The fort in Condé-sur-Aisne was part of the Séré-de-Rivières system built to defend the new 250km border from Longwy to Belfort resulting from the 1871 Treaty of Frankfurt, which ended the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War. The five-sided fort was a second line component of the La Fère-Soissons fortification.

The Condé fort was built at the same time as the one at La Malmaison and by the same companies (Dollot and Fortier). The land survey dates from 1876; the first battery was completed in July 1877; the final plans were approved in May 1878 by the minister and in July by the engineering corps. The project's total cost was set at 1,850,000 francs. Most of the work was completed by late 1883. In 1885 two companies of the 67th infantry regiment (500 men) were garrisoned there. The 13-hectare fort was able to accommodate 650 men including 20 officers. An infirmary could house 80 patients. The stable was planned for 12 horses; powder magazines, a munitions depot, a forge and two wells occupied the rest of the area suitable for construction. An eight-metre-wide moat surrounded the fort, which had 18 artillery platforms. In 1888 the weaponry included four long 155mm cannons, four short 155mm cannons, nineteen 120mm cannons, four 15cm mortars, several revolver cannons and 12 breech cannons. Like the La Malmaison fort, the Condé fort became useless as weaponry grew more advanced and was decommissioned in 1912. On 1 September 1914 the Germans took the fort without a fight. The French and English attacked it several times a short time later. The position fell on 15 September before being retaken by a violent Imperial counter-attack. Fierce fighting raged in late September; the Germans did not give in. They built a beacon that swept the Aisne Valley and artillery batteries.
When the Chemin des Dames offensive began on 16 April 1917, Von Kluck's troops evacuated the position. In October 1917 Generals Pershing and Franchet d'Esperey came to observe the battlefield from the fort. On 27 May 1918 the Germans' counter-offensive broke through the Allied lines. They shelled the Condé-sur-Aisne fort and stormed it on 28 May. In August French troops retook their position in the Aisne sector. The Germans left on 7 August, taking their artillery pieces with them. The fort, which had become useless and lay partly in ruins, was disarmed after the war and abandoned in 1927. In the 1950s the fort housed a shell-clearing centre. In 1959 the town of Chivres Val bought the site from the town of Condé-sur-Aisne in order to use it as a stone quarry for the people living in Chivres-Val and its environs. In 1979 the Potiers set up an association to preserve and restore the Condé fort as well as endangered churches and monuments in southern Picardy. Renovation work on the fort started. On 1 July 2003 the Community of Aisne Valley Towns, which realised the site's economic potential, started offering events and guided tours of the fort.
Condé Fort 02280 Chivres-Val Tel.: 03 23 54 40 00 Fax: 03 23 54 40 04 E-mail: fortdeconde@wanadoo.fr Opening times and guided tours April-May: every day from 9:30am to noon and 1:30 to 5:30pm / Guided tours at 2 and 4pm and on Sundays at 2, 3 and 4pm June-July-August: every day from 9:30am to 6:30pm and Sundays until 7:30pm / Guided tours at 2, 3, 4 and 5pm and on Sundays at 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6pm September-October-November: every day from 9:30am to noon and 1:30 to 5:30pm / Guided tours at 2 and 4pm and on Sundays at 2, 3 and 4pm Admission Individual: adults €5; 10-18 years old €3; children under 10 free Groups (30 people minimum): adults €4; 10-18 years old €2.5; children under 10 free

Un outil de formation à la citoyenneté

Actif au sein des Ecoles militaires de Draguignan, comme outil de formation des militaires et civils de la Défense, il est aussi tourné vers l’extérieur en accueillant un large public de touristes et de scolaires. Fort de plus de 21.000 visiteurs en 2014, dont 7.000 enfants et adolescents, le Musée de l’artillerie est donc une vraie ressource pédagogique pour les groupes scolaires comme pour les familles. Le Musée est aussi porteur d’expositions temporaires des plus variées.

Après « Soldats de plomb » en 2011, « Animaux dans la guerre » en 2012, « La Marne » en 2014 et « Coups de pinceaux » en 2015, l’exposition temporaire de l’année 2016 s’attache à témoigner des batailles de Verdun et de la Somme, paroxysmes militaires et humains de la violence de masse au cours de la Grande Guerre, devenus des symboles de paix et de réconciliation.

Un conservatoire du patrimoine de l’artillerie

S’appuyant sur une collection de près de 15.000 objets dont 2.000 d’intérêt majeur, le Musée de l’artillerie présente une collection unique dont les pièces les plus anciennes remontent au XIVe siècle. Tout particulièrement riches pour la période comprise entre 1870 et notre époque, les collections du musée font l’objet d’un chantier permanent de rénovation et de mise en valeur, notamment grâce au bénévolat de passionnés. La richesse de cette collection permet d’affirmer que le musée présente Sept cents ans d’histoire de France, vus à travers l’âme d’un canon (titre éponyme du livre de visite).

VERDUN-LA SOMME

Au milieu de la guerre, au bout de leurs forces

Du 21 mai au 20 novembre 2016, dans le cadre du centenaire de la Grande Guerre, le Musée de l’artillerie de Draguignan organise une exposition consacrée aux deux batailles titanesques de Verdun et de La Somme. Du dimanche au mercredi inclus (et les jeudis sur rendez-vous), de 9h00 à midi et de 13h30 à 17h30, l’exposition intitulée VERDUN – LA SOMME, Au milieu de la guerre, au bout de leurs forces, réalisée en partenariat avec des collectionneurs privés, traite de ces deux batailles, véritables virages de la guerre où l’intensité des combats a dépassé tout ce que l’Homme avait connu auparavant. Par son discours pédagogique et la richesse de sa présentation, cette exposition est conçue pour tous les âges, des plus jeunes aux plus expérimentés. Exposition adaptée pour la visite par des classes du CM1 au Lycée, dans le cadre des cours d’histoire et d’éducation à la citoyenneté.

Sources : ©Musée de l'Artillerie

A headstone was erected a few kilometres form the Berry-au-Bac cemetery, in memory of the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, who was injured by shrapnel on 17 March 1916 in the Bois des Buttes.  He was trepanned on 9 May 1916, and died on 9 November 1918 from the Spanish Influenza Epidemic. He is recognised to have “died of his wounds for France”.

La Picardie est une région fortement touchée par les deux guerres mondiales. 

Région stratégique, lieu de passage entre le nord de l'Europe et Paris, la Picardie se trouve partagée entre la zone interdite et la zone occupée. La présence de l'occupant est durement ressentie. Des hommes et des femmes vont peu à peu réagir. "L'armée de l'ombre" se construit. 

Le département de l'Aisne a sur son territoire un musée consacré à l'histoire des résistants et des déportés. Un musée voulu par des résistants dont Etienne Dromas, qui a trouvé sa place dans la commune associée de Tergnier, Fargniers. 

Vous êtes invités à découvrir ce musée unique en Picardie, implanté sur une place classée monument historique.

L’histoire du lieu

Après avoir trouvé à Tergnier un bâtiment pouvant l’accueillir, le conseil général de l’Aisne vote la somme nécessaire à sa rénovation. L’office départemental de tourisme, avec à sa tête Maurice Bruaux, apporte son aide et son concours. Le premier aménagement se fait grâce à la mobilisation des résistants qui assurent son fonctionnement pendant de nombreuses années.

À voir

Le premier espace permet de découvrir et de comprendre l’histoire de la période allant de l’arrivée d’Hitler au pouvoir jusqu’à l’intervention du maréchal Pétain le 17 juin 1940, suivent des espaces consacrés à l’appel du 18 juin, la naissance de la Résistance et son action, la vie quotidienne sous l’Occupation, la répression et la Déportation. Un espace est également consacré au bureau des opérations aériennes et aux parachutages, aux forces françaises libres dans le monde, au Débarquement et à la Libération. De nombreux objets et matériels viennent compléter l’exposition permanente : un Beechcraft C.45, une locomotive, un wagon ayant servi à la déportation… En octobre 2005, 300 mètres carrés se sont ajoutés à la salle d’exposition permanente. Cet espace polyvalent met à disposition du public une salle de réunion, de conférence, d’exposition temporaire et de projection ainsi qu’une médiathèque et un centre documentaire.

Le musée accorde une place toute particulière au public scolaire. Des dossiers pédagogiques ont été élaborés. Des ateliers (analyse de documents, rencontre avec des témoins…) sont développés sur différents thèmes (la vie sous l’Occupation, la Résistance…), et sont animés par les enseignants ou par un intervenant du musée.

Sources : ©Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de Picardie

Le Musée des Troupes de Marine est une évocation illustrée aussi bien par ses collections très diversifiées, que par des archives et des documents iconographiques, des troupes coloniales de Richelieu à nos jours. L'une des missions du musée est de conserver la trace et les preuves du rôle pacificateur et civilisateur de la France dans son empire colonial.

Les collections sont constituées d'uniformes, d'insignes, d'armes, de coiffures et de décorations, affiches, dessins, documents photographiques, pièces d'archives, souvenirs de personnages, illustres ou non, etc. . soit environ 10.000 objets.

L'une des caractéristiques majeures des objets de cette collection est leur taille. Ils sont de dimensions modestes, mis à part la voiture de Gallieni et quelques pièces d'artillerie.

L'autre caractéristique est leur nombre : il s'agit de collections de grandes séries tels que 4.000 décorations, 700 fanions, 3.000 insignes métalliques et des dizaines de milliers d'images.

On estime qu'environ 50 % des objets proviennent de collections publiques (dépôts d'autres musées et récupération du patrimoine des salles d'honneur de régiments dissous à l'occasion de restructurations du ministère de la défense), l'autre moitié provenant des dons des particuliers.

Depuis 1993, le musée dispose d'un auditorium de 250 places où l'AAMTDM organise un cycle annuel de conférences.

À partir de l'an 2000, le musée organise, chaque année, une journée d'étude ou un colloque scientifique. Il présente chaque trimestre une nouvelle exposition temporaire et participe aux célébrations du ministère de la culture : Printemps des musées, Festival de la langue française, Nuit européenne des musées et Journées européennes du patrimoine. En 1996, l'ampleur de la documentation conservée au musée a motivé la création du Centre d'Histoire et d'Etudes des Troupes d'Outre-Mer (CHETOM), le centre de recherches du musée. Les chercheurs peuvent y consulter, sur rendez-vous, les archives, les fonds privés, les fonds cartographiques ou iconographiques et la bibliothèque spécialisée du musée forte de dix mille ouvrages.

À travers l'histoire des colonies, ce sont les principales étapes de l'Histoire de France qui sont présentées au Musée des Troupes de Marine. Le musée s'intègre dans un paysage culturel historique. En plus d'être la «maison mère» des Troupes de Marine, Fréjus a un patrimoine militaire particulièrement riche (notamment avec la présence d'une pagode bouddhique et d'une mosquée africaine sur sa commune). Il nous renvoie aussi au débarquement de Provence d'Août 1944.

Le rayonnement du musée est important, son expertise est reconnue et ses collections particulièrement sollicitées. Près de 480.000 visiteurs dont plus de 2.000 enfants et adolescents ont été accueillis dans le musée, très souvent dans le cadre de découverte du patrimoine. Le musée est également tourné vers les militaires, les jeunes engagés et les jeunes cadres viennent y trouver leurs racines . ces hommes et ces femmes qui entrent parmi le corps des soldats des Troupes de Marine ont une histoire à découvrir.

Sources : ©Musée des Troupes de Marine

In May 1940, the village of Stonne was the scene of fighting between the Wehrmacht and French tanks. Taken and retaken seven times in four days, the place was completely destroyed.

A memorial, which today also marks the start of a tourist trail in the centre of the village, commemorates the French army’s efforts of resistance against the German invasion. 

In 1940, France believed it was protected by the Maginot Line. The Ardennes mountain range was considered impassable. The defence in Meuse was assured by the 2nd Army under Huntziger from the Bar valley to Longuyon, whereas the Sedan region was defended by the 10th army corps under Grandsard.

In the month of May, the Germans attacked the Ardennes in order to breach the mountains at Sedan.

On 11th May, the French cavalry, which had gone ahead of the Germans in Belgium, retreated. Huntziger changed his system, in vain: the Wehrmacht was at the entrance to Sedan on 12th May and began operations to cross the Meuse the very next day.

On 14th May, the Germans forced their way through at Nouzonville cemetery and were in a position to take the defenders of Monthermé from the rear. Huntziger reinforced the defensive system in place on the Stonne-Forêt du Mont Dieu line. However, he had to abandon the area of land between Chiers and Meuse, which ended up widening the distance between the 1st and the 10th armies.

On 15th May, the Germans took the offensive on Stonne with aircraft and panzers. Between the 15th and 18th May, the village changed hands 19 times and the losses – 33 French tanks and 24 German panzers – are a testament to the fierceness of the battle to hold this strategic position. In order to turn the position around, the Wehrmacht started an offensive in the direction of Tannay, on 23rd May, took down the 1st Hussards Regiment there and seized the village on 24th May. Nearby, the 3rd Colonial Infantry Division (3rd DIC), that held the Forêt du Mont Dieu, was forced to withdraw along a narrow corridor the night of the 24th May and permanently abandon the area. This battle took the lives of 3,000 Germans and 1,000 members of the French Army.

A remembrance memorial was created comprising:

• 1 monument in pink granite engraved with the names of all the units that fought in the region,

• 1 B1 bis battle tank, the same as those that won fame here during the first tank battle in the last world war,

• 1 viewpoint indicator showing the different lines of resistance,

• 1 wall representing the ruins embedded with two black marble plaques, one showing the progress of the battle, the other a map of the history trail.

At the bottom of the hill in Stonne (known locally as "Sugar Loaf Hill"), a modern AMX 13 tank is a tribute to all armoured armies, from the first to the last: the Leclerc tank.

The remembrance tourist trail passing through the villages bearing witness to the battles of May and June 1940 is signposted and dotted with information panels. Fourteen stages retrace the events that unfolded in these villages, an homage to the 5,000 French soldiers who fell on the field of honour in this area during the Battle of the Ardennes.

Tourist Information Office for the cantons of Carignan, Mouzon and Raucourt Le Paquis de Frappant

08110 Mogues

Tel.: 03.24.29.79.91

Fax: 03.24.29.79.45

E-mail : officedetourismedes3cantons@wanadoo.fr

The Plateau des Glières and the Gilioli Monument A magnificent plateau situated at the heart of the Haute Savoie at an altitude of 1440m, the site of les Glières is not to be missed. An important place for the Résistance movement during the Second World War, its mountainous and therefore strategic territory made the Plateau des Glières an ideal place for parachuting in weapons for the local resistance movement. On the 31st January 1944, because of the "insurrectionary" situation, on the orders of the German authorities the collaborating Vichy government decided to bring the Resistance movement to an end and imposed a state of siege on the département. The same day, 120 maquisards under the orders of Lieutenant Tom Morel, head of the resistance fighters of the Secret Army in the Haute Savoie, climbed up to the Plateau des Glières to receive some parachute drops. The maquisards were former officers of the 27th Battalion of Alpine Chasseurs of Annecy, Spanish Republicans and Francs-Tireurs et Partisans(Partisan irregular riflemen) united by the same desire to liberate France. On the 26th March 1944, a large scale attack involving around 10,000 men was carried out by German troops and the French militia. The numbers involved were disproportionate to the 465 maquisards on the Plateau. After carrying out reconnaissance missions, the maquisards received the order from Captain Maurice Anjot, now in charge of the underground movement (maquis) following the death of Tom Morel, to retreat in the evening. 129 maquisards and 20 resistance fighters from the valleys, who had been unable to escape being surrounded by the forces carrying out the order, were killed during the fighting or were shot by firing squad or died during their deportation. From the start, the Battle of les Glières was the symbol of the French Resistance movement, thanks to radio broadcasts from London. In the months that followed, the maquis restructured in order to arrange a new parachute drop, which would take place on the 1st August. This allowed the liberation of the Haute-Savoie on the 19th August 1944, before the allied troops even arrived. On the 2nd September 1973 Emile Gilioli's National Monument to the Resistance, built on the initiative of the Survivors of les Glières, was inaugurated by André Malraux. It is not a monument to the dead, but rather a symbol of hope. Today there is a sign-posted circuit accessible for all levels of walkers along the parachute drop areas, guiding visitors along the Plateau des Glières which is now very much a part of the collective memory. The information boards along the walk tell of the daily life of the maquisards and the events of February and March 1944.

Footpaths of Remembrance On the plateau, there are footpaths to help you learn about the site of the parachute drops and the how the defence of the plateau was organised: The "Tom Morel" footpath, the only way of accessing the plateau in winter, was the route taken by supplies for the maquis. The footpath of "The Attack", which is relatively difficult due to its unevenness, was used by liaison agents of the Maquis of Les Glières. The Germans also took it during the attack of the 26th March 1944 at Monthièvret. The "Skirmish or "Black Water" footpath, which owes its name to the stream that comes from the Ablon valley and runs across blackish detrital rocks, was taken mainly by resistance fighters from Thorens. This is where the Militia lost heir first man. The footpath of the "Final Assault" allows access to the alpine pasture land of Champ-Laitier, which was attacked on the 16th March 1944. The "Spanish" footpath was the crossing point of a group of Spaniards from Nâves-Parmelan, as well as three Italians. Before them, the forest ranger of the sector had taken this path to accompany young draft dodgers to the Compulsory Work Service on the Plateau des Glières. A lookout post established on the Pas du Roc by the resistant fighters effectively sealed this crossing point. No attacker dared try his luck there. The footpath of "the Ultimatum" was a royal access route to the Plateau des Glières. It was secured down in the valley by the Vichy forces and up on the plateau by the maquisards. Two days before the German assault, it was taken by a group delivering the ultimatum for surrender. The Site of Morette
Located at the gateway to the Thônes valleys, the historic departmental site of Morette is composed of three major places: the National Necropolis of Les Glières the Departmental Museum of the Resistance the Departmental Memorial of the Deportation The National Necropolis of Les Glières The bodies of 105 resistance fighters, mainly soldiers from Les Glières, killed by the Germans and French forces of law and order rest in the Necropolis. The Departmental Museum of the Resistance is located in a high mountain chalet dating back to 1794 and representative of those that housed the maquisards. Created in 1964 by the Association of Survivors of les Glières, the original idea was to house all the souvenirs and documentation held by the Survivors in the museum. It became a departmental museum in 1978. It has displays on 3 levels offering an opportunity to follow the successive periods of the worldwide conflict, from 1939 up to the liberation of the Haute-Savoie in August 1944. The Departmental Memorial of the Deportation provides a deeply moving insight into the Nazi camps (photographs, maps of the Nazi camps, poetry by the deportees and uniforms etc.) Created in 1965 by the Association of Deportees, Internees and Families of the Haute-Savoie and associated with the National Union of Associations of Deportees, Internees and Families (l'Union Nationale des Associations de Déportés, Internés et Familles or UNADIF), it has now become a departmental Memorial. The current building houses an intentionally low key exhibition that claims to bear a message of remembrance and vigilance.
Site de Morette 74230 La Balme de Thuy Tel: +33 (0) 4 50 32 18 38 Memory of the Maquis Tel: 04 50 33 21 31 Opening hours of departmental websites Every day except Saturday from 9:30 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 17H In July and August, 7 / 7 days from 10am to 12.30pm and from 14H to 18H Morette site: closed in December and January Plateau Glières: closed from 1 October to 1st Saturday of the Christmas holidays included Information and reservations Guided tours can be arranged throughout the year, during the opening hours, by reservation. Educational activities on reservation.
Conseil Général de la Haute-Savoie Direction des Affaires Culturelles Service Mémoire et Citoyenneté 18, avenue du Trésum 74000 Annecy Tel: +33 (0) 4 50 51 87 00 Fax: +33 (0) 4 50 51 86 98 E-mail: resistancedepartementale74@cg74.fr

The Atlantic Wall Museum is housed in one of the German army's seven large forts and its construction was carried out by the Todt organisation in Audinghen Cap Gris-Nez, in the Pas-de-Calais region. The history of the fort On 10 February 1942 and with great pomp, the offensive battery with casemates containing four 380 mm cannons was opened. Known initially as the Siegfried Battery, it was given the name "Todt Battery" in memory of the German construction engineer killed the previous day in an aircraft accident. Two days later on 12 February, this battery entered active service providing counter-battery fire to enable the passage of the battleships "Gneisenau" and "Scharnhorst" and the heavy cruiser "Prinz Eugen" along the coast. This battery was positioned to the south of Gris-Nez, at a place called Haringzelle and constituted a formidable complex. It could fire rocket and percussion shells up to 42 kilometres. Situated at an altitude of 60 to 70 metres, depending on the position of the cannons, it could easily reach the English coast. The battery was protected by reinforced concrete boulders and defended by nine 75-barrel cannons to provide anti-aircraft cover with searchlight batteries. The personnel of the batteries (18 men and 4 officers per 380 cannon), that of the coastal and civil defence, of the two command posts set up at Le Cran Mademoiselle and the Le Cran Poulet protection Battery was 600 men. Action at the battery was heavy throughout 1942, quieter in 1943 and then considerable after 6 June 1944.

Up to 29 September 1944 There was much firing on 6 June 1944, the day of the landings. The 3rd Division of Canadian Infantry coming along the coast from Normandy, after having liberated Boulogne and surrounded Calais, finally came to attack the Todt battery, under the command of Ship of the Line ensign Klaus Momber. On 26 September 1944 the R.A.F. launched 532 bombers on Gris-Nez, followed by 302 on 28 September, dropping 855 tonnes of bombs. The attack was carried out on 29 September 1944. First, at 6.35 am there was heavy artillery fire. Then the 9th brigade of the 3rd Canadian ID attacked. The North Nova Scotia Highlanders had the task of taking the Todt battery. At 10.30 am, it was all over, with white flags appearing just about everywhere. Brigadier Rockingam sent the white flag that had floated above the Todt Battery to the mayor of Dover. The museum Dedicated to military history, the museum offers the opportunity to see several thousand collection pieces in its ten halls. Weapons, uniforms, posters, and other militaria illustrate various aspects of the Atlantic Wall. Outside a German K 5 280 mm cannon on an iron track, the only one in Europe, stands alongside military vehicles and tanks.

In Landrethun-le-nord, in a place called "Mimoyecques", a secret base was built underground. It was intended to launch hundreds of V3 missiles per day on London. It was destroyed on 6 July 1944 with Tallboy bombs.

Excavations have uncovered an entrance, and some of the shafts can be visited. The V-3 (Vergeltungswaffen) was planned to bombard England, and more precisely London, its only target. But the lack of mobility of this kind of weapon made it extremely vulnerable to bombarding and air raids. This is why it had to be contained in a fortified system.

Five of these shafts were constructed in Mimoyecques, in the commune of Marquise in the Pas-de-Calais, along with an entire network of service shafts, tunnels and rooms on several levels, essential for troops staying there and for the many technical departments. An interior railway line was even built to provide transport from one end to the other. On the surface, a particularly vulnerable zone, angled drifts opened onto a reinforced concrete slab 5.5 metres thick. The openings in the slab were protected by 20 cm thick steel plate.

The site was chosen due to its proximity to the target (168 km from London), and also to it being set back from the coastline, to avoid any naval attacks. The site also had to be near to a railway line to transport the gun's spare parts and the heavy material necessary for it to work, to evacuate rubble and to provide munitions and explosives, and also had to be near a power line to supply this underground city. The Germans requested 5,000 kilowatts from the North-West electrical power station. 5,000 workers and 120,000 m3 were required for this installation.

Fortress of Mimoyecques

Landrethum-le-Nord 62250 Marquise

Tel.: +33 3.21.87.10.34

Fax: +33 3.21.83.33.10

E-mail: Mimoyecques@wanadoo.fr

Opening times From 18 April to 18 October, from 9 am to 6 pm. In July and August, from 10 am to 7 pm. Groups can visit from 9 am to 7 pm subject to booking.

Prices Adults: €5.50. Children: €4.00. Group of at least 15 persons - Adults: €4.50. Children: €3.35. School groups: €3.35

The site is south of Calais on the D249 between Leubringhen and Landrethum le Nord.

Sound projection in 3 languages: French, English and Dutch. The visit lasts around one hour. It is chilly inside, so bring a warm item of clothing. Constant temperature around 8°C

Base V3 - Mimoyecques

Quizz : Forts and citadels