# Battle of Verdun begins (1916)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1916-battle-of-verdun-begins
Location: Verdun
Categories: battle, main-event

Germany launched a massive offensive that became a symbol of French endurance and attrition. Within the broader Third Republic period, The Third Republic survived war, the Commune, constitutional crises and fierce ideological conflict. It expanded mass schooling and empire, faced the Dreyfus Affair, fought World War I and entered the troubled interwar era. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Raymond Poincaré (President of the French Republic). Battle of Verdun begins mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Battle of Verdun begins mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Raymond Poincaré](https://history-france.com/rulers/raymond-poincare)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Battle of Verdun begins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Battle+of+Verdun+begins&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Verdun begins](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Verdun+begins)
- [Vie-publique — French institutions and history](https://www.vie-publique.fr/)