France Recaptures Fort Douaumont

French forces under General Charles Mangin launched a massive counteroffensive and recaptured Fort Douaumont, the largest and highest of the Verdun forts, which Germany had held since February. The recapture was a major morale victory for France. Fort Vaux followed on November 2. The French counteroffensives of October and December 1916 pushed German lines back nearly to their February starting positions, rendering the entire Verdun campaign strategically futile.