20 February 1916
General de Castelnau visits Verdun to inspect the defences after Colonel Driant and other local commanders report that they have been neglected. Castelnau discovers that Driant is correct, and orders a battalion of engineers to move to Verdun to restore the situation. The order is issued too late, as the German offensive starts on the following morning.
How to cite this article: Rickard, J (28 December 2007), 20 February 1916, https://www.historyofwar.org/firstworldwar/daybyday/1916_02_20.html