Operation Gericht
Encyclopedia
Operation Gericht was the code name
for the German
military plan at Verdun
during World War I
. It was designed by German General Erich von Falkenhayn
. The Battle of Verdun
was one of the two greatest infantry battles of the war, an exclusively Franco-German struggle lasting 10 months and tallying over 700,000 casualties between both sides. The primary goal of this operation was not to acquire territory; instead, it was to lure the French army
into defending the old medieval French fortress and town of Verdun, and to eliminate as many French soldiers as possible.
By 1915, the German Schlieffen Plan
for the invasion of France had failed to deliver the knockout punch that was needed to eliminate France before the Russian military could mobilize in the East. Part of Alfred von Schlieffen's planning also concluded that attacking in the south of France was impractical with German military strength at the time he drafted his war plan in 1895. One of the successive reasons why German war planners did not attack in the south of France was the existence of strong, old fortresses at Nancy, Verdun, and Toulouse
. The capture of Verdun under Operation Gericht would have a dual effect; it would hamper French morale if this ancient landmark fortress were to be captured, and as such, the French were rightly calculated to rush to its defense. Herein lies the second component of Operation Gericht: Falkenhayn's plan was to pull the French into defending the city, and as he is quoted saying, 'bleed the French army white'.
Operation Gericht epitomizes the 'materialschlact' or attritional battle. Operational and tactical miscalculations during the early summer of 1916 led to the German loss rate only being slightly less than that of the French, thus rendering Verdun a strategic defeat for the Germans, albeit one that had serious impacts upon the French Army and national psyche for many years
Code name
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage...
for the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
military plan at Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was designed by German General Erich von Falkenhayn
Erich von Falkenhayn
Erich von Falkenhayn was a German soldier and Chief of the General Staff during World War I. He became a military writer after World War I.-Early life:...
. The Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
was one of the two greatest infantry battles of the war, an exclusively Franco-German struggle lasting 10 months and tallying over 700,000 casualties between both sides. The primary goal of this operation was not to acquire territory; instead, it was to lure the French army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
into defending the old medieval French fortress and town of Verdun, and to eliminate as many French soldiers as possible.
By 1915, the German Schlieffen Plan
Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan was the German General Staff's early 20th century overall strategic plan for victory in a possible future war in which the German Empire might find itself fighting on two fronts: France to the west and Russia to the east...
for the invasion of France had failed to deliver the knockout punch that was needed to eliminate France before the Russian military could mobilize in the East. Part of Alfred von Schlieffen's planning also concluded that attacking in the south of France was impractical with German military strength at the time he drafted his war plan in 1895. One of the successive reasons why German war planners did not attack in the south of France was the existence of strong, old fortresses at Nancy, Verdun, and Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
. The capture of Verdun under Operation Gericht would have a dual effect; it would hamper French morale if this ancient landmark fortress were to be captured, and as such, the French were rightly calculated to rush to its defense. Herein lies the second component of Operation Gericht: Falkenhayn's plan was to pull the French into defending the city, and as he is quoted saying, 'bleed the French army white'.
Operation Gericht epitomizes the 'materialschlact' or attritional battle. Operational and tactical miscalculations during the early summer of 1916 led to the German loss rate only being slightly less than that of the French, thus rendering Verdun a strategic defeat for the Germans, albeit one that had serious impacts upon the French Army and national psyche for many years