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What happened at Fort Vaux in June 1916?

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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, Fort Vaux was a key objective for German forces seeking to wear down French defenses through attrition. Following a series of intense, bloody, and inconclusive engagements in the preceding months, the Germans successfully captured Fort Vaux on June 7, 1916.12

This capture was part of a broader German offensive on the right bank of the Meuse River, which aimed to disorganize Allied preparations for the upcoming Battle of the Somme. The fort remained in German hands for several months until the French military, under the direction of General Robert-Georges Nivelle and General Charles Mangin, launched a successful counteroffensive to reclaim the position on November 2, 1916.123