The third year of the World War I saw two horrific and destructive major battles. The first was at the strategic Meuse River town of Verdun, France, and the second, along France's Somme River was bloodier yet.

The Battle of Verdun, in February 1916, was fought after a year an a half of uneventful deadlock. The Allies, relying on Britain's vast new armies and massive weapons production, had been planning a general attack along the Western and Eastern fronts. However, Germany struck first at Verdun, aiming to bog France down in an impossible battles, leaving Britain isolated.

The battle for the town and its nearby hills raged for six months without interruption. However, before the Germans could seize Verdun's fortresses, the Allied forces launched a huge attack along the Somme River. The First Battle of Somme, the war's worst, diverted Germany's forces, allowing Allied troops at Verdun to recover somewhat. French forces were so depleted that the Somme offensive faded out as November rains turned the battlefield at Somme into a swamp.

Outside France, even the major battles accomplished little. By September, one million Russians had been lost, largely through capture or desertion, after its major summer assault on Bukoniva and Galicia. Russia also lost most of Persia. Italy's costly battles on the Isonzo River, helped divert some attention from the Somme, but made it helpless as Montenegro and Albania were invaded. Romania joined the Allies and invaded Transylvania, but itself was overrun in December. A year that begun with both the Allies and the Central Powers expecting to win, ended in the same terrible stalemate.