Verdun, << vehr DUHN or vur DUHN, >> Battles of. Verdun, one of the oldest cities of France, has been a battleground since Attila the Hun ravaged it in A.D. 450. This city on the Meuse River in northern France is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the German border. It often played a key role in resisting enemy invasion.
The most famous battle occurred during World War I (1914-1918). On Feb. 21, 1916, German troops launched a surprise attack. The Germans believed the French would defend Verdun to the last soldier. They hoped that French losses would be so great that France would drop out of the war. The French, led by General Henri Philippe Pétain, defended the area stubbornly (see Pétain, Henri Philippe ). In July 1916, after both sides had suffered large losses, the Germans reduced their efforts at Verdun. The French regained their two key forts, one in October and the other in November. The battle ended in December, but fighting resumed at Verdun in March 1917 and continued until the end of the war.
In 1940, during World War II (1939-1945), German forces easily captured Verdun. United States forces recaptured it in 1944.
See also World War I (The Battle of Verdun) .
