Europe 1916: Battle of Verdun

In February 1916, the Germans launched an attack on Verdun. The German plan was not so much to take the town as to slowly destroy the French Army by drawing it into what would become the longest and bloodiest battle of the War.

Main Events

7 Dec 1915–9 Jan 1916 Evacuation of Gallipoli

The Allies begin evacuating the Dardanelles, Turkey, following British recognition of the failure the Gallipoli Campaign. Suvla and Anzac are evacuated by 20 December, with Helles holding on until January. The evacuation is the best executed part of the entire Allied campaign: 35,268 troops are successfully removed with only a handful of casualties. in wikipedia

7 Dec 1915–29 Apr 1916 Siege of Kut

After withdrawing from Ctesiphon, Ottoman Mesopotamia, the 6th Division of the Indian Army under Major-General Charles Townshend is besieged at Kut by the the Ottoman Army. Despite a number of relief expeditions and the first air supply operation in history, the British-Indian forces are unable to break the siege and Townshend surrenders on 29 April 1916, leading to the imprisonment of his 13,000 surviving troops. in wikipedia

10 Jan–16 Feb 1916 Erzurum Offensive

Russia invades eastern Anatolia, capturing the important Ottoman fortified city of Erzurum. in wikipedia

21 Feb–18 Dec 1916 Battle of Verdun

Battle of Verdun in wikipedia