The Battle of Verdun
On May 1, 1916, Nivelle took the place of Philippe Pétain and became the new commander of Verdun. Appointed by Marshal Joffre, he had had enough of Pétain's repeated requests to bring in more and more men. The new commander calls for fewer men, but more means, and quality artillery.
Nivelle and his deputy, General Guillaumat, wanted to start strong:they instructed Charles Mangin, a 49-year-old officer, to recapture Douaumont. The fort was bombed three months after the German attack.
As the telephone lines no longer work, carrier pigeons are used to send urgent messages. These fly over the gas and join the dovecotes to satisfy their hunger, and thus inform the next line of the situation.