On February 21, 1916, the German army launched a major offensive against the fortified region of Verdun, in the Meuse. For ten months, the French army resisted. Some 50,000 soldiers from the colonies took part in the fighting, the majority of them North African riflemen. One hundred and ten years later, the Verdun Memorial pays tribute to them.

Published on: 02/21/2026 - 12:14 Modified on: 02/21/2026 - 16:11

110 years ago, on February 21, 1916, a deluge of iron and fire fell on the French positions in Verdun, marking the start of a battle lasting more than 10 months against German assaults. Until December 1916, nearly three quarters of the French army, or more than 1.1 million men, took part in this battle which had become emblematic of the First World War. Among them and from the very first hours were soldiers from the Army of Africa.

“They are mainly North Africans,” underlines historian Nicolas Czubak, head of the History, collections and mediation department at the Verdun Memorial. "Mainly Algerians, and then Tunisians and Moroccans. Compared to the entire French army, their passage through Verdun was a minority, but three divisions formed in Algeria in 1914 still passed through there: the 37th, the 38th and the 45th infantry division (DI), i.e. 10 regiments. This represents approximately between 25,000 and 30 000 North African riflemen, not counting the thousands of reinforcements who were injected into the battle to make up for the losses."

Between February 23 and 25, 1916, the men of the 37th DI already paid a heavy price. Of two regiments engaged, around forty officers and more than 2,000 soldiers are missing even though the battle has only been underway for a few days. In July, a new assault to try to retake the village of Fleury-devant-Douaumont still cost them nearly 2,500 men after 14 days of combat. In December, they were still tested by the loss of more than 1,000 fighters in the Caurières woods.

The 38th Infantry Division, for its part, made five passes through Verdun during 1916, participating in decisive moments of the battle. It distinguished itself in particular in the capture, on October 24, of the fort and the village of Douaumont. The losses were terrible, reaching 50% of the workforce. "Contrary to popular belief, we cannot however say that they were used as cannon fodder. Their losses are significant, but they are not extraordinary. They were not entrusted with a particular sacrificial task. With the Poilus, they had the same type of mission and found themselves in a terrible equality of destiny", insists Nicolas Czubak.

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“Brave Soldiers”

In all, the ten North African regiments had 16,000 men killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Six citations are attributed to them in the order of the army. “During the war, we highlighted this African army,” underlines Nicolas Czubak. “We heard that they were courageous soldiers, while affirming at the time that this army had to be supervised by Europeans, because racist prejudices were still present.”

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Despite this acquired reputation and these recognized feats of arms, the commitment of these troops from the colonial empire remained in the shadows for a long time. “After the war, very few monuments concerned them. Initially, the societal expectation within the metropolitan population was to pay tribute to French citizens who died during the war. There was just a plaque which was affixed above the fort of Douaumont and which associated the soldiers of the colonies with this event”, describes the historian.

It was not until 2006 that a Moorish-style memorial dedicated to the Muslim fighters of Verdun was inaugurated by President Jacques Chirac. It faces the Muslim square of 592 tombs located in the Fleury necropolis, in front of Douaumont.

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Very few objects

The collections of the Verdun Memorial also reflect this memory forgetting. Very few archives preserved in this place, which opened its doors in 1967 and which was completely renovated during the centenary, directly concern North African troops. “This story took time to come to light and therefore to attract the attention of collectors and public institutions to the objects that may have belonged to these soldiers,” explains Amélie Delobel, the collections manager. "Generally speaking, whether for the metropolitans or for the colonial troops, it is difficult to find original objects dated from this period and which are reliably documented. For the Army of Africa, it is even more complicated, because few sources exist."

The Memorial, however, retains some exceptional pieces. Nicolas Czubak is particularly touched by mentioning a necklace of textile amulets which does not exist in any other public collection in France. Acquired in 2010, it is attributed to a wounded Algerian rifleman who would have worn it as a good luck charm and probably contains surahs from the Koran in these squares of fabric. “It refers to an individual story and to hope. Even when these soldiers were at the bottom of the hole in terrible conditions, they attached themselves to this type of object. We can imagine this man who had to grab this necklace and all the fear that was written there”, describes this specialist of the Great War.

For her part, Amélie Delobel is moved by talking about a funerary stele which “puts a name on a dead person”. This soldier was called Mohamed Djali and was part of the 4th Tunisian rifle regiment. His regiment passed through Verdun in 1917. The first battle was then over, but the bombings and incursions of the German army continued. Wounded, he died from his injuries in 1918. "We can read inscriptions in Arabic on this stele. It attests to the presence of differentiated military funeral practices dedicated to these soldiers whose beliefs were different", underlines the director of the collections.

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The faces of these men appear in some group photographs taken by the French army, but there are very few portraits. The Memorial, however, has a bas-relief representing one of these riflemen and bearing the inscription "Mohaben". “It was acquired through a donation in the 1980s-1990s, but we have little additional information. Other institutions keep plaques of the same type, but we do not know the uses of this practice. Why? When? In what year? It’s a little difficult to determine,” explains Amélie Delobel.

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A journey in their footsteps

On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the battle, the Memorial has decided to highlight the minorities engaged in the French and German armies during 1916. The North African riflemen will have their place in a temporary exhibition entitled "Worlds in the Battle" which will open its doors on April 2. “It is very important to remember that people came from all walks of life with their world to participate in this battle. They suffered like everyone else and found themselves together in this great ocean of misery,” insists Nicolas Czubak.

The historian will also propose October 24, the anniversary of the recapture of Fort Douaumont, a special day in the footsteps of the North African riflemen. From hill 304 to Fleury-devant-Douaumont, via the ravine de la Mort, the Thiaumont ridge and the Caurières woods, this route will be an opportunity to discover the little-known history of these men. “It will also be an opportunity to remember that these tragedies which have affected everyone are warnings from history. We must draw from this horror a common lesson for peace.”

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