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Why did nine villages near Verdun become known as villages that “died for France”?

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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 in 1916, the intense fighting and heavy artillery fire completely destroyed nine villages: Beaumont, Bezonvaux, Cumières, Douaumont, Fleury, Haumont, Louvemont, Ornes, and Vaux.1

These villages became known as those that “died for France” because they were obliterated during the conflict, leaving the landscape permanently transformed and uninhabitable. Following the war, they were memorialized with this title to honor their sacrifice. Although the villages remain uninhabited, they continue to be administered by mayors to preserve their status as official administrative entities. The area surrounding these sites was later declared a Zone Rouge (Red Zone) due to the extreme danger posed by millions of unexploded shells and toxic chemical munitions still buried in the soil.1