The conditions of the international situation in the winter 1915/1916 favoured a crucial impact, for better chances of success at the western front. The German supreme command thougt that the Russians were not smashed, Serbia and Italy played as opponents a role, Englands power became less, France weakened through losses already suffered. At the end of of 1915 decided the german supreme command the removal of the fortress Verdun to straighten the frontarc and to further develop the German position in the west. This project, named as "Unternehmen Gericht" lay in the range of the 5. Army under the command of the Kronprinzen Friedrich.

Falkenhayns tactics planned, the French forces bleeded to death in a wear battle and so the French army weakenend extremly. The Kronprinz and his general staff boss general Schmidt of Knobelsdorf expected to this project however with skepticism, since its conceptions of the speed of the attack, the room layout and the employment of the forces looked by far differently. On the other side under commander in chief Joffre, one did not want to hear anything of a danger of German attacks at the western front, one played even with the thought, at the seam of the French and British armies to cause to the Somme, snap if possible a decision.

The preparations and supplies on German side started meanwhile and were soon full under way.

Since the fights in the year 1914 one regarded Verdun as a calm section, the Frenchmen used the place as stage city. Since the French army command was in the faith that there was nothing to fear in this section, the position systems of the fortress with ditches and shelters, as well as the artillery positions all were in a derelict condition. A large part of the fortress artillery, the ammunition and the personnel had been taken off, in order in the Champagne to be used.

Despite all counter measures, the German attack preparations the French did not remain thereby hidden and they began again their engagements value to increase, by transporting the field positions and fortifications of far removals and further personnel, weapons and equipment.

The beginning of the attack on the fortress of the Maas was specified by the German army command on 12 February 1916, but strong rain and snows prevented own flier activity and tidy artillery observation, so that the attack had to be shifted around 24 hours. Also adjusting the artillery and the supply would have been on the soft soil a task, which can be solved with difficulty.

Also in the following days the weather did not improve, the attack was out-continued to hesitate, until it cleared up itself now correctly on 20 February and the correct conditions for weather were present. But one wanted to have certainty and let this day still with "internal service" elapse.

In next morning, in the early morning hours at 08:12 a.m. began the attack with the artillery strike of over 1200 cannons and mine launchers of all calibres on the French positions and the ground backwards, which 9 hours stop should, in order to facilitate for the three infantry corps attacking at 5 p.m. the storm way. This was the beginning of the drama, which still months and particularly as bone mill or blood pump to the Maas history enter should stop. Almost not possibly, itself emergency, to present agony and misery, which the soldiers of the most courageous nations had to suffer, there on this small spot of French earth.

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