Recreating the battlefield of the longest battle of World War I.
Volunteers have flocked to the French town of Verdun, the site of the longest battle of World War I, to recreate scenes from 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 scenes from World War I, according to reports.AP. |
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| Participants, dressed in military uniforms, reenacted a large military assembly in the town and held a parade. The event was part of a series of activities leading up to the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. |
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| The daily life of World War I soldiers is depicted through the reconstruction of field kitchens, medical stations, and command posts. |
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| Soldiers, dressed in khaki, grey, or green depending on the country, and women in nurse uniforms bearing 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 tips related to military uniforms as well as historical stories with the French, Australian, and British at the assembly point. |
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| The ten-month-long Battle of Verdun was the longest battle of World War I. 163,000 French soldiers 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, approximately 60 million artillery shells were fired. Entire villages were destroyed and never rebuilt. |
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| Dozens of heads of state and government leaders, including US President Donald Trump, are expected to be in Paris on November 11 to commemorate the end of World War I. |
