Verdun went down in history as one of the most sinister battles ever fought. The German General Eric von Falkenhayn waged a war of attrition with only one objection in mind… to kill the enemy. The scale of slaughter was unimaginable but there were also acts of incredible bravery. What happened in this small French city determined the course of the war and symbolised France's will to resist. Verdun was surrounded by what the French believed was an impregnable wall of concrete and steel. But, as the Germans set their sights on the city, they cleared the French reconnaissance and achieved almost complete tactical surprise with their first assault. This was just the beginning of some of the most ferocious and sustained fighting of the war and will be forever remembered as the greatest and lengthiest battle the French ever fought.