The battle of Verdun in photography: A hidden violence?

The First World War was a major break in the history of representations of war. No conflict was that much photographed. Therefore, the control of images was organized, so as to conceal the public evidence of extreme violence. Yet despite censorship, many photographs were taken and distributed in varying conditions. Verdun, erected in battle symbol of the defence of the national territory in 1916, is a good example of this production, its distribution and its control. The images broadcasted postwar are essentially those who intend to reveal the extreme brutality of the battle, as the ones during the war come mainly from official photographers aiming to sweeten violence. The subjects photographed by direct witnesses of the conflict become postwar supports to the memorial speeches and pacifists, often only retaining from the war its extreme dehumanization that has marked an entire generation. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.