Video: 'The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century (4of7): Slaughter' (Battle of Verdun ends at 12:26)

(Wednesday, December 18, 1916; on the Western Front during World War I) — The Battle of Verdun, one of the largest battles of the First World War on the Western Front between the German and French armies, ended today in a French victory.

An estimate in 2000 found a total of 714,231 casualties, 377,231 French and 337,000 German, an average of 70,000 casualties a month for nearly 10 months, one of the most costly battles in human history.

Video: 'World War I: Battle Of Verdun 4/4' (Battle of Verdun ends at 6:25)