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Battle of Verdun
A major engagement in World War I where the German army launched a prolonged offensive against the French at the fortified city of Verdun, resulting in one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the war, with devastating casualties on both sides, and ultimately a French defensive victory. -
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Battle of Tannenburg
Saw a decisive German victory against the Russian army, where the German commanders, Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff, managed to surround and effectively destroy a large portion of the Russian Second Army, led by Alexander Samsonov, by exploiting poor Russian communication and coordination, resulting in a massive Russian loss and the suicide of General Samsonov. -
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First Battle of the Marne
The French and British forces successfully halted the German advance towards Paris, effectively stopping their initial offensive and forcing them to retreat. -
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Battle of Caporetto
A major defeat for the Italian army during World War I, where a combined Austro-German force decisively broke through Italian lines along the Isonzo River in northeastern Italy, causing a massive retreat and heavy casualties for the Italians; it is considered one of the most devastating defeats suffered by the Italian military in the war, leading to a significant loss of territory and a collapse in Italian morale. -
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Battle of Gallipoli
Was a disastrous Allied attempt to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey by launching an amphibious landing, resulting in a stalemate and heavy casualties on both sides, ultimately forcing the Allies to withdraw after eight months of fighting, marking a major Ottoman victory. -
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Second Battle of Ypres
Marked the first large-scale use of poison gas in World War I, when the Germans unleashed chlorine gas against Allied troops near the Belgian city of Ypres, causing significant casualties and marking a turning point in the war's tactics. -
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Battle of Jutland
The largest naval battle of World War I, fought over two days, between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the German Imperial Navy's High Seas Fleet in the Skagerrak, a body of water near the coast of Jutland, Denmark; it was the only major encounter between the two fleets during the war, involving hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of sailors. -
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Brusilov Offensive
A major Russian military campaign during World War I, launched on June 4, 1916, against the Austro-Hungarian forces on the Eastern Front, led by General Aleksei Brusilov; it is considered the largest and deadliest offensive of the war, inflicting heavy losses on the Austro-Hungarian army, relieving pressure on the French at Verdun, and ultimately contributing to Romania's entry into the war on the Allied side. -
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Battle of the Somme
A major World War I battle fought between the British and French against the German army, taking place primarily along the Somme River in northern France. It's considered one of the bloodiest battles in history, with over a million casualties on both sides, and is remembered for the devastating losses suffered on the first day of the offensive, where the British army sustained tens of thousands of casualties due to heavy machine gun fire and poor tactics -
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Battle of Passchendaele
A major WWl battle in Belgium, where Allied forces, primarily British, Australian, and New Zealand troops, battled against the German army to capture the high ground around the village of Passchendaele, near Ypres; the battle is infamous for the extreme mud and heavy casualties caused by torrential rain, making it one of the most brutal and bloody battles of the war. -
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Battle of Cambrai
Fought during World War I in Northern France, is most recognized as the first large-scale use of tanks in warfare, where the British employed a significant number of tanks in a coordinated attack against German lines, marking a pivotal moment in combined arms tactics; resulting in heavy casualties on both sides despite initial British success, as the Germans launched a strong counteroffensive to regain lost ground. -
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Spring Offensive
Refers to a series of major attacks launched by the German army on the Western Front during World War I, also known as Kaiser's Battle, where they aimed to decisively defeat the Allies before the full force of the American military could arrive; this offensive was led by General Erich Ludendorff and involved utilizing stormtrooper tactics to penetrate Allied lines, resulting in initial gains but ultimately failing due to heavy casualties and logistical issues. -
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Second Battle of Marne
The final major German offensive on the Western Front, where Allied forces, primarily French with significant American support, successfully halted and counterattacked the German advance near the Marne River, marking a turning point in the war and ultimately leading to the German retreat and eventual defeat; this battle is considered a decisive Allied victory. -
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Hundred Days Offensive
A series of Allied attacks that took place during the final months of World War I. The offensive was a coordinated effort by the Allies to defeat the German Army and end the war. The term "Hundred Days Offensive" refers to the rapid series of Allied victories, rather than a specific battle or strategy. -
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Battle of Belleau
A major World War I battle fought primarily by the U.S. Marine Corps against German forces near the Marne River in France, it is considered a pivotal moment in Marine Corps history as it showcased their combat prowess and helped halt a German offensive towards Paris, with the Marines ultimately driving the Germans from the wooded area known as Belleau Wood.