The Battle of Verdun was the longest and one of the costliest battles in history, lasting nearly ten months. German Chief of Staff Erich von Falkenhayn aimed to 'bleed France white' by attacking a position of strategic and sentimental importance that the French would be forced to defend at any cost. The battle was characterized by unprecedented artillery barrages; millions of shells were fired, permanently scarring the landscape. French General Philippe Pétain organized 'La Voie Sacrée' (The Sacred Way), a constant convoy of trucks supplying the front. Despite massive casualties on both sides (totaling over 700,000), the French lines held. Verdun became a symbol of French national endurance and the terrifying reality of industrial attrition warfare, where victory was measured in yards gained at the cost of thousands of lives.