Eugen Radtke. Readers of History Today may recall my account (August, 1962) of how in February 1916 Douaumont, reputedly the world’s strongest fort, was captured by a handful of Brandenburgers.

Fort Douaumont was one of Verdun’s most prized buildings and its strongest form of defence. It was only built in 1913 and housed some of the most innovative technologies in warfare including several ...