun, France, WW1
Aerial photograph (German) of a battle area near Verdun, France, showing trenches, mine craters and shell pitted ground during the First World War. Date: circa 1916

Aerial photograph of area around Fort Vaux, France, WW1
Aerial photograph (German) of the area around Fort Vaux, north eastern France, during the First World War. This was the second fort to fall to the Germans during the Battle of Verdun, in June 1916

Aerial photograph of battlefield, Douaumont, France, WW1
Aerial photograph (French) of the battlefield north of Douaumont, north eastern France, during the First World War. The village of Douaumont was destroyed during the Battle of Verdun

Aerial photograph, Fort Douaumont, France, WW1
Aerial photograph (British) of a bomb exploding in Fort Douaumont, north eastern France, during the First World War. The village of Douaumont was destroyed during the Battle of Verdun

Charles Humbert with munitions for Verdun, France
Charles Humbert (1866-1927), French army captain, tax collector, senator and newspaper proprietor. Seen here with piles of munitions destined for Verdun, France, during the First World War

Aerial photograph of Verdun, France, during WW1
Aerial photograph (German) of Verdun and citadel, north eastern France, during the First World War. Date: 23 September 1917

General Robert Nivelle, French Army officer, WW1
General Robert Georges Nivelle (1856-1924), French Army officer who served in the Boxer Rebellion and the First World War. In 1916 he commanded the French Second Army in the Battle of Verdun

Crown Prince Wilhelm with staff at Verdun, France, WW1
Crown Prince Wilhelm of the House of Hohenzollern (Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst, 1882-1951). Seen here with his staff at Verdun, north eastern France

Aerial photograph of Fort Souville, France, WW1
Aerial photograph (German) of the Fort at Souville, north eastern France, which was attacked by heavy shelling by the Germans during the Battle of Verdun, First World War

Von Brandis and German officers in 1916
German officers who took Fort Douaumont on 25th February 1916 during the Battle of Verdun during World War One. Cordt von Brandis (1888-1972) is on the right. Date: 1916

WORLD WAR I MEMORIAL, 1945. American soldiers visit the World War I memorial at Montsec, near Verdun, France, in February 1945, near the end of World War II in Europe

WORLD WAR I: VERDUN RUINS. The Cathedral of Notre Dame and ruins of Verdun, France destroyed during World War I. Stereograph, c1919

Post Office Telegraphs: Official war news
Official war news detailing British, French and Russian advances on 30th July 1916. The British forces are reported to have repulsed enemy attempts to recapture Selville Wood

The French defences at Verdun
A Photograph showing some of the dug-outs and defences that formed part of the French fortifications at Verdun during the First World War

Heinrich II at Verdun
The newly-elected Holy Roman emperor receives an ecclesiastical blessing at the cloister of saint Vitus, to whom Germans have a special devotion

French recapturing village
Photograph showing French troops recapturing the village of Ville-en-Woeuvre from the Germans, near the French fortress of Verdun in October 1914

Timber roads on the battlefields near Verdun
Two French soldiers making their way along the log-tracks crossing the scarred landscape left by German shelling near Verdun

Germans at Verdun
BATTLE OF VERDUN - general von Falkenhayn urges his men to a renewed attack but despite repeated assaults, the French hold out and the Germans will have to abandon the siege

American Second World War Monument, Butte de Monsec, near Verdun, Meuse, Alsace-Lorraine, France, Europe

The banks of the Meuse River and the Porte Chausee, town of Verdun, Meuse, Lorraine, France, Europe

Verdun, River Meuse, Canal de L Est, Meuse, Lorraine, France, Europe

Wwi / 1915 / Verdun Patrol
A German night patrol before Verdun

1916 / Verdun Salute
A patriotic postcard salutes the brave efforts of French forces in standing fast against German efforts to capture Verdun fortress

1916 / Verdun on Fire
Verdun in flames following bombardment by German artillery, using incendiary shells

1916 / Verdun / Fort Vaux
Major Raynal and his batallion lead the heroic French defence of Fort Vaux. It falls to the Germans in June but is retaken by the French in November 1916

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"Verdun: The Battle that Shaped History" In the heart of northern France, amidst the ravages of the First World War in 1916, a fierce and relentless battle unfolded - Verdun. This historic clash between French and German forces left an indelible mark on both nations and forever altered the course of warfare. From above, an aerial view captured the haunting bombardment of Fort Douaumont, as explosions tore through its walls, leaving behind a scene of devastation. Meanwhile, French artillery shells were meticulously loaded for transport, ready to rain down upon their enemies with unyielding force. On the opposing side, German gunners stood resolute with heavy artillery in hand. Their determination to break through enemy lines was palpable as they prepared for a relentless assault on Verdun's defenses. The German attack during this tumultuous time became synonymous with unimaginable brutality. As troops clashed on the battlefield, lives were lost and landscapes scarred forever. Yet amidst this chaos emerged stories of resilience and courage from those who fought valiantly at Verdun. Verdun itself bore witness to countless horrors throughout WWI but also became known as "The Victor. " It stood tall against all odds and symbolized unwavering strength in times of adversity. Even cartoons depicted this monumental battle's significance; one titled "Reckoning without their host" portrayed nations grappling with unforeseen consequences brought about by war's merciless grip. As winter descended upon these blood-soaked lands in 1917, soldiers braved freezing temperatures while defending their positions along the French front at Verdun. Their unwavering commitment echoed through history as they endured unimaginable hardships for their cause. Years later, remnants of those fallen heroes still found solace within temporary ossuaries - silent reminders of sacrifice made in pursuit of victory at any cost.