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How many people were killed in 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.

The Battle of Verdun, fought between February 21 and December 18, 1916, was one of the most devastating engagements of World War I.

While total casualties—which include those wounded, missing, or captured—reached approximately 400,000 for the French and 350,000 for the Germans, it is estimated that some 300,000 people were killed during the conflict.12

The battle was initiated by German General Erich von Falkenhayn as a deliberate strategy of attrition, intended to "bleed France to death" by forcing them to defend the strategically and symbolically significant fortress of Verdun.2