Battle of Verdun

The Battle of Verdun was a major action in World War I that started on February 21, 1916 and resulted in more than 250,000 deaths. The French army was subsequently plagued not with desertions, but rather with a general refusal to march face-first into the teeth of the Germans' impregnable positions. French troops remained in their trenches, willing to fight only in a defensive capacity.

See also: Verdun