The Battle of Verdun began on 21 February 1916 and continued until 18 December 1916. It was the longest battle of the First World War. It began with a German offensive at the French salient of Verdun in eastern France. Each side lost approximately 150,000 men killed and 225,000 men wounded. After initial German advances, the French held on, largely through the weight of artillery fire to the west of the river Meuse. At the end of 1916, the two armies occupied roughly the same terrain they had occupied before the beginning of the battle.