The Archive / Season 1, Episode 5
The Trenches of Verdun
THE ARCHIVE Season 1, Episode 5: "The Trenches of Verdun" --- [ARCHIVAL NOTE: The following letters were written by French and German soldiers during the Battle of Verdun, February-December 1916. The battle lasted 303 days and resulted in approximately 700,000 casualties combined. These letters were recovered from archives in Paris, Berlin, and private family collections. They have been translated where necessary. These are the voices of men who fought in what many called "the meat grinder."] --- [LETTER ONE] From: Corporal Pierre Marchand, 151st Infantry Regiment (French) To: His wife Marguerite, Lyon Date: February 23, 1916 My dearest Marguerite, We arrived at Verdun yesterday. The Germans have been shelling the fortress for two days now — the most intense bombardment anyone has ever seen. The earth itself seems to be dying. Trees that have stood for centuries reduced to splinters. Trenches that took months to dig erased in seconds. They say a million shells fell on the first day alone. A million. I cannot comprehend such a number. Each one capable of killing a dozen men. Each one tearing another piece from the world we knew. The noise is the worst part. Constant, thundering, endless. Men who've been here longer than me say you get used to it. I don't see how. It feels like the sound is inside my...