What triggered the battle of verdun?

The Battle of Verdun, which began in February 1916, was triggered by Germany's strategic aim to bleed France white, inflicting heavy casualties and forcing a decisive victory. The Germans selected Verdun due to its symbolic importance to the French and its strategic location. They believed that a prolonged engagement would exhaust French resources and morale, leading to a collapse. The battle quickly became one of the longest and costliest in World War I, symbolizing the horrors of trench warfare.