The French then begin retaking stronghold and, as winter sets in and the first Battle of the Somme rages, the Verdun fighting finally comes to an end.
The Germans make advances in the bloody conflict until July, when their offensive is called off. In an attempt to cripple France’s part in the war and cause a massive blow to its army’s morale, the Germans choose to attack the fort of Verdun, along the banks of the Meuse River. It lasts nearly a year as the French Army fends off a surprise German offensive that causes mass losses on both sides, with more than 600,000 total casualties. The Battle of Verdun becomes World War I’s longest single battle. Battle of Verdun: February 21 to December 18, 1916 A long-range gunfire ensues but while the German SMS Blücher cruiser is sunk, the British HMS Lion is severely damaged. The smaller German squadron retreats, but can’t outrun the British.
READ MORE: Germans Capture Langemarck During First Battle of Ypres Battle of Dogger Bank: January 24, 1915Īfter decoding intercepted German messages, the British Grand Fleet attacks the German Kaiserliche Marine in the North Sea, sparking the Battle of Dogger Bank. Typical of so many World War I battles, both sides engage in trench warfare and suffer massive casualties, but neither makes significant gains. The massive conflict-involving an estimated 600,000 Germans and 420,000 Allies-continues for three weeks until brutal winter weather brings it to an end. In what would become known as the “Race to the Sea,” the First Battle of Ypres begins, the first of three battles to control the ancient Flemish city on Belgium’s north coast that allows access to English Channel ports and the North Sea. READ MORE: First Battle of the Marne First Battle of Ypres: October 19 to November 22, 1914 With an exhausted and weakened German force that had sent nearly a dozen divisions to fight in East Prussia and Belgium, the German First Army faces a counterattack and is forced to retreat to the Lower Aisne River, where the first trench warfare of the conflict begins. The First Battle of the Marne marks an Allied victory about 30 miles northeast of Paris, where the French army and British Expeditionary Force stop Germany’s swift advance into France. READ MORE: Battle of Tannenberg First Battle of the Marne: September 6-12, 1914 The Germans pursue the Russians, essentially annihilating the armies with 30,000 casualties and more than 90,000 taken prisoner. But after intercepting unencrypted radio messages from the Russians, the Germans are able to reorganize their strategy, forcing the Russians into retreat.
The battle begins with Russian armies attacking German troops in German East Prussia (now Poland) from the south and the east, which, at first, works. READ MORE: Battle of Mons Battle of Tannenberg: August 26-August 30, 1914ĭubbed the Battle of Tannenberg by the victorious Germans in revenge for the 1410 conflict in which the Poles crushed the Teutonic Knights, this would be the country’s biggest win against Russia along the Eastern Front.
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