1.
Infantry
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Infantry is the general branch of an army that engages in military combat on foot. As the troops who engage with the enemy in close-ranged combat, infantry units bear the largest brunt of warfare, Infantry can enter and maneuver in terrain that is inaccessible to military vehicles and employ crew-served infantry weapons that provide greater and more sustained firepower. In English, the 16th-century term Infantry describes soldiers who walk to the battlefield, and there engage, fight, the term arose in Sixteenth-Century Spain, which boasted one of the first professional standing armies seen in Europe since the days of Rome. It was common to appoint royal princes to military commands, and the men under them became known as Infanteria. in the Canadian Army, the role of the infantry is to close with, and destroy the enemy. In the U. S. Army, the closes with the enemy, by means of fire and maneuver, in order to destroy or capture him, or to repel his assault by fire, close combat. In the U. S. Marine Corps, the role of the infantry is to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy fire and maneuver. Beginning with the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, artillery has become a dominant force on the battlefield. Since World War I, combat aircraft and armoured vehicles have become dominant. In 20th and 21st century warfare, infantry functions most effectively as part of a combined arms team including artillery, armour, Infantry relies on organized formations to be employed in battle. These have evolved over time, but remain a key element to effective infantry development and deployment, until the end of the 19th century, infantry units were for the most part employed in close formations up until contact with the enemy. This allowed commanders to control of the unit, especially while maneuvering. The development of guns and other weapons with increased firepower forced infantry units to disperse in order to make them less vulnerable to such weapons. This decentralization of command was made possible by improved communications equipment, among the various subtypes of infantry is Medium infantry. This refers to infantry which are heavily armed and armored than heavy infantry. In the early period, medium infantry were largely eliminated due to discontinued use of body armour up until the 20th century. In the United States Army, Stryker Infantry is considered Medium Infantry, since they are heavier than light infantry, Infantry doctrine is the concise expression of how infantry forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements. It is a guide to action, not a set of hard, doctrine provides a very common frame of reference across the military forces, allowing the infantry to function cooperatively in what are now called combined arms operations. Doctrine helps standardise operations, facilitating readiness by establishing common ways of accomplishing infantry tasks, doctrine links theory, history, experimentation, and practice
2.
Division (military)
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A division is a large military unit or formation, usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. Infantry divisions during the World Wars ranged between 10,000 and 30,000 in nominal strength, in most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, in turn, several divisions typically make up a corps. In the West, the first general to think of organising an army into smaller units was Maurice de Saxe, Marshal General of France. He died at the age of 54, without having implemented his idea, victor-François de Broglie put the ideas into practice. He conducted successful practical experiments of the system in the Seven Years War. The first war in which the system was used systematically was the French Revolutionary War. It made the more flexible and easy to manoeuvre. Under Napoleon, the divisions were grouped together into corps, because of their increasing size, napoleons military success spread the divisional and corps system all over Europe, by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, all armies in Europe had adopted it. In modern times, most military forces have standardized their divisional structures, the peak use of the division as the primary combat unit occurred during World War II, when the belligerents deployed over a thousand divisions. With technological advances since then, the power of each division has increased. Divisions are often formed to organize units of a particular type together with support units to allow independent operations. In more recent times, divisions have mainly been organized as combined arms units with subordinate units representing various combat arms, in this case, the division often retains the name of a more specialized division, and may still be tasked with a primary role suited to that specialization. For the most part, large cavalry units did not remain after World War II, in general, two new types of cavalry were developed, air cavalry or airmobile, relying on helicopter mobility, and armored cavalry, based on an autonomous armored formation. The former was pioneered by the 11th Air Assault Division, formed on 1 February 1963 at Fort Benning, on 29 June 1965 the division was renamed as the 1st Cavalry Division, before its departure for the Vietnam War. After the end of the Vietnam War, the 1st Cavalry Division was reorganised and re-equipped with tanks, the development of the tank during World War I prompted some nations to experiment with forming them into division-size units. Many did this the way as they did cavalry divisions, by merely replacing cavalry with AFVs. This proved unwieldy in combat, as the units had many tanks, instead, a more balanced approach was taken by adjusting the number of tank, infantry, artillery, and support units. A panzer division was a division of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS of Germany during World War II
3.
French Army
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The French Army, officially the Land Army is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. Along with the French Air Force, the French Navy and the National Gendarmerie, the current Chief of Staff of the French Army is General Jean-Pierre Bosser, a direct subordinate of the Chief of the Defence Staff. All soldiers are considered professionals following the suspension of conscription, voted in parliament in 1997, as of 2014, the French Army employed 111,628 personnel. In addition, the element of the French Army consisted of 15,453 personnel of the Operational Reserve. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the Hundred Years War and these units of troops were raised by issuing ordonnances to govern their length of service, composition and payment. These Compagnies dordonnance formed the core of the Gendarme Cavalry into the sixteenth century, stationed throughout France and summoned into larger armies as needed. There was also made for Francs-archers units of bowmen and foot soldiers raised from the non-noble classes. The bulk of the infantry for warfare was still provided by urban or provincial militias, raised from an area or city to fight locally and named for their recruiting grounds. Gradually these units became more permanent, and in 1480s Swiss instructors were recruited and these men would be paid and contracted and receive training. Henry II further regularised the French army by forming standing Infantry regiments to replace the Militia structure, the first of these the Régiments de Picardie, Piémont, Navarre and Champagne were called the Les Vieux Corps. It was normal policy to disband regiments after a war was over as a cost saving measure with the Vieux Corps and the Kings own Household Troops the Maison du Roi being the only survivors. Regiments could be raised directly by the King and so called after the region in which they were raised, or by the nobility and so called after the noble or his appointed colonel. In 1684 there was a reorganisation of the French infantry and again in 1701 to fit in with Louis XIVs plans. This reshuffle created many of the regiments of the French Army and standardised their equipment. The army of the Sun King tended to wear coats with coloured linings. There were exceptions and the troops, recruited from outside France. In addition to these regiments of the line the Maison du Roi provided several elite units, the Swiss Guards, French Guards, the revolution split the army with the main mass losing most of its officers to aristocratic flight or guillotine and becoming demoralised and ineffective. The French Guard joined the revolt and the Swiss Guards were massacred during the storming of the Tuileries palace, under Napoleon I, the French Army conquered most of Europe during the Napoleonic Wars
4.
World War I
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World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, or the War to End All Wars, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. More than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history and it was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, and paved the way for major political changes, including revolutions in many of the nations involved. The war drew in all the worlds great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances, the Allies versus the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. These alliances were reorganised and expanded as more nations entered the war, Italy, Japan, the trigger for the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. This set off a crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia. Within weeks, the powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world. On 25 July Russia began mobilisation and on 28 July, the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia, Germany presented an ultimatum to Russia to demobilise, and when this was refused, declared war on Russia on 1 August. Germany then invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France, after the German march on Paris was halted, what became known as the Western Front settled into a battle of attrition, with a trench line that changed little until 1917. On the Eastern Front, the Russian army was successful against the Austro-Hungarians, in November 1914, the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers, opening fronts in the Caucasus, Mesopotamia and the Sinai. In 1915, Italy joined the Allies and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers, Romania joined the Allies in 1916, after a stunning German offensive along the Western Front in the spring of 1918, the Allies rallied and drove back the Germans in a series of successful offensives. By the end of the war or soon after, the German Empire, Russian Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, national borders were redrawn, with several independent nations restored or created, and Germanys colonies were parceled out among the victors. During the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, the Big Four imposed their terms in a series of treaties, the League of Nations was formed with the aim of preventing any repetition of such a conflict. This effort failed, and economic depression, renewed nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation eventually contributed to World War II. From the time of its start until the approach of World War II, at the time, it was also sometimes called the war to end war or the war to end all wars due to its then-unparalleled scale and devastation. In Canada, Macleans magazine in October 1914 wrote, Some wars name themselves, during the interwar period, the war was most often called the World War and the Great War in English-speaking countries. Will become the first world war in the sense of the word. These began in 1815, with the Holy Alliance between Prussia, Russia, and Austria, when Germany was united in 1871, Prussia became part of the new German nation. Soon after, in October 1873, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck negotiated the League of the Three Emperors between the monarchs of Austria-Hungary, Russia and Germany
5.
Mariano Goybet
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Mariano Francisco Julio Goybet was an general officer in the French Army. He was brigadier general in 1917 and retired with the rank of general in 1921. Later, they bacame merchants, mayors, military and industrial people and he was the son of Pierre-Jules Goybet manufacturer, and Marie Bravais. His grand mother Louise de Montgolfier, was a niece of Joseph and Jacques-Étienne de Montgolfier. He married in 1887 Marguerite Lespieau, daghter of général Théodore Lespieau, Goybet was born in Zaragoza, Spain. He was educated at the college of Lyon, then at the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr and he served in the 2nd Regiment of Tirailleurs Algériens, where he married Marguerite Lespieau, the daughter of his commanding officer, general Theodore Lespieau. He was promoted to lieutenant in the 140th Regiment of Infantry, stationed in Grenoble and he served on the staff of the 27th Infantry Division, was promoted to capitaine in 1893 and was appointed as orderly officer to General Zédé, Governor of Lyon, in 1896. He commanded a company of the 99th Regiment of Infantry then, following another staff appointment, in 1907 he took command of the 30th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins as lieutenant-colonel. He was still in command of this battalion when he was promoted to colonel, at the start of World War I he was assigned to the Vosges front with his Alpine battalion. He seized a convoy of infantry at Col Manday and he was placed at the head of the 152nd infantry regiment, then he took command of the 81st Brigade and his troops took Steinbach in Alsace. His son, Sergeant Frederic Goybet, was killed, having fought in the Vosges, months later he lost another son, the adjutant Adrien Goybet, who died conducting his section towards the trenches in 1915. He was wounded twice at Hartmannswillerskopf, afterwards, he joined the 98th Infantry Regiment at the Verdun front. In autumn his division was transported north to the Battle of the Somme and he was awarded the Order of the Army by Marechal Philippe Pétain on March 19,1915. In the beginning of 1917 he took command of the 25th Infantry Division and, as the enemy retreated, in August his men seized the woods of Avocourt after heavy fighting. In December, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. In May 1918, General Goybet was called by Headquarters to command the 157th Division, which had been decimated after the “Chemin des Dames. ”It was reconstituted by putting together the 333rd Infantry Regiment with the American 371st and the 372nd American Regiments. The 157th Division participated with the Fourth Army in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, with violent attacks, General Goybet broke the enemy front at Monthois, taking many prisoners and considerable materiel. After that he occupied the Vosges at the front of Sainte Marie les Mines, in 1920 General Goybet was called by the General Henri Gouraud to command the Third Division of the Levant
6.
371st Infantry Regiment (United States)
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The 371st Infantry Regiment. was an African American regiment, nominally a part of the 93rd Infantry Division, that served in World War I. On arrival in France, this unit was transferred into the French command and this unit was extremely well decorated, receiving unit and numerous individual citations including Croix de Guerre and Légion dhonneur. The 371st Regiment was seconded to the 157th Infantry Division, and called the Red Hand Division, the 371st was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. Corporal Freddie Stowers of the regiments 1st Battalion was the only African American soldier from World War I awarded the Medal of Honor, a monument to the unit, near where Stowers earned the Medal of Honor, was erected in the Meuse-Argonne region, north of Sechault. It was completed after the regiment returned to the United States, during the German invasion of France in World War II, it was damaged by artillery. As of 2008, it remains in that damaged state, congressional Medal of Honor Societys entry on Freddie Stowers United States Army Official Medal of Honor Citation List 371st Regiment Monument
7.
93rd Infantry Division (United States)
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The 93rd Infantry Division was a colored segregated unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. During tough combat in France, it acquired from the French the nickname Blue Helmets. This referred to the service of several of its units with the French Army during the Second Battle of the Marne, consequently, its shoulder patch became a blue French Adrian helmet, to commemorate its service with the French Army during the Spring Offensive. The division was reactivated as infantry on 15 May 1942 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, most of the division did see service in the Pacific Theater during World War II, but the divisions regiments were mainly utilized as construction units and in defensive operations. In 1945, the 93rd Infantry Division was inactivated, though the lineage of several of its units are carried on by the Illinois, the 93rd was known initially as the 93rd Division. When it was formed, the unit became known as the 93rd Division and was composed of the following regiments. Now the 719th Transportation Company, 369th Sustainment Brigade, now lineage is carried on by the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry, Illinois National Guard. Now its lineage is carried on by the 229th Main Support Battalion, Maryland National Guard, the division was activated in December 1917 and sent to France, however, the troops never fought together as a division. Over the objections of the commander, Brig. Gen. Roy Hoffman, its brigades were broken up. They were issued French equipment and arms but wore US uniforms, however, the outcry by African-American leaders including W. E. B. Philip Randolph forced the US to reconsider, the alternative would be the potential loss of needed African-American recruits for labor and service units. Four independent regiments were chosen to assume the designations of the 93rd Infantry Divisions regiments, the problem was, where to place them. The main American Expeditionary Force refused to have African-American soldiers in combat, while Pershing was an early supporter of having colored soldiers in the military, he seems to have bowed to political expediency in this case. The British already had several American divisions under their command and this was due to a deal struck with the American armed forces, which had no transport fleet when they entered the war. The United Kingdom and their Commonwealth allies would transport six American divisions by sea to Europe, then the American divisions would be folded into British Corps. In return, they demanded that American troops be placed under their command to replace their early-war losses, the regiments fought in several battles alongside French troops, who were already used to colonial North and Sub-Saharan African colored soldiers. All regiments acquitted themselves well and received citations from the French. Numerous individual soldiers exhibited extraordinary heroism and were decorated by the French
8.
Second Battle of Champagne
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The Second Battle of Champagne in World War I was a French offensive against the invading German army. On 25 September 1915, twenty divisions of the Second Army and Fourth Army of Groupe darmées du Centre, attacked at 9,15 a. m. with each division on a 1, 500–2,000 yards front. A second line of seven divisions followed, with one infantry division, six German divisions held the line opposite, in a front position and a reserve position the R-Stellung further back. French artillery observers benefitted from good weather but on the night of 24/25 September, heavy rain began, the German front position was broken in four places and two of the penetrations reached as far as the R-Stellung, where uncut barbed wire prevented the French from advancing further. The main defensive effort was made at the R-Stellung, behind which the bulk of the German field artillery had been withdrawn, a supporting attack by the French 3rd Army on the Aisne took no ground. Joffre allotted two reserve divisions to the GAC and ordered the Groupe darmées de lEst to send all 75 mm field gun ammunition, except for 500 rounds per gun, to the Second and Fourth armies. On 26 September, the French attacked again, closed up to the R-Stellung on a 7. 5-mile front, another 2,000 German troops were captured but attacks against the R-Stellung from 27–29 September, broke through on 28 September. Smaller French attacks against German salients continued from 30 September –5 October, on 3 October, Joffre abandoned the attempt at a breakthrough in Champagne, ordered the local commanders to fight a battle of attrition and then terminated the offensive on 6 November. The offensive in Champagne had advanced the French line for about 4 kilometres, at a cost of c. 100,000 more French, the French had attacked in Champagne with 35 divisions against the equivalent of 16 German divisions. The document contained instructions on infiltration tactics, rolling barrages and poison gas, continuous battle was to be replaced by step-by-step advances, through successive German defence lines. Methodical attacks were to be made each time and would inexorably consume German infantry reserves, the German defences would eventually collapse and make a breakthrough attack feasible. The slower, more deliberate methods, would conserve French infantry, in the autumn battles, the Allies had outnumbered the Westheer by 600 infantry battalions but had not achieved a breakthrough and after the first day, German reinforcements made one impossible. Several divisions had returned from the Eastern Front but were tired, French reviews of the offensive found that reserves had moved close to the front, ready to exploit a breakthrough and had advanced on time. The troops had then become bunched up with the divisions, blocked the lines of communication and suffered many casualties. Communications failed and commanders had been in ignorance of the situation, artillery co-ordination with the infantry had been poor, the momentum of the initial breakthrough had not been maintained, because the French troops crowding forward had become disorganised, which made co-ordinated attacks impossible to arrange. It was recommended that such reserves should be available by reducing the number of German troops in the front line. Co-operation between all arms, assistance from neighbouring sectors and the exploitation of flanking moves had defeated the French offensive, more intermediate strong points, built for all-round defence were recommended, between the first and second positions. Observation posts should be secure from attack, reconnaissance reports acted on promptly
9.
Belfort
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Belfort is a city in northeastern France in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté région, situated between Lyon and Strasbourg. It is the biggest town and the town of the Territoire de Belfort département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. Belfort is 400 km from Paris,141 km from Strasbourg,290 km from Lyon and 150 km from Zürich, the residents of the city are called ‘’Belfortains’’. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate. The city of Belfort has 50,199 inhabitants, together with its suburbs and satellite towns, Belfort forms the largest agglomeration in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region with an urban population of 308,601 inhabitants. Belforts strategic location, in a gap between the Vosges and the Jura, on a route linking the Rhine and the Rhône, has attracted human settlement. The site of Belfort was inhabited in Gallo-Roman times and was recorded in the 13th century as a possession of the counts of Montbéliard. Previously an Austrian possession, Belfort was transferred to France by the Treaty of Westphalia, the towns fortifications were extended and developed by the military architect Vauban for Louis XIV. Until 1871, Belfort was part of the département of Haut-Rhin, in Alsace, the Siege of Belfort, between 3 November 1870 and 18 February 1871, was successfully resisted until the garrison was ordered to surrender 21 days after the armistice between France and Prussia. The region was not annexed by Prussia like the rest of Alsace and was exchanged for territories in the vicinity of Metz. It formed, as it still does, the Territoire de Belfort, the siege is commemorated by a huge statue, the Lion of Belfort, by Frédéric Bartholdi. Alsatians who sought a new French home in Belfort made a significant contribution to its industry, the town was bombarded by the German army during World War I and occupied by it during World War II. In November 1944 the retreating German army held off the French First Army outside the town until French Commandos made a night attack on the Salbert Fort. Belfort was liberated on 22 November 1944, Belfort is a place with heavy industries, mostly dedicated to railway and turbines. Belfort is the hometown of Alstom where the first TGVs were produced, as well as being the GE Energy European headquarter and a centre of excellence for the manufacturing of gas turbines. Like many other European cities, motor traffic in Belfort increases continually, Belfort is situated at only 25 mi from the commercial port of Mulhouse-Rhin which allows international transit. Motorway A36 from Beaune to Mulhouse is routed around the south and it forms the main axis linking Belfort to other French and foreign cities. A national road, N19, is main road which joins the south of Belfort with Paris, Nancy
10.
Remiremont
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Remiremont is a town and commune in the Vosges department of northeastern France, situated in southern Grand Est. Inhabitants of the town are known as Romarimontains Remiremont is located on the river Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, the town is 25 km southeast of the departmental capital of Épinal, and 27 km west of the ski resorts of Gérardmer and La Bresse. Remiremont is surrounded by low, undulating, forest-clad mountains, the abbey contains an eleventh-century crypt in which the tombs of some of the former abbesses can be found. The church was consecrated in 1051, but as a whole the building belongs more to the thirteenth century. The abbatial residence has been rebuilt in modern times, but the original plan and style have been preserved, the imposing front, the vestibule. Some of the houses of the canonesses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries also remain, Remiremont contains the Statue of the Volunteer of 1792, created by the sculptor Paul-François Choppin in 1899. The statue commemorates the civic virtue of those who volunteered to defend France during the Revolutionary Wars and it is the only remaining of the two originals produced, the other, located on square Parmentier in Paris, was melted down by the German occupiers in 1942. The towns principal shopping street is rue Charles de Gaulle and this street is lined by 18th-century arcades, providing a sheltered walkway for visiting the local boutiques and cafés. It is at the westernmost end of street that the aforementioned statue can be found. Remiremont derives its name from Saint Romaric, one of the companions of Saint Columban of Luxeuil, the first was Remiremont Abbey, in the valley, which housed the monks. The second was a convent located above the town on the now known as Saint-Mont. Over time, the nuns moved from the site down into Remiremont itself. By the end of the 13th century, however, the nuns had abandoned their Benedictine lifestyle and their members were extracted solely from those who could prove at least 200 years of noble descent. Thanks to the patronage of the Dukes of Lorraine, the Kings of France, and Holy Roman Emperors, the abbess of Remiremont Abbey was raised to the status of Imperial Princess and consecrated by the Pope. In 1635, during the Thirty Years War the town, where five-hundred Frenchmen were lodged, was stormed and plundered by Imperialist forces, the town was attacked by the French in 1638. However, under the guidance of the canonesses, the managed to repel the siege. The town was ruined by the earthquake of 1682. Along with the rest of Lorraine, it was joined to France in 1766, the church properties in the town were suppressed during the French Revolution
11.
Reims
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Reims, a city in the Grand Est region of France, lies 129 km east-northeast of Paris. The 2013 census recorded 182,592 inhabitants in the city of Reims proper and its river, the Vesle, is a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by the Gauls, it became a city during the period of the Roman Empire. Reims played a prominent ceremonial role in French monarchical history as the site of the crowning of the kings of France. The Cathedral of Reims housed the Holy Ampulla containing the Saint Chrême and it was used for the anointing, the most important part of the coronation of French kings. Reims functions as a subprefecture of the department of Marne, in the region of Grand Est. Although Reims is by far the largest commune in both its region and department, Châlons-en-Champagne is the capital and prefecture of both. Before the Roman conquest of northern Gaul, Reims, founded circa 80 BC as *Durocorteron, at its height in Roman times the city had a population in the range of 30,000 -50,000 or perhaps up to 100,000. Christianity had become established in the city by 260, at which period Saint Sixtus of Reims founded the bishopric of Reims, for centuries the events at the crowning of Clovis I became a symbol used by the monarchy to claim the divine right to rule. Meetings of Pope Stephen II with Pepin the Short, and of Pope Leo III with Charlemagne, took place at Reims, Louis IV gave the city and countship of Reims to the archbishop Artaldus in 940. Louis VII gave the title of duke and peer to William of Champagne, archbishop from 1176 to 1202, by the 10th century Reims had become a centre of intellectual culture. Archbishop Adalberon, seconded by the monk Gerbert, founded schools which taught the liberal arts. Louis XI cruelly suppressed a revolt at Reims, caused in 1461 by the salt tax, during the French Wars of Religion the city sided with the Catholic League, but submitted to Henri IV after the battle of Ivry. In August 1909 Reims hosted the first international meet, the Grande Semaine dAviation de la Champagne. Major aviation personages such as Glenn Curtiss, Louis Blériot and Louis Paulhan participated, hostilities in World War I greatly damaged the city. German bombardment and a subsequent fire in 1914 did severe damage to the cathedral, from the end of World War I to the present day an international effort to restore the cathedral from the ruins has continued. The Palace of Tau, St Jacques Church and the Abbey of St Remi also were protected and restored, the collection of preserved buildings and Roman ruins remains monumentally impressive. During World War II the city suffered additional damage, but in Reims, at 2,41 on the morning of 7 May 1945, General Eisenhower and the Allies received the unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht
12.
Fismes
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Fismes is a French commune in the Marne department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France. Fismes is located some 25 km west by northwest of Reims, access is by National Highway N31 from Reims through the heart of the commune and the town and continuing west to Soissons. There is also the D967 road from Longueval-Barbonval in the north to the town, there is also the D386 going south from the village to Saint-Gilles. Apart from Fismes there are three hamlets, Fismette and Baslieux are continuations of the area of Fismes while Villette is in the east of the commune. There is also a station in the village on the line from Reims to Soissons. The Veste river flows through the commune from east to west with the Ruisseau du Moulin, the Ardre river flows from the south to join the Veste west of the town. As Charles Rostaing indicates, the Latin word fines is a translation from the Gallic toponym equoranda which essentially means boundary or limit, the barbaric period did not spare Fismes. During the first half of the Middle Ages, the Normands and these ravages pushed the agglomeration of the city towards the heights of the Vesle’s right bank. In 1226 Thibault IV, the Chansonnier, helped Fismes become a free city, by a charter and a seal that bears the emblem of the commune and under the aegis of a mayor and two deputies, Fismes became autonomous. Thus, the village was able to develop its artisanship, businesses, festivals, the Hundred Years War between the English, the Germans, the Italians, the Dutch and many more, brought, once again, the city of Fismes to ruins. Later the religious wars and the Fronde completely destroyed the walls of the city, from Louis XIII to Charles X almost all the future Kings of France passed through Fismes which was their last stop on the way to their coronation at the Cathedral of Reims. In 1646, Louis II de Bourbon acquired the rights to Fismes. In 1647, the land was passed on to the eldest son of Cesar, François-Cesar, during the Fronde, the ramparts of the city and the chateau were completely destroyed. After the revolution, a time of much conflict among the people of Fismes. Following Napoleon and the French Revolution,30,000 Prussians arrived in Fismes and, once again, in the 19th century, France experienced the rapidly expanding industrial revolution. Sugar beet, porcelain of Fismes, the foundry, the railway, hat making, tanneries and mills mark the advancements of the region, the 20th century began in worse conditions than the preceding finished. Fismes was greatly affected by the First World War, the Germans invaded the city, then remained on the Chemin des Dames before they completely demolished the city in 1918. Fismes attempted to reconstruct itself slowly, unfortunately, due to its position as a railway town through which passed trains filled with deportees being sent to Germany, the city suffered during the course of the Second World War
13.
Second Battle of the Marne
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The Second Battle of the Marne, or Battle of Reims was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The attack failed when an Allied counterattack by French and American forces, including several hundred tanks, overwhelmed the Germans on their right flank, the German defeat marked the start of the relentless Allied advance which culminated in the Armistice with Germany about 100 days later. To shield his intentions and draw Allied troops away from Belgium, the battle began on 15 July 1918 when 23 German divisions of the First and Third armies—led by Bruno von Mudra and Karl von Einem—assaulted the French Fourth Army under Henri Gouraud east of Reims. The U. S. 42nd Division was attached to the French Fourth Army and commanded by Gouraud at the time. Meanwhile,17 divisions of the German Seventh Army, under Max von Boehn, aided by the Ninth Army under Johannes von Eben, Ludendorff hoped to split the French in two. The German attack on the east of Reims was stopped on the first day, the defenders of the south bank of the Marne could not escape the three hour bombardment. Under cover of gunfire, stormtroopers swarmed across the river in every sort of transport—30-man canvas boats or rafts and they began to erect skeleton bridges at 12 points under fire from those Allied survivors who had not been suppressed by gas or artillery fire. Some Allied units, particularly COL Ulysses G. McAlexanders 38th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd U. S, the British XXII Corps and 85,000 American troops joined the French for the battle, and stalled the advance on 17 July 1918. The Allied preparation was very important in countering the German offensive and it was believed that the Allies had the complete picture of the German offensive in terms of intentions and capabilities. The Allies knew the key points of the German plan down to the minute, There is a legend, possibly true, that engineer Cpt. Hunter Grant, along with the help of engagement coordinator and engineer Cpt, the Germans, on finding and being taken in by these plans, then adjusted their attack to thwart the false Allied plan. Consequently, the French and American forces led by Foch were able to unleash a different attack on exposed parts of the lines, leaving the Germans with no choice. This engagement marked the beginning of a German withdrawal that was never effectively reversed, in September 1918 nine American divisions joined four French divisions to push the Germans from the St. Mihiel salient. By May, Foch had spotted flaws in the German offensives, the force which defeated the German offensive was mainly French, with American, British and Italian support. However, the presence of fresh American troops, unbroken by years of war, floyd Gibbons wrote about the American troops, saying, I never saw men charge to their death with finer spirit. On 19 July, the Italian Corps lost 9,334 officers, nevertheless, Berthelot rushed two newly arrived British infantry divisions, the 51st and 62nd, threw the Italians straight into attack down the Ardre Valley. The Germans ordered a retreat on 20 July and were forced back to the positions from which they had started their Spring Offensives and they strengthened their flank positions opposite the Allied pincers and on the 22nd, Ludendorff ordered to take up a line from the upper Ourcq to Marfaux. Costly Allied assaults continued for minimal gains, by 27 July, the Germans had withdrawn their center behind Fère-en-Tardenois and had completed an alternative rail link
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Third Battle of the Aisne
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It was one of a series of offensives, known as the Kaiserschlacht, launched by the Germans in the spring and summer of 1918. The massive surprise attack lasted from 27 May until 4 June 1918 and was the first full-scale German offensive following the Lys Offensive in Flanders in April. The Germans held the Chemin des Dames Ridge from the First Battle of the Aisne in September 1914 to 1917, operation Blücher-Yorck was planned primarily by Erich Ludendorff, who was certain that success at the Aisne would lead the German armies to within striking distance of Paris. Thus, the Aisne drive was to be essentially a large diversionary attack, the defense of the Aisne area was in the hands of General Denis Auguste Duchêne, commander of the French Sixth Army. On the morning of 27 May 1918, the Germans began a bombardment of the Allied front lines with over 4,000 artillery pieces, huddled together, they made easy artillery targets. The bombardment was followed by a poison gas drop, the Kaiser came to inspect the progress of the battle. He interviewed captured British Brigadier-General Hubert Rees, the Kaiser was amused to learn that he was Welsh, the same nationality as Lloyd George. Taken completely by surprise and with their defences spread thin, the Allies were unable to stop the attack, Victory seemed near for the Germans, who had captured just over 50,000 Allied soldiers and over 800 guns by 30 May 1918. But advancing within 56 kilometres of Paris on 3 June, the German armies were beset by problems, including supply shortages, fatigue, lack of reserves. On 6 June 1918, following many successful Allied counter-attacks, the German advance halted on the Marne, much as the Michael and Georgette offensives had in March, the French had suffered over 98,000 casualties and the British around 29,000. German losses were nearly as great, if not slightly heavier, duchene was sacked by French Commander-in-Chief Philippe Petain for his poor handling of the British and French troops. The Americans had arrived and proven themselves in combat for the first time in the war, Ludendorff, encouraged by the gains of Blücher-Yorck, launched further offensives culminating in the Second Battle of the Marne. Chemins des Dames Ridge Evans, M. M. Battles of World War I,1918, A Very British Victory, Phoenix Books, London. A Young Mans War, Medlar Press
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Marne (river)
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The Marne is a river in France, an eastern tributary of the Seine in the area east and southeast of Paris. The river gave its name to the départements of Haute-Marne, Marne, Seine-et-Marne, the Marne starts in the Langres plateau, runs generally north then bends west between Saint-Dizier and Châlons-en-Champagne, joining the Seine at Charenton just upstream from Paris. Its main tributaries are the Rognon, the Blaise, the Saulx, the Ourcq, the Petit Morin, in the Champagne région, part of the water is led through the artificial lake Lac du Der-Chantecoq, in order to regulate the water discharge. This way, large inundations or low river levels downstream are prevented, the Celts of Gaul worshipped a goddess known as Dea Matrona who was associated with the Marne. The Marne is famous as the site of the two battles during the First World War. The first battle was a point of World War I. The second battle was fought four years later, in 1918, during the heyday of canal transportation, the Marne was a major artery connecting Paris and the Seine with major rivers nearby such as the Meuse, the Moselle and the Rhine, and the Saône and Rhône. To facilitate transportation along the Marne itself, a number of canals were constructed alongside. The most extensive was the Canal latéral à la Marne, which runs 67 km between Vitry-le-François and Dizy, river Marne guide Places, ports and moorings on the river
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Clermont-en-Argonne
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Clermont-en-Argonne is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. The former towns of Auzéville-en-Argonne, Jubécourt, and Parois were joined to Clermont-en-Argonne in 1973, the town is located along the old road from Paris to Verdun, which at this point is closely tracked by the A4 autoroute, on the edge of the Forest of Argonne. It is approximately 15 km to the east of Sainte-Menehould, clermonts population has declined slightly in the last decade to 1,642, which gives a population density of 24.7 inhabitants per km². During the Middle Ages, Clermont was the seat of the County of Clermont-en-Argonne in the Holy Roman Empire and it only became French permanently in 1641. The county was abolished in 1790, in 1819, Norwich Duff wrote Clermont en Argonne is a very small town situated on the side of a hill on top of which there is a telegraph, a small church, and very extensive and fine views. The platform where the Clermont telegraph station still exists, as do fine views from it in the direction of Verdun to the east. The telegraph line closed in 1852, the year when the road linking Paris to Strasbourg was opened. The Clermont telegraph station was destroyed in or before 1916, when the platform on which it had stood was used as the position for a large gun. Back in 1819 Norwich Duff also recorded that the town is said to have manufacturies of paper and glass, at the foot of the hill, Clermont is still a small town, its centre not radically improved during the 20th century
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Valmy
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Valmy is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. The town stands on the west flank of the Argonne massif, Valmy provided the setting for the Battle of Valmy on 20 September 1792. The largest ship-of-the-line ever constructed, the Valmy, was named after this battle, communes of the Marne department Illustrated article about the Battle of Valmy at Battlefields Europe
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