This monument was built during the outpouring of commemoration in the interwar years and demonstrates the town’s commitment to honouring its hugely significant history. The first stone was laid in 1920, following a national appeal for donations. The council held a design competition, and in 1921 a project by the architect Léon Chesnay, assisted by Louis-Alfred Berthémy, and the sculptor Jean Boucher was chosen. The monument was built between 1926 and 1929, and inaugurated in the presence of French President Gaston Doumergue.
The site chosen was highly symbolic: it was the location of the former Saint Marie-Magdeleine Church which had towered above the upper town until it was destroyed in the shelling in 1916. Due to the slope of the site, the monument was designed as a wide staircase linking the town to the River Meuse, creating a commemorative gateway.
Several different designs were proposed before the final version was chosen. A first model included a crypt containing the bodies of eight unknown soldiers, but it was dropped for cost reasons. The plans then changed: the size of the crypt was reduced and the accent was placed on the height of the monument and the stone warrior symbolising the soldiers of Verdun. The initial project, which was even more monumental, was simplified, resulting in the construction that can be seen today.
The monument consists of a pyramid-shaped pedestal built in Euville stone topped by a six-metre statue wearing a helmet, set at a height of thirty metres. A 73-step monumental staircase leads to the upper level and the entrance to the crypt, which is square and lit by a glass skylight. Several artists contributed to the decoration of the crypt: the mosaics are by René Ebel, the glass dome is by Gaëtan Jeannin and the monumental bronze door is by Jean Prouvé.
Today, the Monument to the Victory and the Soldiers of Verdun remains one of the major symbols of the commemoration of the Battle of Verdun, standing above the town as a call to remember. It was listed as a historic monument in 1989.