Re-enactment of the longest battle of World War I
Volunteers have flocked to the French town of Verdun, site of the longest battle of World War I, to re-enact the scene 100 years ago; but they won't be fighting a mock battle.
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| Hundreds of volunteers from 18 countries gathered in the town of Verdun in northeastern France on August 25 to recreate the scene of World War I, according toAP. |
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| Participants dressed in military uniforms reenacted a major military rally in the town and held a parade. The event was part of a series of activities to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. |
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| The daily lives of World War I soldiers are shown through reconstructions of field kitchens, medical stations and command posts. |
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| Soldiers dressed in khaki, grey or blue depending on the country and women in nurse uniforms with the red cross emblem, showcase actual items and equipment used in the war that lasted from 1914 to 1918. |
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| Other volunteers were deployed to key battlefields around Verdun. They did not reenact any battles out of respect for the historical sites, which have since become symbols of peace. |
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| Instead, German and Polish volunteers shared military uniform tips and historical stories with the French, Australians and British at the assembly area. |
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| The 10-month-long Battle of Verdun was the longest battle of World War I. 163,000 French and 143,000 German soldiers were killed and hundreds of thousands were wounded in the event. |
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| Between February and December 1916, some 60 million shells were fired. Entire villages were destroyed and never rebuilt. |
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| Dozens of heads of state and government, including US President Donald Trump, are expected in Paris on November 11 to commemorate the end of World War I. |
