Fort Douaumont

"Fort Douaumont is a symbol of national pride. The public was shaken when it fell to the enemy. When the public is shaken, the politicians have a problem and when the politicians have a problem, I have a problem."

- General Joffre

Fort Douaumont was a defensive fortification in northeast France, outside of Verdun. Built before World War I, it had been designed to defend against the possibility of German invasion.

In early 1916, believing that the fortress was not strong enough to withstand German artillery, General Joseph Joffre stripped the fortress of most of its men and guns. In February 1916, German forces took the fort easily in the opening days of the Battle of Verdun.

By September 1916, the fort remained in German hands. Seeking to retake the fort in order to assuage the politicians, General Joffre put General Robert Nivelle in charge of the 2nd Army at Verdun, with orders to retake the fort. As a courier, Indiana Jones witnessed one of Nivelle's attempts to attack the fort, resulting in casualties and no progress. Later, Jones, working as a spy, learned that the Germans were bringing in Big Bertha howitzers, but Nivelle was forced to order another attack to retake the fort. Though General Henri Phillipe Petain confirmed Jones' intelligence and called off the attack, General Joffre arrived and ordered the attack to be restarted and Jones was given the orders to deliver to the front lines. Realizing that the attack would be futile against the big guns, Jones secretly destroyed the orders and fled the area.

Later, Jones learned that Nivelle eventually was able to capture the fort.

Appearances

 * Demons of Deception
 * Verdun, September 1916 comic
 * Field of Death
 * The Peril of the Fort
 * The Day of Destiny