<P> The Battle of Verdun ( Bataille de Verdun , IPA : ( bataj də vɛʁdœ̃ ) , Schlacht um Verdun , IPA : ( ʃlaxt ˀʊm ˈvɛɐdœŋ ) ) , fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 , was the largest and longest battle of the First World War on the Western Front between the German and French armies . The battle took place on the hills north of Verdun - sur - Meuse in north - eastern France . The German 5th Army attacked the defences of the Fortified Region of Verdun ( RFV , Région Fortifiée de Verdun ) and those of the French Second Army on the right bank of the Meuse . Inspired by the experience of the Second Battle of Champagne in 1915 , the Germans planned rapidly to capture the Meuse Heights , an excellent defensive position with good observation for the artillery to bombard Verdun . The Germans hoped that the French would commit their strategic reserve to recapture the position and suffer catastrophic losses in a battle of annihilation , not costly for the Germans because of their tactical advantage . </P>
<P> The Battle of Verdun ( Bataille de Verdun , IPA : ( bataj də vɛʁdœ̃ ) , Schlacht um Verdun , IPA : ( ʃlaxt ˀʊm ˈvɛɐdœŋ ) ) , fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 , was the largest and longest battle of the First World War on the Western Front between the German and French armies . The battle took place on the hills north of Verdun - sur - Meuse in north - eastern France . The German 5th Army attacked the defences of the Fortified Region of Verdun ( RFV , Région Fortifiée de Verdun ) and those of the French Second Army on the right bank of the Meuse . Inspired by the experience of the Second Battle of Champagne in 1915 , the Germans planned rapidly to capture the Meuse Heights , an excellent defensive position with good observation for the artillery to bombard Verdun . The Germans hoped that the French would commit their strategic reserve to recapture the position and suffer catastrophic losses in a battle of annihilation , not costly for the Germans because of their tactical advantage . </P>
what was the longest lasting military engagement of ww2
what was the longest lasting military engagement of ww2
The Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun