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916 January 27: Conscription introduced in Britain. February 21: Battle of Verdun begins with a German offensive but the French contain a breakthrough. Fierce fighting that lasts until June, claiming the lives of 500,000 soldiers in all. The battles becomes a symbol of the war for the French. March 9: Secret Sykes-Picot Agreement establishes British and French zones of influence in the Middle East. June 7: Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire begins with help from Britain. July 1: Battle of the Somme, the war's biggest, begins. More than three million soldiers take part to November 18. British forces introduce tanks on September 15. Overall casualties total 1.2 million troops. For Britain and Germany, the Somme becomes the symbol of the war.
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