Hst 201 Chapter Notes -Erich Von Falkenhayn
Document Summary
Where: verdun, a french city on the meuse river. The city was surrounded by a double ring of. 28 forts and smaller defenses as well as forested areas. When: february 21st 1916 - december 16th 1916. This was a battle of attrition, but germany was unable to fulfil its hopes of wearing-down the french troops. *chief of the general staff, erich von falkenhayn (a westerner) believed that the best strategy for 1916 was to attack france and knock france out of the war. * with the main ally gone (france), britain would withdraw from the continent. *falkenhayn saw verdun, a fortress city that was of great symbolic value to france, would be an ideal target for his offensive plan. *verdun was also chosen because it was the last stronghold to fall in 1870 during the.
