I shall begin….
Geographically, Verdun is nestled comfortably within the Meuse ‘département’ in the region of Lorraine. Gastronomically, this region boasts some of France’s finest cuisine, including, of course; the infamous Quiche Lorraine, madeleines de Commercy, Munster cheese, bergamot sweets from Nancy, macaroons, to name but a few examples. In fact, Verdun has earned the title of ‘sugared almond capital of the world’. I really could go on all day about the obesity-inducing cuisine that seems to be just about everywhere I turn…tempting me, calling me.
Yet, Verdun is not only known for its almonds. The Meuse region suffered greatly during the Great War of 1914 – 1918. In fact, the word ‘suffered’ doesn’t really do justice to the sheer impact of the Battles upon the people, the buildings, and the landscape of Meuse. The Battle of Verdun lasted 300 days – from the 21st February until the end of December 1916. The sheer enormity of casualties is appalling - during those 300 days, 162,062 French soldiers and 143,000 German soldiers were killed. Verdun seems to be a national symbol of not only the Great War, but the valour and honour of those who fought for their country.
Culturally, I find it so fascinating that France has made such an effort to preserve its memories of both the 1st and the 2nd World War.
The imprint of the Battle of Verdun seems to be omnipresent in and around the town. The landscape remains in the exact same state it was left after the Battle. In fact, an article I read quite recently descibes the terrain of the battlefields as akin to ‘a cheesegrater’, pockmarked, bearing a slight resemblence to Tellytubby land (I kid you not), as a result of a perpetual fire of shells, bombs and grenades.
It may be sombre, and perhaps a little morbid, but I truly admire France’s efforts to preserve the physical reminders of War, as it proves that the courage and self-sacrifice of so many young men has not been forgotten 91 years on. Verdun stands up tall in its defiance against the brushing-under-the-carpet of the First World War.
Douaumant (sp?) Cemetary is positioned directly opposite the Battlefields, and is perched high upon the hills on the outskirts of Verdun, with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. Here, the amount of casualties ceases to exist as a number, devoid of any meaning. You can see, simply by opening one’s eyes, the full extent of the battle’s consequences, the penalty paid for bravery and patriotism. This quiet, peaceful place, which once saw hundreds and thousands of young men go to their deaths, aims to provide a kind of catharsis to the grand nemesis which occurred. A calm end to such a catastrophic War.
In her post-WW1 novel ‘Mrs Dalloway’, Virginia Woolf states “Such things happen to everyone. Everyone has friends who were killed in the War”.
This doesn’t mean to say that the personal tragedies as a result of the Great War are any less significant simply because they were experienced on a universal scale within Europe. But rather that because so many brothers, fathers, husbands, lovers, cousins, uncles, and grandfathers were killed, countless lives were touched by tragedy. France’s cemetaries, battle fields and monuments are a mark of respect to those who lost loved ones and to the mass grieving that occurred here.
This doesn’t mean to say that the personal tragedies as a result of the Great War are any less significant simply because they were experienced on a universal scale within Europe. But rather that because so many brothers, fathers, husbands, lovers, cousins, uncles, and grandfathers were killed, countless lives were touched by tragedy. France’s cemetaries, battle fields and monuments are a mark of respect to those who lost loved ones and to the mass grieving that occurred here.
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