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How many French soldiers became casualties at the Battle of Verdun?

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French soldiers in uniform rest and eat on a grassy field behind the front lines during the Battle of Verdun in World War I, with gear and rifles stacked nearby. — Battle of Verdun French soldiers resting away from the front line at the Battle of Verdun, 1916.

During the Battle of Verdun, which took place from February 21 to December 18, 1916, French casualties amounted to approximately 400,000 soldiers.1

This engagement was one of the longest and most ferocious of World War I, characterized by a German strategy of attrition intended to "bleed France to death". In total, across both the French and German forces, approximately 300,000 soldiers were killed during the conflict.12