At the start of World War One, the railway from Thionville (Diedenhofen) to Luxembourg City, Arlon and Namur with Belgium as its destination, had been cut by the demolition of the rail bridge over the Meuse at Namur (Belgium). This was the start of the Siege of Maubeuge, which took place on August 24 until September 7, 1914.
By Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1970-009-17 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
During this siege, the Germans who were stationed in the north could only use the single-track line from Trier to Liège, Brussels, Valenciennes and Cambrai, which could accommodate a maximum of forty trains a day.
At the end of August, the garrison made several sorties but the third was a costly failure, after which the French prepared to receive the German attack. The German bombardment began at 1:00 p.m. on 29 August, assisted by agents in the Entrenched Position who passed reports on the fall of shot, greatly increasing the accuracy of the German guns. The forts and infantry shelters (ouvrages) were wrecked by the German and Austrian super-heavy howitzers; German medium artillery also proved unexpectedly effective.
In-game event
Starting today until September 1st, you can play our latest campaign. All casualties in Frontlines & Maneuver game modes in Verdun and Tannenberg will be added to the total losses. The winning side will be whoever suffers the least amount of killed and wounded soldiers. Too many First World War battles essentially became meat grinders (or were even conceived as such from the start) and so it is for our campaigns.
A new battle awaits at the Italian Front
The Monte Piana map for Isonzo is coming closer! Want to know more about the battle it's based on? Read the latest devblog here:
Today marks an important day in history. On this day in 1914, the first World War had officially begun. What many initially thought as a 'short' conflict, turned into an international battlefield for 4 years. To commemorate this, we've enabled the Film Memoir mode for you all to experience for free, even if you don't own a Supporter Pack DLC. This provides a new experience in the game, so be sure to check it out! You can use this feature for free until August 4th. You can enable the feature by going to Options > Graphics.
Be sure to share with us in our Discord or on our social media when using the filter!
Other ways to remember
Additionally, we’ve arranged a list of activities you could do remember this important day in history
Visit a memorial monument Depending on where you live, there might be a WW1 memorial monument nearby. See if you could visit and pay your respects
Visit a museum with a WW1 exposition Again, this is depending on where you live, but potentially worth going there. Visit a museum with a WW1 exposition brings you a little closer to the events that took place. There might be even a special tour regarding this important day in history.
Read a book regarding the Great War Books can be important means of media to remember history, but they can also be used for entertainment purposes. Fiction or nonfiction, there are many books regarding the subject of WW1. Here are a few you could read on this day.
- A Mad Catastrophe: The Outbreak of World War I and the Collapse of the Habsburg Empire by Geoffrey Wawro. Delving into the “dark heart” of Vienna, Wawro shows how it goaded Serbia and Russia into war, before tracing the wavering fortunes of the Royal and Imperial Army as it faced off against two strong opponents and, ultimately, nearly collapsed after just three months of fighting. - The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front, 1915-1919 by Mark Thompson. Featuring many well-known characters of the Italian front such as General Luigi Cadorna, Ernest Hemingway and Gabriele D’Annunzio, it shows us what happened when Italy joined the First World War and fought so hard for a victory that was, in the end, a “mutilated” one that would poison her body politic for generations. - Death of a Hero by Richard Aldington. Semi based on the author’s own experience during World War One, the story follows George Winterbourne, who enlists in the British Expeditionary Army during the Great War and gets sent to France. After a rash of casualties leads to his promotion through the ranks, he grows increasingly cynical about the war and disillusioned by the hypocrisies of British society
Watch a movie/series centering WW1 You might not have much free time to read a book or visit a place. Movies/series are also a great media to remember what happened and experience stories of what (could’ve) happened. Here are a few recommendations - All Quiet on the Western Front (1930/1979/2022). All based on the novel with the same title by Erich Maria Remarque, it’s for many a must-watch if you’re interested in history and World War One. You might’ve only seen one movie adaptation. Now is a good time to give others a chance too!
- 1917 (2019), directed by Sam Mendes. You follow the story of Blake & Schofield. The date is April 6th, 1917 and an infantry battalion assembles to wage war deep in enemy territory. It’s up to them to deliver a message that will stop 1,600 men from walking straight into a deadly trap. - Apocalypse la 1ère Guerre mondiale (2014). Originally a French, mini documentary tv series, it is highly acclaimed as it doesn’t solely focuses on the the relatively known Flanders and France battles, but also the generally unknown Italian-Austrian, German-Polish-Russian, Japanese-German, Ottoman Empire- Allied and African German Colonies, and other unknown or forgotten fronts and battles. Later translated into English for international audiences as ‘World War 1: The Apocalypse’.
Play a World War One game Fully immerse yourself and experience World War One for yourself (to a certain extent of course). Join the Western-, Eastern and/or Italian Front in our games. Hold a moment of silence before you start the battle with your fellow soldiers* in a match. Or try any other WW1-inspired game in your library
*this not referring to a moment of silence that’s triggered by the game, more a suggestion of what you can do as players yourself.
Anniversary Sale
Additionally to the free Film Memoir mode, you can now find both Verdun (-75%) & Isonzo(-50%) discounted.
The latest Offensive in both Verdun & Tannenberg has come to an end. The final results are Central: 896650 Entente: 860533
We thank you all for participating. Perhaps the tides will turn next time!
Isonzo News
Lately, we've been sharing some news and insights on our dev team and what they're working on for Isonzo! We just released a new devblog, be sure to read it here!
It’s the evening of June 1st, the German forces punched a hole in the French lines to the left of the Marines' position. In response to this the U.S. reserve (23rd Infantry Regiment, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines and the Marine 6th Machine Gun Battalion) started a forced march across 10 km (6.2 mi) to cover up the hole in the defence lineAlready successful a dawn, the following night was consisted of the the American forces holding a line of 20km (12 mi), north of the Paris-Metz Highway, which ran through grain fields and scattered woods, from Triangle Farm The German line opposite ran from Vaux to Bouresches to Belleau.
German commanders ordered an advance on Marigny and Lucy through Belleau Wood as part of a major offensive, in which other German troops would cross the Marne River. U.S. Army General James Harbord countermanded a French order to dig trenches further to to rear, ordering his men to “hold where they stand”. With bayonets, the Marines dug shallow fighting positions from which they could shoot from the prone position. In the afternoon of 3 June, German infantry attacked the Marine positions through the grain fields with bayonets fixed. The Marines waited until the Germans were within 91m (100 yd) before opening deadly rifle fire which mowed down waves of German infantry and forced the survivors to retreat into the woods
This and many battles that followed where part of the Battle of Belleau Wood
In-game Event
Starting today until July 5th, you can play our latest campaign.All casualties in Frontlines- & Maneuver game modes in Verdun and Tannenberg will be added to the total losses. The winning side will be whoever suffers the least amount of killed and wounded soldiers. Too many First World War battles essentially became meat grinders (or were even conceived as such from the start) and so it is for our campaigns.
Steam Summer Sale
The Steam Summer Sale will start tomorrow! You’ll be able to get Verdun & Tannenberg with 75% off and Isonzo has a 45% discount
Isonzo’s Grappa map is LIVE NOW!
Hello soldiers!
The Italian front has expanded; the Monte Grappa map is now live for everyone!
This is the third map of the overall Caporetto Expansion, as part of the German Empire in the game! You can now find Isonzo & some cosmetic DLC packs with a nice discount in celebration of the map’s release!
Today marks the anniversary of Verdun’s full release date! 8 years ago, our first game in the WW1 Game Series was officially released. Since then, the series has expanded to two other games. We thank all of our players, may it be old time veterans or new recruits. We’re happy to be in a position where we can share our passion for history, WW1 and videogames with you all.
Just like the old times
From today until May 5th, you can use the Film Memoir mode for free! You can find it under your settings, so be sure to double check and enable it. Be sure to share with us your black and white footage in our Discord or on Twitter with the #Verdunversary hashtag.
Verdun Bingo
Do you see yourself as a veteran player who has done everything in the game and experienced all that is (and was) to offer? Check our special Verdun bingo card! Did you get a Bingo? Be sure to share it with us in our Discord or on Twitter with the #Verdunversary hashtag.
A look back
From Alpha GreenLight on Steam (remember those days) back in 2013 until now 10 years later, a lot has happened since then! Here’s a small visual comparison on how the game changed back then.
If you would like a longer timeline of the making of Verdun, we have a handy video on that!
Anniversary Sale
Currently you can find Verdun and Tannenberg with a 70% discount!Great way to check off that one bingo box if you haven't already. Additionally you can also find the soundtrack for half the price.
Late March, 1918, France. Operation Michael, has begun. A major German military offensive which was the starting point of the German Spring Offensive. The goal was to break the Allied lines, allowing them to advance north-west to seize the Channel Ports. These were of big importance to the British, as it was a big supply line for them.
These plans later got changed by Erich Ludendorff, making the offensive push west, alongside the British front, which was situated north of the Somme river.
In-game
Starting today until the 26th you can play our latest campaign. All casualties in Frontlines- & Maneuver game modes in Verdun and Tannenberg will be added to the total losses. The winning side will be whoever suffers the least amount of killed and wounded soldiers. Too many First World War battles essentially became meat grinders (or were even conceived as such from the start) and so it is for our campaigns.
Steam Sale
All the WW1 Game Series games are part of the Steam Spring Sale ! You can find both Verdun & Tannenberg with a 75% discount and our latest game Isonzo with 40% off ! This sale with start at 7PM CET.
A new map released for Isonzo!
Hello soldiers !
The Piave map is now available for you to play for free in Isonzo ! Fight on this continuous battle after the Caporetto battle !
Additionally, you can now find Isonzo with a 40% discount.
