Posted on 02/21/2016 7:38:14 PM PST by abishai
Wow, 100 years, that is almost hard to believe.
We were at the battlefield in Augst last year with my daughter (28, professor of math and CS). Sobering.
Across all of the Somme battlefields up to the channel itself, the trench warfare damage and excavations was actually hard to see from ground level - though clear in the photographs from above.
But at Verdun? Shellholes by the hundreds of thousands in every woods, valley, and hillside. Sobering.
As I approach half a century, 100 years ago doesn’t seem very long now.
What happened to the “hero of Verdun”?
That would be Petain. He was hanged for collaboration with the Nazis.
Philippe Petain was sentenced to death for treason, but the sentence was later commuted to life in prison. He died in 1951 while still a prisoner.
I can think of one shrew and half a dozen chickenhawks who need to be marched through there right now so they will shut up about being “tough” with Putin.
Then, they can get a free tour of Hiroshima.
Reagan was a hawk. He was not a war monger. Some of the stuff I hear from these idiots would sicken Dr. Strangelove.
You are correct. I stand corrected.
Verdunkeln is German for “to darken”.
http://youtu.be/4mGOWvT_QWo
I have no doubt WWI started the existential crisis of Europeans, and pride in their civilization was nearly wiped out as a result of WWII. Hence their willingness to surrender themselves to illiterate, inbred, retrograde invaders, who instead of being scorned for their backwardness, are welcomed with open arms.
My understanding is that large portions have been cordoned off due the the enormous amount of UXO.
WW1, the war with the most stupid tactics. Send thousand of men into machine gun and artillery fire and hope some survive to be captured by the other side.
I was there summer of 14 and last summer as well. July in 14 and Aug. in 15. Incredible shell holes remain as you said. Hope you got to visit the Forts and the Memorial. Imprssive.
That would be Petain. He was hanged for collaboration with the Nazis.
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Philippe Petain, the Lion of Verdun, was sentenced t)o death for collaboration with the Nazis (Head of the Vichy Government ) , however his sentence was commuted to life in prison. He died in 1951.
F’ing horrible situation. And thank God we didn’t face this horror.
One of, if not my most, prized possessions is my great grandfather’s ring hand carved from a spent shell that had a simple engraving of “Ypres” upon the brass which he made in the trenches. He was in the Canadian forces (from Scotland)that got the first blast of German gas during the Ypres salient. Pictures to follow if requested.
I am also a bagpiper and play the tunes of the troops from “the great war” and can barely compose myself.
It doesn’t matter what side you were on in “the great war.” It was all f’in horrible.
WWI is another war where technology advanced way ahead of tactics until late in the conflict. The losses of men on all sides was catastrophic.
In the battle of the Somme the British did just that, to force the Germans to transfer troops from the attack on Verdun to the Somme. It worked; despite horrific British casualties (60,000 on the first day), Germany had to divert troops there and the French survived at Verdun.
Today few Westerners want to fight in wars because they know their lives will be thrown away by their governments like that.
My dad was in the Army and we were stationed in Verdun in the mid 60’s. I was 10 to 13 years old when we were there. There were still huge areas around Verdun with the skull and crossbones signs with “Mort” (death) written on them because of unexploded bombs. We lived “on the economy” (not base housing) and I remember digging up clips of unfired ammo (looked about the size of 30.06) from the garden. One of our activities was to drive around in our ‘58 Chevy and collect shrapnel from bombs and artillery that would be exposed after rains.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit Verdun, go see the Trench of Bayonets and Douaumont Ossuary. It’s something that will remain with you the rest of your life.
Except for the machine guns, not much different than Lee’s assault on Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg, or Grant’s assault at Cold Harbor. Thousands of soldiers lives thrown away for zero results.
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