b. What was the significance of the Battles of Verdun and the Somme?
The two key battles of 1916 on the Western Front were those at Verdun and the Somme – both failed to achieve their aims and both were horrific in terms of loss of life. Why did the Germans launch an attack on Verdun? In February 1916, the Germans launched a massive attack against the important French fortress town of Verdun. The German Commander Erich von Falkenhayn set out his plans: "The essential question is not...