For Australians and New Zealanders, its Gallipoli. For the British and Canadians, it’s the Somme. For France, perhaps one of the most important battles in its recent history was the Battle of ...

The Battle of Verdun, a massive German onslaught in northeastern France meant to gain a decisive final victory on the Western Front in World War I, began on this day in history, Feb. 21, 1916.

Any parallel between Verdun and Bakhmut is of course imprecise. In 1916 the battlefield lay outside the town, in orchards and woods above Verdun; Bakhmut is an urban battle, fought amid blocks of ...