News French and German leaders to mark Verdun battle centenary.

[Notebook]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36407564

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are to mark the 100th anniversary of the battle of Verdun, the longest battle during World War One.

Hundreds of thousands of French and German soldiers died during 10 months of fighting in north-eastern France.

France eventually emerged victorious.

But today Verdun is seen as a symbol of Franco-German reconciliation, and Mr Hollande and Ms Merkel are expected to renew a call for European unity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Verdun

 

[Notebook]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36372478

The British have the Somme. For the French it is the 10-month battle of Verdun.

For both countries, these two epic confrontations came to symbolise the suffering and endurance of the common fighting man.

What is often forgotten, though, is how closely the two battles are connected in the history of World War One.

Because each country sacralised one of the battles - making it the focus of national commemorations - each also tends to overlook the other.