The Great War ate men, machines, and money without mercy or remission. At the end of 1915, the German army chief of staff, Erich von Falkenhayn, believed he knew how to finally kill the beast and win the war. On Christmas day, 1915, Falkenhayn sent a letter to Kaiser Wilhelm II proposing a campaign to demoralize Britain, whose industrial might and maritime power were the foundation of the alliance against Germany, while also knocking France out of the war. He wrote that the "strain on France has reached breaking point .... ...
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The Great War ate men, machines, and money without mercy or remission. At the end of 1915, the German army chief of staff, Erich von Falkenhayn, believed he knew how to finally kill the beast and win the war. On Christmas day, 1915, Falkenhayn sent a letter to Kaiser Wilhelm II proposing a campaign to demoralize Britain, whose industrial might and maritime power were the foundation of the alliance against Germany, while also knocking France out of the war. He wrote that the "strain on France has reached breaking point .... If we succeed in opening the eyes of her people to the fact that in a military sense they have nothing more to hope for, that breaking point would be reached and England's best sword knocked out of her hand." His plan was to attack a single point the French perceived as so vital that they would be compelled "to throw in every man they have." Falkenhayn concluded: "If they do so, the forces of France will bleed to death" or, as he put it later, the "French army would be bled white." Falkenhayn's target of choice was Verdun, a place that, throughout virtually all of the history of Europe, had been a fortress. Located within a loop of the Meuse River, it occupied a strategic blocking position in the Meuse River valley. As recently as the Franco-Prussian War of 1871, Verdun had been the last of the French fortified cities to hold out against the German onslaught. After that war, it had been vastly augmented, so that it was now a circle of detached forts surrounding a central citadel. The town of Verdun itself, also fortified, was likewise encircled by forts distributed in a five-mile radius. The combined massive complex guarded not only passage through the river valley region, but also dominated a key railroad junction leading to points south, southwest, west, and north in France. Along with the related, but separate, Battle of the Somme, Verdun was among the most deadly battles in history. To understand this struggle is to understand all of World War I, including the principal stated motive of Woodrow Wilson for bringing the United States into the "European War" in April 1917. For him, Verdun proved both France's determination to win at all costs and the likelihood that, without help, it would be defeated nevertheless. The unparalleled barbarity of Verdun, a product of the Old World, convinced the American president that only the principal nation of the New World could finally alter the grim course of human destiny. While many, both in 1916 and in the decades that followed, saw Verdun as a bloody monument to the inescapable futility of war, Wilson saw in it a hope for fighting what he would call a "war to end all wars."
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Add this copy of The Battle of Verdun to cart. $1.76, fair condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2018 by Lyons Press.
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Fair. This copy has clearly been enjoyed-expect noticeable shelf wear and some minor creases to the cover. Binding is strong and all pages are legible. May contain previous library markings or stamps.
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Near Fine. Book. 8vo-over 7¾-9¾" tall. Softcover 2018, edition. Text and covers in near fine condition. Binding firm. Pages unmarked and clean. (310 pages)
Add this copy of The Battle of Verdun to cart. $9.80, very good condition, Sold by Madison Booksellers rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from HAGERSTOWN, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2018 by Lyons Press.
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Very good. Ships same day or next. The cover has one or two imperfect corners. Unread Copy. Text is like-new. Expedited shipping available at checkout for domestic orders.
Add this copy of The Battle of Verdun to cart. $9.80, good condition, Sold by Madison Booksellers rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from HAGERSTOWN, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2018 by Lyons Press.
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Ships same day or next. Very good condition but REVIEW COPY sticker on cover. Otherwise unread and never opened. Expedited shipping available at checkout for domestic orders.
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