February 16

Germany Captures Fort Douaumont — Verdun Opens

German forces captured Fort Douaumont — the linchpin of Verdun's defenses — in a surprise attack with only a few hundred soldiers, discovering the massive fort largely unmanned. The easy capture set false expectations for the entire Verdun campaign.

Douaumont's fall shocked France and fueled the determination to hold Verdun at any cost, making the battle a national symbol even as it consumed hundreds of thousands of lives.