The 10 deadliest battles and campaigns of WWI

The Battle of Verdun was a major battle on the Western Front. It was between the German and French Armies between Feb. 21, 1916 to Dec. 18, 1916.History tells us it was fought, on the hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France.The battle ended with a French victory. They managed to recapture most of the ground they lost to the Germans which included Fort Douaumont.The Fort was considered the centerpiece of Verdun’s defensive system. The French defended Verdun with tenacity inflicting heavy casualties on the Germans. It’s estimated that close to 40 million artillery shells were exchanged during the battle. Leaving craters, which are said to still be seen to this day.  Verdun was another battle thst symbolized the horrors of what happened in WWI.This battle revealed the futility of the war in general. The French lost about 542,000 casualties, while the Germans lost some 435,000.Note: The facts about the Battle of Verdun were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it.The Battle of the Somme happened between July 1, to Nov. 18, 1916. It's also known as The Somme Offensive, battles took place on both sides of the Somme River in France.The British Expeditionary Force, combined with the French Army, launched an offensive against the German Army.The Germans occupied a large portion in the north of France since their invasion on Aug. 1914. It was one of the largest battles of WWI.When the fighting paused in late fall of 1916, the cost in lives was staggering. Estimates put the number at 1,000,000 plus at that time. It was one of the bloodiest operations ever recorded in modern warfare.It was a literal slaughterhouse of WWI. It’s said the Somme still echoes as a senseless display of the killing that happened in the war. The battle was considered an Allied victory, but they paid a very heavy price of 623,906 casualties, including 100 tanks and 782 aircraft. The Germans lost nearly 600,000 men. Note: The facts about The Battle of the Somme were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it.The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser's Battle), also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front.It began on March 21, 1918. History says during this offensive some of the deepest advances by both sides took place during it. They knew it was this battle that would almost be a winner take all battle.The Germans had a slight advantage in this battle. They knew the Allies could deploy all their military might into the war and therefore they sought to defeat them during the Spring Offensive. They had 50 divisions to include in this offensive which was  freed up by the Russian surrender. The German plan was to push against the Somme front that was held by the British. They launched three other attacks trying to break the Allied lines. This offensive was planned to break the will of the British Army and force an armistice.They used fast moving “storm troopers” and made significant advances, but their strategy lacked sufficient planning and had no real goal. Because the Germans moved so fast they could not keep their line supplied.The Allies managed to halt the advance of the Germans who lost 680,000 plus because of their push toward ending the war. Most German losses were to the “storm trooper units which led the attacks. The Allies lost 850,000 plus. One of the most famous battles in American history happened during this offensive.The Battle of Belleau Wood was where U.S. Marines engaged the Germans and stopped them cold. This is the battle where Marines earned the nickname “Devil Dogs” by the Germans. Note: The facts about The Spring Offensive were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it. View the list »
The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of WWI. It was a series of offensives launched on the Western Front. It began on Aug. 8 and went until Nov. 1918.The first battle of this major string of offensives was the Battle of Amiens. This caused the German Army to retreat back to the Hindenburg Line and was soon followed by the armistice to end WWI.This offensive is not about one specific battle but a united strategy by the Allies, and it brought about a sequence of Allied victories. This offensive included the second battle for Somme, the second battle for Noyons and the second battle for Arras.The result of this offense was a resounding success for the Allied forces which broke the German Army. The Germans put up a fight but could not stop the advancing Allied Army.The Allies eventually broke through the German lines at the Battle of Cambri. The Germans sustained heavy casualties, 785.733. The Allied forces paid dearly for this offensive, they lost a total of 1,069,636 casualties, including 127,000 Americans. The greatest defeat for the German people came as a result of this offensive. The loss and collapse of the German Empire and the humiliating and demanding terms of the peace treaty. Note: The facts about this The 100 Days Offensive were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it.  

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WWI began on July 28, 1914 and lasted until November 11, 1918. It was a war that pitted Allied forces against the Central Powers.

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The Allied forces were, The United States, The United Kingdom and France. The Central Powers were, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. It involved over 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans.

All this manpower, and equipment, was mobilized for what was to be the sixth-deadliest conflict in world history. It was a deadly war that resulted in the deaths of over 9 million combatants.

The conflict was started when Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia. Around the same time the Germans invaded Belgium, Luxembourg and France. It also included a Russian attack against Germany.

Once the Germans were halted on their march towards Paris, the war became a series of indecisive battles, along the Western Front. that changed very little until 1917. It was a long war fought by men in trenches. According to a PBS documentary called, The Trenches: Symbol of the Stalemate, 12,000 miles of trenches were dug by both sides during the war.

World War I was called the "Great War" and the war to end all wars. However, we know there has been one other world war since WWI ended. There have been numerous other conflicts since the armistice that brought a halt to the war. Most know that WWI was centered in Europe and involved all the world's great powers.

The history books tell us that The United States never formally became a member of the Allied powers, but rather they were what was called a self-styled "Associated Power.” Our nation had a small army until after the Selective Service Act was passed. That act allowed the drafting of 2.8 million men. It’s said by the summer of 1918, we were sending 10,000 new soldiers to France every day. WWI was the first war that involved fixed-wing aircraft on a large scale.

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  • The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of WWI. It was a series of offensives launched on the Western Front. It began on Aug. 8 and went until Nov. 1918.The first battle of this major string of offensives was the Battle of Amiens. This caused the German Army to retreat back to the Hindenburg Line and was soon followed by the armistice to end WWI.This offensive is not about one specific battle but a united strategy by the Allies, and it brought about a sequence of Allied victories. This offensive included the second battle for Somme, the second battle for Noyons and the second battle for Arras.The result of this offense was a resounding success for the Allied forces which broke the German Army. The Germans put up a fight but could not stop the advancing Allied Army.The Allies eventually broke through the German lines at the Battle of Cambri. The Germans sustained heavy casualties, 785.733. The Allied forces paid dearly for this offensive, they lost a total of 1,069,636 casualties, including 127,000 Americans. The greatest defeat for the German people came as a result of this offensive. The loss and collapse of the German Empire and the humiliating and demanding terms of the peace treaty. Note: The facts about this The 100 Days Offensive were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it.  
  • The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser's Battle), also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front.It began on March 21, 1918. History says during this offensive some of the deepest advances by both sides took place during it. They knew it was this battle that would almost be a winner take all battle.The Germans had a slight advantage in this battle. They knew the Allies could deploy all their military might into the war and therefore they sought to defeat them during the Spring Offensive. They had 50 divisions to include in this offensive which was  freed up by the Russian surrender. The German plan was to push against the Somme front that was held by the British. They launched three other attacks trying to break the Allied lines. This offensive was planned to break the will of the British Army and force an armistice.They used fast moving “storm troopers” and made significant advances, but their strategy lacked sufficient planning and had no real goal. Because the Germans moved so fast they could not keep their line supplied.The Allies managed to halt the advance of the Germans who lost 680,000 plus because of their push toward ending the war. Most German losses were to the “storm trooper units which led the attacks. The Allies lost 850,000 plus. One of the most famous battles in American history happened during this offensive.The Battle of Belleau Wood was where U.S. Marines engaged the Germans and stopped them cold. This is the battle where Marines earned the nickname “Devil Dogs” by the Germans. Note: The facts about The Spring Offensive were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it. 
  • The Battle of the Somme happened between July 1, to Nov. 18, 1916. It's also known as The Somme Offensive, battles took place on both sides of the Somme River in France.The British Expeditionary Force, combined with the French Army, launched an offensive against the German Army.The Germans occupied a large portion in the north of France since their invasion on Aug. 1914. It was one of the largest battles of WWI.When the fighting paused in late fall of 1916, the cost in lives was staggering. Estimates put the number at 1,000,000 plus at that time. It was one of the bloodiest operations ever recorded in modern warfare.It was a literal slaughterhouse of WWI. It’s said the Somme still echoes as a senseless display of the killing that happened in the war. The battle was considered an Allied victory, but they paid a very heavy price of 623,906 casualties, including 100 tanks and 782 aircraft. The Germans lost nearly 600,000 men. Note: The facts about The Battle of the Somme were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it.
  • The Battle of Verdun was a major battle on the Western Front. It was between the German and French Armies between Feb. 21, 1916 to Dec. 18, 1916.History tells us it was fought, on the hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France.The battle ended with a French victory. They managed to recapture most of the ground they lost to the Germans which included Fort Douaumont.The Fort was considered the centerpiece of Verdun’s defensive system. The French defended Verdun with tenacity inflicting heavy casualties on the Germans. It’s estimated that close to 40 million artillery shells were exchanged during the battle. Leaving craters, which are said to still be seen to this day.  Verdun was another battle thst symbolized the horrors of what happened in WWI.This battle revealed the futility of the war in general. The French lost about 542,000 casualties, while the Germans lost some 435,000.Note: The facts about the Battle of Verdun were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it.
  • The Battle of Passchendaele was fought by the British and their allies against the German Empire.It took place on the Western Front from June to Nov. 1917. It was for control of the ridges which were south and east of the Belgian city of Ypres in West Flanders.The strategy of this battle was decided by the Allies at their conferences in Nov. 1916 and May 1917.Passchendaele was on the last ridge east of Ypres, which is about five miles from a railway junction at Rouselare. It was an essential part of the German supply system to their Fourth Army. The next part of the Allied plan was to advance to Torhout and Couckelaere, which was near the railway controlled by the Germans. This railway ran through Roeselare and Torhout. The campaign ended in November when the Canadian Corps captured Passchendaele.The conditions under which this battle was fought were miserable, and both sides suffered major casualties. The battle only allowed the British to acquire small territorial gains for their efforts.The muddy terrain in this battle was a constant feature, along with the bombed out landscape, which caused tanks to bog down. Some men were even drowned. The Allies lost a total of 448,614 men to the Germans 400,000.Note: The facts about The Battle of Passchendaele were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it.
  • The Serbian Campaign was an invasion of Serbia by Austria-Hungary. It lasted from the onset of the war, late July 1914 until the end of the war in Nov. 1918.The front, for this campaign, expanded from the Danube to southern Macedonia.The Serbian Campaign began with the Austrian shelling of Belgrade on July 29, 1914. It was followed up by the military invasion of Austria-Hungary into Serbia on August 12.The Serbians were vastly outnumbered but managed to resist the invasion from 1914-1915. The Serbians took heavy losses during this campaign. Their army was decimated going from an army of420,000 to roughly 100,000.The total of Serbian losses during the war was 1,1000,000. These loseses included both army and civilians casualties. This represented about 27 percent of Serbia's overall population. They lost about 60 percent of their male population.Serbia's defeat of the Austro-Hungarian army in 1914, was one of the greatest upsets in modern warfare history. The campaign was very bloody on both sides. The Austrians, Germans and Bulgarians lost a combined total of 313,500 casualties, and the Serbians lost over 320,000.Note: The facts about the Serbian Campaign were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it.
  • The First Battle of the Marnes was a WWI battle fought from Sept. 5-12, 1914.It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger.This battle put an end to the German offensive that went on for a month. It opened up the war which had reached the outskirts of Paris.Six French field armies, and one British, counterattacked the Germans along the Marne River and forced the German Imperial Army to relinquish their push toward Paris and retreat northeast.This battle set the stage for four long years of trench warfare on the Western Front. It was costly to both sides despite an Allied victory. Allied forces suffered 263,000 casualties, and the Germans 220,000.  Note: The facts for The First Battle of the Marnes were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it.
  • The Gallipoli Campaign happened on the Gallipoli peninsula in the Ottoman Empire (now Gelibolu in modern-day Turkey) from April 25 to Jan. 9, 1916.It was a joint British and French campaign launched to capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (Istanbul) designed to be a sea route to Russia.It was a miserable failure which resulted in heavy casualties to both sides. History tells us it was a major victory for the Turks during WWI and an abysmal failure on the part of the Allies.The Gallipoli Campaign had a profound impact on all nations involved in the campaign. In Turkey, the battle was perceived as the defining moment in the history of the Turkish empire. It was the final crescendo for the Turks in defense of the motherland as the Ottoman Empire was about to collapse.This campaign laid the groundwork for the Turkish War of Independence. It was the foundation upon which the Republic of Turkey was born eight years later under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, himself a commander at Gallipoli.The allies lost 220,000 men to the Turks 253,000, and the Ottoman Empire earned a stunning victory.Note: The facts about The Gallipoli Campaign were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it.
  • The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From April 9-16, 1917.The British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German defenses near the French city of Arras on the Western Front.Opposing armies for most of the war on the Western Front were at a stalemate.There was a maze of never-ending trenches stretching from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border. The objective of the Allies, from early 1915, was to break through the German defenses.The British wanted to engage them in a war of movement. The Arras offensive was born by the desires of the Allies to make this happen. There were numerous bloody battles because of this offensive, which resulted in around 1,000,000 casualties to both sides.This battle was tactically a British victory, but didn't result in the breakthrough the Allies had hoped for. Ultimately this battle was considered indecisive. The British lost 158,000 casualties in the assault, to a German loss of 120,000.Note: The facts about The Battle of Arras were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it. 
  • The Battle of Tannenberg was an engagement between the Russian Empire and the German Empire in the first days of World War I.The battle pitted Russia’s Second Army against Germany’s Eighth Army between August 26-30, 1914.The Russia's Second Army was decimated at Tannenberg. A series of battles after this one annihilated the majority of Russia’s First Army as well. The destruction of Russia’s Army kept them off-balance until the spring of 1915.The most incredible thing about this battle was the German's ability to rapidly deploy their troops by train. This allowed the German Army to concentrate their forces against each Russian Army as they came to the battle front.The Germans were outnumbered by the two Russian Armies but were able to inflict incredible losses upon the Russians. The Russians suffered 170,000 casualties to the Germans 12,000. It’s considered one of the most lopsided battles in history.  Note: The facts about The Battle of Tannenberg were gathered from the Wikipedia.org page about it.
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, Dothan Marine Corps Examiner

Joseph graduated from Parris Island on December 17, 1981. He then went to Fort Sill, Ok for his MOS training as an 0844 (FDC). He was stationed at 29 Palms, California with 4th Battalion 11th Marines HQ Battery. He was a survey/metro-man that supported the artillery battalion. He did some forward...

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