After a week of fighting at Verdun what had begun as a crisis was quickly turning into a disaster.
The fall of Douaumont reverberated through the French army and began to have a major impact on morale.
Douaumont was a symbol of French resistance to Germany yet had been captured in circumstances that bordered almost on the comic. The French high command were now faced with a crucial decision as to what their strategy at Verdun should now be.
At some point in the immediate aftermath of the news of Douaumont's fall being received by Joffre, his Chief of Staff, Major-General de Castelnau, insisted his Chief be woken from his sleep and what followed sealed the fate of Verdun and the fate of tens of thousands of French soldiers. It is this curious meeting that Taylor appears to have confused with some other meeting between Joffre and Briand. This is explained in more detail here.
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| Major-General de Castelnau |
Major-General de Castelnau made two key decisions. First, he appointed General Henri Philippe Omer Petain as the defender of Verdun with the simple order that the Meuse be held on the right bank. Second, there would be no surrender at Verdun, France would fight to the end. For more analysis of Petain's appointment - look here.
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| Petain |
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