View source for Verdun

{{short description|Subprefecture and commune in Grand Est, France}}
{{about|the city in France|the 1916 battle|Battle of Verdun|other uses}}
{{Expand French|topic=geo|Verdun|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Verdun
|commune status     = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image              = Porte Verdun.JPG
|caption            = Verdun and the Meuse river
|image coat of arms = Blason Verdun 55.svg
|arrondissement     = Verdun
|canton             = [[Canton of Verdun-1|Verdun-1]] and [[Canton of Verdun-2|2]]
|INSEE              = 55545
|postal code        = 55100
|mayor              = Samuel Hazard<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|term               = 2020&ndash;2026
|coordinates        = {{coord|49.162|5.3876|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|intercommunality   = [[Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Verdun|CA Grand Verdun]]
|elevation min m    = 194
|elevation max m    = 330
|area km2           = 31.03
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
|urban pop=22,801}}

'''Verdun''' ({{IPAc-en|v|ɜːr|ˈ|d|ʌ|n}} {{respell|vur|DUN}},<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Verdun,+Battle+of |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826213353/https://www.dictionary.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2022-08-26 |title=Verdun, Battle of |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> {{IPAc-en|UKalso|ˈ|v|ɛər|d|ʌ|n}} {{respell|VAIR|dun}};<ref name="Collins">{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/verdun|title=Verdun|work=[[Collins English Dictionary]]|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|access-date=21 July 2019}}</ref> {{IPAc-en|USalso|v|ɛər|ˈ|d|ʌ|n}} {{respell|vair|DUN}};<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Verdun|access-date=21 July 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|fr|vɛʁdœ̃|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-Jérémy-Günther-Heinz Jähnick-Verdun.wav}}; official name before 1970: '''Verdun-sur-Meuse''') is a city in the [[Meuse (department)|Meuse]] [[departments of France|department]] in [[Grand Est]], northeastern [[France]]. It is an [[arrondissement]] of the department.

In 843, the [[Treaty of Verdun]], which divided the [[Carolingian Empire]] into three kingdoms—considered the foundation of Germany and France—was signed there. An episcopal principality of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] since the 10th century, Verdun was subjugated by France in 1552, during the "Voyage to Austrasia". Along with the other free cities of the Empire, [[Metz]] and [[Toul]], it formed the province of the Three Bishoprics, which was attached to the [[Kingdom of France]] in 1648 by the [[Treaty of Münster (1648)|Treaty of Münster]].

Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is [[Bar-le-Duc]], which is slightly smaller than Verdun. It is well known for giving [[Battle of Verdun|its name to the longest battle in modern history]] in the [[World War I|First World War]].

==Geography==
Verdun is situated on both banks of the river [[Meuse]], in the northern part of the Meuse department. It is connected by rail to [[Jarny]]. The [[A4 autoroute]] Paris–Metz–Strasbourg passes south of the town.

The commune is located between [[Paris]] (225 km)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=75056 |title=Orthodromie entre Verdun et Paris |website=the website lion1906.com of Lionel Delvarre |language=fr |access-date=2025-04-26 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184011/http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=75056 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Strasbourg]] (184 km).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=67482 |title=Orthodromie entre Verdun et Strasbourg |website=the website lion1906.com of Lionel Delvarre |language=fr |access-date=2024-02-15 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173224/http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=67482 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In [[Lorraine]], it is 58 km from [[Metz]] ([[Moselle]]),<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=57463 |title=Orthodromie entre Verdun et Metz |website=the website lion1906.com of Lionel Delvarre |language=fr |access-date=2025-04-26 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182951/http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=57463 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 78 km from [[Nancy, France|Nancy]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=54395 |title=Orthodromie entre Verdun et Nancy |website=the website lion1906.com of Lionel Delvarre |language=fr |access-date=2025-04-26 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303170729/http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=54395 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ([[Meurthe-et-Moselle]]) and 134 km from [[Épinal]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=88160 |title=Orthodromie entre Verdun et Épinal |website=the website lion1906.com of Lionel Delvarre |language=fr |access-date=2025-04-26 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173952/http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=88160 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ([[Vosges]]). It is 47 km north of [[Bar-le-Duc]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=55029 |title=Orthodromie entre Verdun et Bar-le-Duc |website=the website lion1906.com of Lionel Delvarre |language=fr |access-date=2025-04-26 |archive-date=25 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925224854/http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=55029 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the prefecture of the department, and [[Commercy]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=55122 |title=Orthodromie entre Verdun et Commercy |website=the website lion1906.com de Lionel Delvarre |language=fr |access-date=2025-04-26 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173226/http://www.lion1906.com/Php/Resultats/Resultat_orthodromie.php?Insee1=55545&Insee2=55122 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the other sub-prefecture.

== History ==
[[File:1638 Tassin view of Verdun edited reduced.jpg|thumb|left|Bird's-eye view of Verdun in 1638]]
[[File:Map of the city and citadel of Verdun.tif|thumb|left|Map of the city and citadel of Verdun ({{circa|1770}})]]
Verdun (''Verodunum'', a [[latinisation of names|latinisation]] of a [[toponymy|place name]] meaning "strong [[Celtic toponymy|fort]]" in [[Gaulish]]) was founded by the [[Gauls]].{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} It has been the seat of the bishop of [[Prince-Bishopric of Verdun|Verdun]] since the [[4th century]], with interruptions.<ref name=Maguelonne>A History of Food, Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat, Blackwell Publishing 1992, p.567</ref> In 486, following the decisive [[Franks|Frankish]] victory in the [[Franco-Roman War of 486|Franco-Roman War]], the city (amongst several other nearby cities) refused to yield to the Franks and was thus besieged by King [[Clovis I]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bachrach |first1=Bernard S. |title=Merovingian Military Organization, 481-751 |date=1972 |publisher=U of Minnesota Press |isbn=9780816657001 |page=4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jbz9IyOvfPoC&q=Merovingian-Military-Organization |language=en}}</ref> The 843 [[Treaty of Verdun]] divided [[Charlemagne]]'s empire among his three surviving grandsons.

Around this time a city called Verdun was the centre of the thriving European trade in young boys, who were sold to the Islamic [[emirate]]s of [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberia]], where they were enslaved as [[Eunuch (court official)|eunuchs]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rousseau |first1=Félix |title=Mélanges Félix Rousseau, Études sur l'histoire du pays mosan au moyen age, 673-686 |date=1958 |publisher=La Renaissance du Livre |language=fr|oclc=30141458 }}</ref>{{page needed |date=November 2022}} The Italian ambassador [[Liutprand of Cremona]], as one example in the 10th century, presented a gift of four eunuchs to Emperor [[Constantine VII]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Stevenson|first=Walter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_yPaAAAAMAAJ|title=Eunuchs in Antiquity and Beyond|date=2002|publisher=Classical Press of Wales and Duckworth|isbn=978-0-7156-3129-4|editor-last=Tougher|editor-first=Shaun|location=|pages=148|language=en|chapter=Eunuchs and early Christianity}}</ref> The identity of the "Verdun" mentioned in sources is disputed because there are many cities called Verdun in Europe (such as [[Verdun-sur-Garonne]] in [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitania]] and [[Verdun-sur-le-Doubs]]).<ref name="OPENEDITION">{{cite journal|url= https://journals.openedition.org/mefrm/2408#ftn23|last= Grabowski|first= Antoni|title= Eunuch between economy and philology. The case of carzimasium|journal= Mélanges de l'École française de Rome|date= March 13, 2019|issue= 127–1|doi= 10.4000/mefrm.2408|access-date= October 12, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211012151458/https://journals.openedition.org/mefrm/2408|archive-date= October 12, 2021|url-access= subscription}}</ref> While many still identify it as Verdun on the Meuse, some argue that [[Verdun-sur-le-Doubs]] is a more feasible identification. It is also possible that Liutprand was referring to [[Verona]].<ref name="OPENEDITION"/>

Since 1200 Verdun has been famous for its [[Dragée]]s or sugared almonds; they were distributed at the [[baptism]] of French princes.<ref name="Maguelonne"/>

Verdun was part of the middle kingdom of [[Lotharingia]] and in 1374 it became a [[free imperial city]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. The Bishopric of Verdun formed together with Tull ([[Ancient Diocese of Toul|Toul]]) and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Metz|Metz]] the [[Three Bishoprics]], which were annexed by France in 1552 (recognized in 1648 by the [[Peace of Westphalia]]).

From 1624 to 1636 a large [[Star fort|bastioned citadel]] was constructed on the site of the Abbey of Saint Vanne. In 1670 [[Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban]] visited Verdun and drew up an ambitious scheme to fortify the whole city. Although much of his plan was carried out in the following decades, some of the elements were not completed until after the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. During the Napoleonic War the citadel was used to hold British [[prisoner of war|prisoners of war]].

In the [[Franco-Prussian War]] Verdun was the last French fortress to surrender in 1870. Shortly afterwards a new system of fortification was begun.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fortified-places.com/verdun.html|title=Fortified Places > Fortresses > Verdun|website=Fortified-places.com|access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref> This consisted of a mutually supporting ring of 22 [[polygonal fort]]s up to {{convert|8|km|mi}} from the city and an inner ring of 6 forts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fortiffsere.fr/verdun/|title=Place Forte de Verdun - Camp retranché de Verdun - 1916|website=fortiffsere.fr|access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref>

=== Battle of Verdun (1792) ===
{{Main|Battle of Verdun (1792)}}
Despite the extensive fortifications, in the [[Battle of Verdun (1792)|Battle of Verdun in 1792]] the fortress was captured by the [[Prussia]]ns during the [[War of the First Coalition]]. The battle was fought on 20 August 1792 between French Revolutionary forces and the Prussian army. The Prussian victory opened the path to Paris for the invading armies. However the Prussians were unable to press their success and abandoned Verdun following the [[Battle of Valmy]].<ref>Parker, Geoffrey. 2008. ''The Cambridge Illustrated History of Warfare''. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 195. {{ISBN|978-0-521-73806-4}}.</ref>

=== Battle of Verdun (First World War) ===
{{Main|Battle of Verdun}}
[[File:Fort Douaumont Ende 1916 rotated North at top.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial photograph of [[Fort Douaumont]] towards the end of 1916]]
Verdun was the site of a [[Battle of Verdun|major battle]], the longest-lasting of the First World War.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zydwtyc |title=What caused Verdun to be the longest battle of WW1?|website=BBC Guides|access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref> One of the costliest battles in military history, Verdun exemplified the policy of a [[Attrition warfare|war of attrition]] pursued by both sides, which led to an enormous loss of life and very long casualty lists.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-one/battles-of-world-war-one/the-battle-of-verdun/ |title=The Battle of Verdun - History Learning Site |website=Historyleaningsite.co.uk|access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref>

Following the failure of the [[Schlieffen Plan]] in 1914 and the solidifying of the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/history/1890_1920/schlieffen_plan_belgium/revision/3/|title=BBC - Standard Grade Bitesize History - The Schlieffen Plan : Revision, Page 3|website=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref> Germany remained on the strategic defensive in the west throughout most of 1915.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://defenceindepth.co/2015/09/25/german-defence-of-the-western-front-september-october-1915/|title=German Defence of the Western Front, September-October 1915 |date=25 September 2015 |website=Defenceindepth.co|access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref> In the winter of 1915–16, German General [[Erich von Falkenhayn]], the chief of the [[German General Staff]] (1914–1916) made plans for a large offensive on the Western Front that ultimately aimed to break the French Army through the application of firepower at a point that the French had to hold for reasons of national prestige.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/10060338/Foley_1916_New_Warfare.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204085535/https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/10060338/Foley_1916_New_Warfare.pdf |archive-date=2021-12-04 |url-status=live |title=A New Form of Warfare? : Erich von Falkenhayn's Plan for Victory in 1916 |author=Robert T. Foley |website=Kclpure.kcl.ac.uk|access-date=2017-09-16}}</ref> As Falkenhayn recalled it, his so-called "Christmas memorandum" to [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Kaiser Willhelm II]] envisioned a massive but limited attack on a French position 'for the retention of which the French Command would be compelled to throw in every man they have'.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_document.cfm?document_id=812|title=GHDI - Document |website=Germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org |access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref> Once the French army had bled to death, Britain could be brought down by Germany's [[submarine]] blockade and superior military strength. The logic of initiating a battle not to gain territory or a strategic position but simply to create a self-sustaining killing ground—to bleed the French army to death—pointed to the grimness of military vision in 1916.

Recent scholarship by Holger Afflerbach and others, however, has questioned the veracity of the Christmas memo. No copy has ever surfaced and the only account of it appeared in Falkenhayn's post-war memoir.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A6AFCgAAQBAJ&q=Holger+Afflerbach+christmas+memo&pg=PA21|title=The Purpose of the First World War: War Aims and Military Strategies |first=Holger |last=Afflerbach |date=1 July 2015 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |access-date=16 September 2017 |via=Google Books |isbn=9783110443486}}</ref> His army commanders at Verdun, including the German Crown Prince, denied any knowledge of an attrition strategy. It is possible that Falkenhayn did not specifically design the battle to bleed the French army but used this supposed motive after the fact in an attempt to justify the Verdun offensive, despite its failure.

[[File:Aerial Photographs of the Western Front Q48890.jpg|thumb|right|Citadel of Verdun during World War I]]

Verdun was the strongest point in pre-war France, ringed by a string of powerful forts, including [[Fort Douaumont|Douaumont]] and [[Fort Vaux]]. By 1916, the salient at Verdun jutted into the German lines and lay vulnerable to attack from three sides. The historic city of Verdun had been an ''[[oppidum]]'' of the [[Gauls]] before Roman times and later a key asset in wars against [[Prussia]], and Falkenhayn suspected that the French would throw as many men as necessary into its defence. Ironically, France had substantially weakened Verdun's defences after the outbreak of the war, an oversight that would contribute to the removal of [[Joseph Joffre]] from supreme command at the end of 1916. The attack was slated to begin on 12 February, then 16 February, but the snow forced repeated postponements.

[[File:The Great war (1915) (14578428098).jpg|thumb|left|The city after the German bombardment, 1916]]

Falkenhayn massed over 1000 artillery pieces<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=World War 1: The Definitive visual history |publisher=Smithsonian |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-4654-7001-0 |edition=2nd |location=United States |pages=154–161 |language=}}</ref> to the north and east of Verdun to precede the infantry advance with intensive artillery bombardment. His attack would hit the French positions on the right bank of the [[Meuse]]. Although French intelligence had warned of his plans, these warnings were ignored by the French Command and troop levels in the area remained low. Consequently, Verdun was utterly unprepared for the initial bombardment on the morning of 21 February 1916. German infantry attacks followed that afternoon and met tenacious but ultimately inadequate resistance for the first four days.

On 25 February, the Germans occupied Douaumont. French reinforcements—now under the leadership of General [[Philippe Pétain]]—began to arrive and were instantly thrown into "the furnace" (as the battle was called) to slow the German advance, no matter what the cost. Over the next several days, the stubborn defense managed to slow the German advance with a series of bloody counter-attacks. In March, Falkenhayn decided to target the French positions on the left bank of the Meuse as well, broadening the offensive front twofold. Throughout March and April, [[Cumières-le-Mort-Homme]] and Hill 304 were under continuous heavy bombardment and relentless infantry attacks. Meanwhile, Pétain organised repeated, small-scale counter-attacks to slow the German advance. He also ensured that the sole supply road from [[Bar-le-Duc]] into Verdun remained open. It became known as the [[Voie Sacrée]] "Sacred Way" because it continued to carry vital supplies and reinforcements into the Verdun front despite constant artillery fire.

[[File:French soldiers of the 87th Regiment shelter in their trenches at Hill 304 at Verdun.jpg|thumb|right|Men of the French 87th Infantry Regiment during the Battle of Verdun, 1916]]

German gains continued in June, but slowly and only after increasingly heavy losses on their side. On 7 June, following almost a week of bitter resistance, [[Fort Vaux]] fell to the Germans after a murderous hand-to-hand fight inside the fort itself. On 23 June, the Germans reached what would become the furthest point of their advance. The line was just in front of Fort Souville, the last stronghold before Verdun itself. Pétain was making plans to evacuate the right bank of the Meuse when the combined Anglo-French [[Battle of the Somme|offensive on the Somme River]] was launched on 1 July, partly to relieve pressure on the French, although the [[first day on the Somme|first day]] was the bloodiest in the [[history of the British Army|British Army's history]]. The Germans could no longer afford to continue their offensive at Verdun when they were needed so desperately on the Somme. At a cost of some 400,000 German casualties and a similar number of French, the attack was finally called off. The estimated death toll on both sides were 143,000 dead Germans and 162,440 French soldiers.<ref name=":0" /> Falkenhayn's plan to bleed France to death – if indeed that had been his intention – had failed.

The battle continued, however, from October to the end of the year. French offensives, employing new tactics devised by General [[Robert Nivelle]], regained the forts and territory they had lost earlier. This was the only gleam of hope in an otherwise abysmal landscape.

Overall, the battle lasted 11 months. Falkenhayn was replaced by [[Paul von Hindenburg]] as Chief of General Staff. General Nivelle was promoted over the head of General Pétain to replace [[Generalissimo]] [[Joseph Joffre]] as French supreme commander, although he was to hold the post for less than six months.

==Population==
{{Historical populations
|align = none
|cols = 2
|percentages = pagr
|source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|39383|Verdun}}</ref> and INSEE (1968-2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-55545#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
|graph-pos = bottom
|1793 |9060
|1800 |9136
|1806 |10276
|1821 |9819
|1831 |9978
|1836 |10577
|1841 |15533
|1846 |13448
|1851 |13941
|1856 |12742
|1861 |12394
|1866 |12941
|1872 |10738
|1876 |15781
|1881 |16053
|1886 |17755
|1891 |18852
|1896 |22151
|1901 |21360
|1906 |21706
|1911 |21701
|1921 |12788
|1926 |14280
|1931 |16540
|1936 |19460
|1946 |14609
|1954 |18831
|1962 |21982
|1968 |22013
|1975 |23621
|1982 |21516
|1990 |20753
|1999 |19624
|2007 |19147
|2012 |18327
|2017 |17475
}}

==Panoramic views==
{{Wide image|Panorama de Verdun, vue prise du Fort de la Chaume, 1917.jpg|1000px|A panoramic view of Verdun in 1917}}
{{Wide image|Verdun_pan_photo_2004.jpg|1000px|A panoramic view of Verdun from 2004}}

== Cemetery and memorials ==
There are many French and German cemeteries throughout the battlefield. The largest is the French National Cemetery and [[Douaumont Ossuary]] near Fort Douaumont. Thirteen thousand crosses adorn the field in front of the ossuary, which holds roughly 130,000 unidentified remains brought in from the battlefield. Every year yields more remains, which are often placed inside the ossuary's vaults.

Among many revered memorials on the battlefield is the "[[Bayonet Trench]]", which marks the location where some dozen [[bayonet]]s lined up in a row were discovered projecting out of the ground after the war; below each rifle was the body of a French soldier. It has been assumed that these belonged to a group of soldiers who had rested their rifles against the parapet of the trench they were occupying when they were killed during a bombardment, and the men were buried where they lay in the trench and the rifles left untouched. However, this is probably not historically accurate: experts agree that the bayonets were probably affixed to the rifles after the attack and installed by survivors to memorialize the spot.<ref>Prost, Antoine. Republican Identities in War and Peace: Representations of France in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. Edited by Jay Winter. Oxford, New York: Berg, 2002. p.54</ref>

Nearby, the World War I Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial is located at [[Romagne-sous-Montfaucon]] to the northwest of Verdun. It is the final resting place for 14,246 American military dead, most of whom died in the [[Meuse-Argonne Offensive]]. The chapel contains a memorial to the 954 American missing whose remains were never recovered or identified.

On 12 September 1916 [[King George V]] awarded the [[Military Cross]] to the City of Verdun, one of only two awards of this British decoration to a municipality during World War I, the other being [[Ypres]].<ref>Abbott, Peter Edward; Tamplin (1981). British Gallantry Awards (2nd ed.). London, UK: Nimrod Dix and Co. {{ISBN|9780902633742}}, page 221</ref> On 5 October 1917, [[Bernardino Machado]], [[President of Portugal|President of the Portuguese Republic]], awarded the City of Verdun the [[Order of the Tower and Sword]], 1st Class (Grand Cross) for its "tenacious resistance, steadfastness in battle, and heroism of its garrison, having filled a brilliant position in the present war and gloriously proving the worth of a nation's valour and patriotism"; the investiture ceremony took place on 10 October 1917, during President Machado's visit to the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Bernardino |first=Luís Manuel Brás |date=May 2016 |title=A Batalha de Verdun: possíveis consequências e ensinamentos para Portugal |trans-title=The Battle of Verdun: possible consequences and teachings for Portugal |url=https://www.revistamilitar.pt/artigo/1125 |language=pt |magazine=Revista Militar |location=Lisbon |publisher=Europress |access-date=7 May 2020 }}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Verdun 4juni2006 043.jpg|[[Charlemagne]] at the summit of [[List of World War I memorials and cemeteries in Verdun#Monument to the victory at Verdun|Verdun's Victory Monument]]
File:Verdun 5.jpg|A portion of the battlefield today
File:I world war memorial.jpg|World War I memorial at [[Douaumont]]
</gallery>

== Landmarks ==
*The Châtel Gate is the only remaining part of the medieval city walls. It leads onto La Roche Square.
*La Citadelle was built in the 17th century. It is still in military hands but the underlying tunnels can be visited.
*[[Verdun Cathedral]] (''Notre-Dame de Verdun'') was consecrated in 1147 but was built on the site of an earlier church. The 12th-century Lion Door on the north side has a lavishly decorated [[Tympanum (architecture)|tympanum]]. The whole building was heavily restored in the 18th century.
*The Episcopal Palace was built in the 18th century by Robert de Cotte and has a fine façade. Part of the building is occupied by the World Peace Centre.
*The Princerie Museum is located in the former residence of the Primicier (the highest-ranking public servant) of [[Principality of Verdun|Verdun]]. It contains historic work of art from the region.
*The "Subterranean Citadel" is situated at the entrance of Verdun. It holds {{convert|4|km|0|abbr=on}} of shafts that used to accommodate soldiers during the war.
*The former [[Abbey of St Paul, Verdun|Abbey of St Paul]] houses the ''palais de justice'' and the headquarters of the sub-prefecture of Meuse.

<gallery>
File:Mairie Verdun.JPG|Verdun town hall
File:Cathedrale Verdun.JPG|Verdun Cathedral
File:Verdun 4juni2006 041.jpg|Verdun episcopal palace
</gallery>

==Transport==
[[Verdun-Le-Rozelier Airport]] only supports [[general aviation]] with no commercial airline service scheduled. The nearest airports are [[Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport]], located {{convert|108|km|abbr=on}} south east and [[Luxembourg Airport]], located {{convert|136|km|abbr=on}} north east of Verdun.

==Climate==

{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y 
|collapsed = Y
|location =  Verdun (1999–2010 normals, extremes 1999–2016)
|Jan record high C = 15.0
|Feb record high C = 18.0
|Mar record high C = 24.5
|Apr record high C = 29.0
|May record high C = 32.5
|Jun record high C = 36.0
|Jul record high C = 37.5
|Aug record high C = 40.5
|Sep record high C = 32.5
|Oct record high C = 27.0
|Nov record high C = 22.5
|Dec record high C = 17.0
|Jan record low C = -14.5
|Feb record low C = -15.0
|Mar record low C = -14.0
|Apr record low C = -7.5
|May record low C = -1.5
|Jun record low C = 2.0
|Jul record low C = 4.0
|Aug record low C = 4.0
|Sep record low C = 0.0
|Oct record low C = -5.0
|Nov record low C = -9.0
|Dec record low C = -17.5
|Jan high C = 5.3
|Feb high C = 7.6
|Mar high C = 11.4
|Apr high C = 16.3
|May high C = 20.3
|Jun high C = 24.2
|Jul high C = 25.7
|Aug high C = 24.9
|Sep high C = 20.9
|Oct high C = 15.8
|Nov high C = 9.8
|Dec high C = 5.6
| year high C = 15.7
|Jan mean C = 2.3
|Feb mean C = 3.9
|Mar mean C = 6.6
|Apr mean C = 10.2
|May mean C = 14.3
|Jun mean C = 17.7
|Jul mean C = 19.3
|Aug mean C = 18.8
|Sep mean C = 15.2
|Oct mean C = 11.3
|Nov mean C = 6.6
|Dec mean C = 2.9
| year mean C = 10.8
|Jan low C = -0.7
|Feb low C = 0.2
|Mar low C = 1.7
|Apr low C = 4.1
|May low C = 8.3
|Jun low C = 11.2
|Jul low C = 13.0
|Aug low C = 12.7
|Sep low C = 9.5
|Oct low C = 6.8
|Nov low C = 3.3
|Dec low C = 0.2
| year low C = 5.9
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 82.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 84.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 82.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 54.7
|May precipitation mm = 73.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 56.4
|Jul precipitation mm = 77.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 82.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 63.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 70.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 78.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 99.3
|year precipitation mm = 905.1
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 12.6
| Feb precipitation days = 12.5
| Mar precipitation days = 12.6
| Apr precipitation days = 10.8
| May precipitation days = 11.6
| Jun precipitation days = 8.7
| Jul precipitation days = 11.2
| Aug precipitation days = 10.9
| Sep precipitation days = 8.5
| Oct precipitation days = 10.2
| Nov precipitation days = 14.0
| Dec precipitation days = 14.3
| year precipitation days =137.7
|source 1 = Meteociel<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=55043001
|title=Normales et records pour Verdun (55) 
|publisher=Meteociel
|access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref>}}

== Notable people ==
* [[Nicholas of Verdun]] (1130–1205), goldsmith
* [[Nicolas Psaume]] (1518–1575), prince-bishop
* [[Giovanni Veneroni]] (1642–1708), linguist
* [[François de Chevert]] (1695–1769), army general
* [[Henry Madin]] (1698–1748), composer
* {{ill|Jean-Nicolas Desandrouins|fr|Jean-Nicolas Desandrouins}} (1729–1792), army general
* [[Jean-Nicolas Pache]] (1746–1823), politician
* [[Moyse Alcan]] (1817–1869), poet and publisher
* [[Philippe Bunau-Varilla]] (1859–1940), engineer
* {{ill|René Dufaure de Montmirail|fr|René Dufaure de Montmirail|de|René Dufaure de Montmirail}} (1876-1917), football manager
* [[Élisabeth Brasseur]] (1896–1972), choral conductor
* [[Francine Larrimore]] (1898–1975), U.S. actress
* [[Danielle Mitterrand]] (1924–2011), First Lady of France
* [[Sophie Body-Gendrot]] (1942–2018), political scientist
* [[Hervé Revelli]] (b. 1946), footballer
* [[Mark Meadows (North Carolina politician)|Mark Meadows]] (b. 1959), U.S. politician
* [[Pierre Delval]] (b. 1960), criminologist and forensic scientist
* [[Isabelle Nanty]] (b. 1962), actress, screen and theatre director, screenwriter

== See also==
* [[Séré de Rivières system]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|isbn=9781843420668|title=Illustrated Michelin Guide to the battlefields "Verdun and the Battles for its Possessions" |author1=Michelin |date=April 2000 |publisher=Naval & Military Press }}
* {{cite book| isbn = 9780140170412| title = "The Price of Glory" Verdun 1916| last1 = Horne| first1 = Alistair| year = 1993| publisher = Penguin Publishing}}
* {{cite book|isbn=978-1844158676|title=Walking Verdun|last1=Holstein|first1=Christina|date=January 2009|publisher=Casemate Publishers }}
* {{cite book|isbn=9780752441481|title=Battlefield Guide VERDUN 1916|last1=Buckingham|first1=William F.|year=2007|publisher=Tempus }}

== External links ==
{{wikivoyage}}
{{Commons category|Verdun}}
* [http://verdun.fr/ Official web site Verdun]
* [http://www.tourisme-verdun.fr/en_index.php Tourist Office of Verdun]
* [http://eng.verdun.fr/Universal-city/Verdun-and-World-War-I/The-Battle-of-Verdun The Battle of Verdun] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210220935/http://eng.verdun.fr/Universal-city/Verdun-and-World-War-I/The-Battle-of-Verdun |date=10 February 2018 }}
* [http://fortiffsere.fr/verdun/ La place forte de Verdun 1870–1918], well documented website on the extensive fortification system around Verdun
* [http://www.verdun-somme-1916.de/ GPS-Teamproject "Verdun - Somme - 1916"]
* {{cite web | title=My visits to the battlefields of Verdun | url=http://home.casema.nl/r.cossee/ | access-date=14 October 2008 | archive-date=28 April 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428223437/http://home.casema.nl/r.cossee/ | url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web | title= Forum Eerste Wereldoorlog, Dutch/Flemish Forum| url=http://www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl/ }}
* {{cite web|title=World War I Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial |work=American Battle Monuments Commission |url=http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ma.php |access-date=January 17, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211134043/http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ma.php |archive-date=February 11, 2006 }}
* {{cite web| title=Photo album of old and modern Verdun area| url=http://www.worldisround.com/articles/80502/| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510170057/http://www.worldisround.com/articles/80502/| archive-date=2007-05-10}}
* {{cite web | title=Verdun — A Battle of the Great war| url=http://www.verdun14-18.de/en}}
* {{cite web | title=The old fortifications of Verdun| url=http://www.fortified-places.com/verdun.html}}
* [http://www.tourisme-verdun.fr/en_subterranean-citadel-underground-citadel-.php The subterranean citadel] underneath Verdun
{{Free Imperial Cities}}
{{Meuse communes}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Verdun| ]]
[[Category:Communes of Meuse (department)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Virtuti Militari|!Verdun]]<!-- In this category ! means place -->
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Lāčplēsis, 3rd class]]
[[Category:Subprefectures in France]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1552]]
[[Category:States and territories established in the 1370s]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Tower and Sword]]
[[Category:Meuse communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Vauban fortifications in France]]
[[Category:Three Bishoprics]]