The Rise Of Australasia
Chapter 551: Chapter 432: Unexpected Mishaps

Before the Battle of Verdun, the Germans were confident that their army and artillery were unbeatable. However, as the Battle of Verdun progressed, the Germans discovered that their artillery were not entirely invincible.

During this nearly half a month of fighting, the Germans first attempted to launch fierce attacks at the center of the French Army's defense line. When this attack proved fruitless, they turned their focus to attacking both flanks.

However, besides incurring heavy casualties, the Germans didn't achieve any significant results.

Especially after Bellamy adjusted his strategy, the Germans experienced unprecedented pressure in the Verdun Region. Their plan to rely on the advantages of their artillery and troop numbers failed completely.

The main reason that this kind of tactics had achieved victory on the Eastern Front was that the Russian army's equipment was too poor, and their logistics far too lacking.

However, the French logistics were on par with those of the Germans, and with the help of fortresses and modern equipment, the French Army was not significantly inferior to the Germans in terms of equipment.

After stabilizing their defense line, the French General Staff sent a large number of troops, ammunition, and weapons and equipment to the frontlines.

This allowed the French Army to have sufficient strength to launch counterattacks, reclaiming their lost positions and forts from the beginning of the battle.

With the recent victories in small-scale battles, the morale of the French Army gradually soared, and most of their frontline troops regained their combat ability.

As both parties engaged in a stalemate, time quietly moved into 1916.

On January 3, 1916, French Commander-in-Chief Cynthia issued new orders to all defensive forces in the Verdun area, including encouragement for all soldiers.

Cynthia stated that over the past month, the German army had fiercely attacked the Verdun Fort, in an attempt to penetrate deep into France.

They achieved some successes on the Eastern Front with their elite troops and intense artillery fire.

The fact that the French army in the Verdun Region could stop the Germans from making progress and even defeat their morale demonstrated the strength of the French Army.

Proudly, Cynthia pledged to ensure all military supplies and reserves arrived promptly, and prepare all logistical support for the frontline soldiers.

If the enemy still wants to attack, the French Army will use unyielding courage and sincerity to defend their nation's lifeline, praised by all French People, as they stand as a solid barrier preventing the German Army from entering Verdun.

Starting from January 3, 1916, the Battle of Verdun officially entered its second phase.

The German headquarters decided to shift their focus in attack from the east bank of Mars River to the west bank, aiming to seize the important defensive positions of the French Army on the west bank and prevent the French Army from utilizing the terrain for artillery support on the east bank.

For the new campaign, the German General Staff transferred a small number of elite troops from other areas, and replenished the personnel of the various armies participating in the first phase of the attack.

In fact, the real goal of the Germans' initial attack on Verdun was not to capture the fortress.

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Fakinham, as the leader of the German military's upper echelons, had a true objective of making the French bleed out, exhausting their vital forces in the Verdun Region.

However, the problem was that this plan was no longer feasible. The French might have a day when they bleed out, but the Germans would certainly suffer massive bloodshed as well.

Although knowing the Battle of Verdun had reached a deadlock, Fakinham still decided to let the German forces in the Verdun area continue their attacks, driven by Germany's prestige.

It was from this moment on that the Battle of Verdun turned from a planned campaign into a meaningless war of attrition.

Both France and Germany continued to pour troops into this region, engaging in round after round of seesaw battles that consumed human and material resources, with little actual movement of the frontlines.

Starting from January 10th, many German soldiers started to feel discontented about this valueless sacrifice.

Although everyone was willing to dedicate their lives for patriotism, it seemed unnecessary if the sacrifice was made in a war that was not needed in the first place.

Planes from both France and Germany circled above the Verdun battlefield, where countless dead bodies could be seen everywhere.

These piles of corpses were French, German, and colonial natives.

Some positions had been shattered by artillery fire, but the French stubbornly held on, singing bloody war songs in those battered positions.

Such heart-wrenching scenes were common on the battlefield; both French and German soldiers had suffered heavy casualties. Their willingness to die for their country was commendable.

Dense artillery fire exploded in a chaotic landscape of dead trees, creating craters of various sizes.

Some severely injured and blinded soldiers crawled into caves or shelters to survive, initially thinking these shelters could provide safety. However, the snow melted by the heat waves from the artillery explosions became death's messengers.

The blood and water flowed into the huge craters and caves, drowning the powerless wounded who lay on the ground.

These scenes were undeniable brutal, but in the infamous Battle of Verdun in history, they were the harsh reality.

Human and horse corpses littered the places where the shells passed. Fortunately, it was January, and the cold of the Verdun region prevented the bodies from giving off a putrid smell.