German, French Leaders Mark 100 Years Since Battle of Verdun

VERDUN, France— In solemn ceremonies Sunday in the forests of eastern France, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel marked 100 years since the Battle of Verdun, determined to show that, despite the bloodbath of World ...

French President Francois Hollande, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pay their respects at a German cemetery in Consenvoye, northeastern France, May 29, 2016, during a remembrance ceremony to mark the centenary of the battle of Verdun. Jean Christophe Verhaegen/Pool Photo via AP

VERDUN, France— In solemn ceremonies Sunday in the forests of eastern France, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel marked 100 years since the Battle of Verdun, determined to show that, despite the bloodbath of World War I, their countries’ improbable friendship is now a source of hope for today’s fractured Europe.

The 10-month battle at Verdun — the longest in World War I — killed 163,000 French and 143,000 German soldiers and wounded hundreds of thousands of others.

This undated file photo taken during the First World War shows French soldiers resting inside the Fort de Vaux, one of the second fortress to fall in the Battle of Verdun, eastern France. AP Photo, File