Part 3/12:
French commander Sylvain Reynal's grim account paints a vivid picture of despair—soldiers exhausted, vomiting, even drinking their urine, and collapsing in the tunnels. His final message before surrendering at 6 a.m. marked the end of nearly three months of stalwart defense. The fall of Verdun, while significant, marked the closing of one chapter in the war and the beginning of a new, broader conflict on the Eastern Front.