1 .
Why was Falkenhayn, the German commander, prepared to commit so many troops to attacking French positions at Verdun?
He believed that German successes on the Eastern Front would enable him to put more and more troops into the Verdun salient
He thought that the French were so determined to hold Verdun that they would pour their reserves into the area. Thus, he believed, France would be eventually "bled white"
He was certain that French forces would soon be withdrawn from the Verdun theatre, in order to assist a forthcoming British attack further to the West
He knew that French morale was fragile after the failures of 1914 and 1915, and that further lack of success was bound to lead to mutinies