Verdun.die.Weltblutpumpe.1916.

obverse design : Death, in the form of an enormous skeleton, standing over and working a pump amidst a devastated landscape. The leering head of the skeleton is turned right round to face the observer. By Death's side a bayonet driven a half-blade's length into the earth obverse text : ".VERDUN.DIE.WELTBLUTPUMPE.1916." reverse design : cartouche, elaborate, suggesting a vein dripping blood, enclosing seven lines of text. Around the edge the contracted names of countries and colonies who assisted, directly or indirectly, in the defence of Verdun - "FRANKR.", "DAHOM.", "CANAD.", "CAP", "INDI.", "RUSSL.", "AUSTRL.", "TONKG.", "ALGR.", "FIDJI", "ENGL." and "SIBIR." reverse text : "DEM GENERAL.PETAIN UND.SEINEN HILFSVÖLKERN AUS.ALLER WELT 1916"

This medal (one of a series of satirical medallions by Eberbach collectively titled 'The Dance of Death'), commemorates the Battle of Verdun, the longest battle of the First World War lasting from 21 February to 18 December 1916. The intense fighting, attacks and counter-attacks, resulted in casualties (killed and wounded) that can only be estimated: in the region of 555,000 French and 434,000 German. It is now generally agreed that the main purpose of the German assault on the French fortress city was - in the words of the German general Falkenhayn - to 'bleed the enemy white'. Eberbach's disquieting image of the gruesome leering skeleton, vigorously pumping the life blood of Europe's manhood into a scorched and ruined earth perfectly captures the horrific losses sustained during the long months of fighting. The obverse text is translated as 'The World Blood Pump' and reverse text as 'To General Pétain and his help fellows from all the world'.