Chemin des Dames
Encyclopedia
In France, the Chemin des Dames (literally, the "ladies' path") is part of the D18 and runs east and west in the département of Aisne
, between in the west, the Route Nationale 2
, (Laon
to Soissons
) and in the east, the D1044 at Corbeny
. It is some thirty kilometres long and runs along a ridge between the valleys of the rivers Aisne and Ailette
. It acquired the name in the 18th century, as it was the route taken by the two daughters of Louis XV
, Adélaïde and Victoire, who were known as Ladies of France. At the time, it was scarcely a carriage road, but it was the most direct route between Paris
and the Château de Boves, near Vauclair, on the far side of the Ailette. The château belonged to Françoise de Châlus, former mistress of Louis XV, Countess of Narbonne-Lara and former lady of honour to Adélaïde, whom the two ladies visited frequently. To make the way easier, the count had the road surfaced, and it gained its new name. The ridge's strategic importance first became evident in 1814 when Napoleon
's young recruits beat an army of Prussians and Russians at the Battle of Craonne
.
. All are named after the river which flows on the south side of the ridge. Their names are as follows:
During World War I
, the Chemin Des Dames lay in that sector of the Western Front held by the French Army. Its strategic importance made it the staging ground of several major battles that took place between 1914 and 1918. The German army took a defensive stand on the ridge in September 1914, stopping the advancing Allied armies after the Battle of the Marne
. After intensive combat, Germans took control of the plateau in November 1914.
The front line
then remained static until March 1917, during which time several thousand soldiers died in local attacks or coup de main
operations. On 25 January 1915 German forces captured the Creute farm (today La Caverne du Dragon or the Dragon's Lair), the last remaining French position on the plateau.
The best-known battle, called the Second Battle of the Aisne
, took place between 16 April and 25 April 1917. To soften up the German defenses, General Robert Nivelle
, an artilleryman by training and experience, inflicted a six-day artillery preparation involving 5,300 guns. This, of course, provided ample warning that a major French attack was coming. Then, on 16 April, seven French army corps attacked the German line along the Chemin des Dames ridge. But Nivelle had underestimated the enemy's defensive preparations; the Germans had created a network of deep shelters in old underground stone quarries below the ridge, where their troops took shelter from the French barrage. The German positions also dominated the southerly slope over which the French attackers were progressing. On the first day, French infantry and some colonial Senegalese troops progressed to the top of the ridge in spite of intense German artillery counterfire and poor weather conditions. However, as French infantry reached the plateau, it was slowed down and then stopped by the intense fire of a very high number of the Germans' new MG08/15 machine guns. As a result, the French took 40,000 casualties on the first day alone. Furthermore, during the following 12 days of the battle, French losses continued to rise to 120,000 casualties (dead, wounded, and missing). The final count, when the offensive was over, was 271,000 French casualties and 163,000 Germans casualties. The German defenders suffered much less, but lost some 20,000 prisoners, 40 cannons, and 200 machine guns. The high French casualty count, in so few days and with such minimal gains, was perceived at headquarters and by the French public as a disaster. Furthermore, the agonizingly slow evacuation of the French wounded also demonstrated a lack of logistical preparations. Nivelle had to resign, and the French Army became plagued by many refusals to march amounting to mutinies in several infantry divisions.
This situation developed into a threat of complete disintegration
. General Pétain, who had opposed this offensive, was called in to take over from Nivelle and to reestablish order. This he did without harsh collective punishments. A total of 629 men were sentenced to death, but only 28 men, who had fired weapons at their superiors, were executed. Conversely, he instituted positive changes, such as longer home leaves and better food and medical/surgical assistance for the troops. Eventually normalcy came back in the fall of 1917. The British army took over the defenses at the western end of the ridge during the following twelve months, thus bringing relief.
During the summer of 1917, the Battle of the Observatories was a series of local attacks and counterattacks to gain control of high positions commanding the views between Craonne and Laffaux. In October, after the allied victory of the battle of Malmaison, the German forces left the Chemin des Dames and moved to the north of the Ailette River valley.
A German offensive began on 27 May 1918. British forces participated in the Third Battle of the Aisne
on 27 May to 6 June 1918. During the Second Battle of the Marne
, the last fight on the Chemin des Dames occurred between 2 August and 10 October 1918.
Beneath the ridge is an almost one-square-kilometre cave network called "The Dragon's Lair" (La Caverne du Dragon). The subterranean caverns originally were a tunnel system created from excavations of limestone for building purposes in the 17th century. The caves are some 20-40 metres below the surface. During World War I
, the caves were used by both French and German forces as field hospital
s and command posts, sometimes simultaneously. The artillery bombardment of the area actually cracked some of the overlying cliffs, which can be seen today. A noteworthy visitors' centre that offers guided tours is now located at the site.
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
, between in the west, the Route Nationale 2
Route nationale 2
The Route nationale 2 is a route nationale in northern France.-History:The N 2 was initially defined in 1811 as route impériale 2, running from Paris all the way to Amsterdam via Brussels, Antwerp, Breda and Utrecht. The territory north of the present border with Belgium was removed from France in...
, (Laon
Laon
Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
to Soissons
Soissons
Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones...
) and in the east, the D1044 at Corbeny
Corbeny
Corbeny is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Geography:The river Ailette flows southward through the northwestern part of the commune....
. It is some thirty kilometres long and runs along a ridge between the valleys of the rivers Aisne and Ailette
Ailette (river)
The Ailette is a long river in the Aisne département, eastern France. Its source is at Sainte-Croix. It flows generally west-northwest. It is a left tributary of the Oise into which it flows between Manicamp and Quierzy, northeast of Compiègne....
. It acquired the name in the 18th century, as it was the route taken by the two daughters of Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
, Adélaïde and Victoire, who were known as Ladies of France. At the time, it was scarcely a carriage road, but it was the most direct route between Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and the Château de Boves, near Vauclair, on the far side of the Ailette. The château belonged to Françoise de Châlus, former mistress of Louis XV, Countess of Narbonne-Lara and former lady of honour to Adélaïde, whom the two ladies visited frequently. To make the way easier, the count had the road surfaced, and it gained its new name. The ridge's strategic importance first became evident in 1814 when Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
's young recruits beat an army of Prussians and Russians at the Battle of Craonne
Battle of Craonne
The Battle of Craonne was fought on March 7, 1814, and resulted in a French victory under Napoleon I against Russians and Prussians under General Blücher.Craonne is a village on the Chemin des Dames, in the département of Aisne....
.
World War I
Three battles were fought in along the Chemin des Dames east-to-west ridge located to the north of Paris during the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. All are named after the river which flows on the south side of the ridge. Their names are as follows:
- First Battle of the AisneFirst Battle of the AisneThe First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army & Second Army as they retreated after the First Battle of the Marne earlier in September 1914...
(1914) - Anglo-French counter-offensive following the First Battle of the MarneFirst Battle of the MarneThe Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
. - Second Battle of the AisneSecond Battle of the AisneThe Second Battle of the Aisne , was the massive main assault of the French military's Nivelle Offensive or Chemin des Dames Offensive in 1917 during World War I....
(1917) - main component of the Nivelle OffensiveNivelle offensiveThe Nivelle Offensive was a 1917 French attack on the Western Front in the First World War. Promised as the assault that would end the war within 48 hours, with casualties expected of around 10,000 men, it failed on both counts. It was a three-stage plan:...
. - Third Battle of the AisneThird Battle of the AisneThe Third Battle of the Aisne was a battle of the German Spring Offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Force could arrive completely in France. It was one of a series of desperate offensives, known as the Kaiserschlacht,...
(1918) - third phase (Operation BlücherOperation BlücherMarshal Blücher was the Prussian commander at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. His name is commonly anglicized as "Bluecher". German military history notes two operations named Operation Blücher....
) of the German Spring OffensiveSpring OffensiveThe 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Chemin Des Dames lay in that sector of the Western Front held by the French Army. Its strategic importance made it the staging ground of several major battles that took place between 1914 and 1918. The German army took a defensive stand on the ridge in September 1914, stopping the advancing Allied armies after the Battle of the Marne
First Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
. After intensive combat, Germans took control of the plateau in November 1914.
The front line
Front line
A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...
then remained static until March 1917, during which time several thousand soldiers died in local attacks or coup de main
Coup de main
A coup de main is a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow. The United States Department of Defense defines it as:The literal translation from French means a stroke or blow of the hand...
operations. On 25 January 1915 German forces captured the Creute farm (today La Caverne du Dragon or the Dragon's Lair), the last remaining French position on the plateau.
The best-known battle, called the Second Battle of the Aisne
Second Battle of the Aisne
The Second Battle of the Aisne , was the massive main assault of the French military's Nivelle Offensive or Chemin des Dames Offensive in 1917 during World War I....
, took place between 16 April and 25 April 1917. To soften up the German defenses, General Robert Nivelle
Robert Nivelle
Robert Georges Nivelle was a French artillery officer who served in the Boxer Rebellion, and the First World War. In May 1916, he was given command of the French Third Army in the Battle of Verdun, leading counter-offensives that rolled back the German forces in late 1916...
, an artilleryman by training and experience, inflicted a six-day artillery preparation involving 5,300 guns. This, of course, provided ample warning that a major French attack was coming. Then, on 16 April, seven French army corps attacked the German line along the Chemin des Dames ridge. But Nivelle had underestimated the enemy's defensive preparations; the Germans had created a network of deep shelters in old underground stone quarries below the ridge, where their troops took shelter from the French barrage. The German positions also dominated the southerly slope over which the French attackers were progressing. On the first day, French infantry and some colonial Senegalese troops progressed to the top of the ridge in spite of intense German artillery counterfire and poor weather conditions. However, as French infantry reached the plateau, it was slowed down and then stopped by the intense fire of a very high number of the Germans' new MG08/15 machine guns. As a result, the French took 40,000 casualties on the first day alone. Furthermore, during the following 12 days of the battle, French losses continued to rise to 120,000 casualties (dead, wounded, and missing). The final count, when the offensive was over, was 271,000 French casualties and 163,000 Germans casualties. The German defenders suffered much less, but lost some 20,000 prisoners, 40 cannons, and 200 machine guns. The high French casualty count, in so few days and with such minimal gains, was perceived at headquarters and by the French public as a disaster. Furthermore, the agonizingly slow evacuation of the French wounded also demonstrated a lack of logistical preparations. Nivelle had to resign, and the French Army became plagued by many refusals to march amounting to mutinies in several infantry divisions.
This situation developed into a threat of complete disintegration
French Army Mutinies (1917)
The French Army Mutinies of 1917 took place amongst the French troops on the Western Front in Northern France. They started just after the conclusion of the disastrous Second Battle of the Aisne, the main action in the Nivelle Offensive, and involved, to various degrees, nearly half of the French...
. General Pétain, who had opposed this offensive, was called in to take over from Nivelle and to reestablish order. This he did without harsh collective punishments. A total of 629 men were sentenced to death, but only 28 men, who had fired weapons at their superiors, were executed. Conversely, he instituted positive changes, such as longer home leaves and better food and medical/surgical assistance for the troops. Eventually normalcy came back in the fall of 1917. The British army took over the defenses at the western end of the ridge during the following twelve months, thus bringing relief.
During the summer of 1917, the Battle of the Observatories was a series of local attacks and counterattacks to gain control of high positions commanding the views between Craonne and Laffaux. In October, after the allied victory of the battle of Malmaison, the German forces left the Chemin des Dames and moved to the north of the Ailette River valley.
A German offensive began on 27 May 1918. British forces participated in the Third Battle of the Aisne
Third Battle of the Aisne
The Third Battle of the Aisne was a battle of the German Spring Offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Force could arrive completely in France. It was one of a series of desperate offensives, known as the Kaiserschlacht,...
on 27 May to 6 June 1918. During the Second Battle of the Marne
Second Battle of the Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne , or Battle of Reims was the last major German Spring Offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The German attack failed when an Allied counterattack led by France overwhelmed the Germans, inflicting severe casualties...
, the last fight on the Chemin des Dames occurred between 2 August and 10 October 1918.
Today
There are numerous war memorials and cemeteries, German, French and British, all along the chemin.Beneath the ridge is an almost one-square-kilometre cave network called "The Dragon's Lair" (La Caverne du Dragon). The subterranean caverns originally were a tunnel system created from excavations of limestone for building purposes in the 17th century. The caves are some 20-40 metres below the surface. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the caves were used by both French and German forces as field hospital
Field hospital
A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
s and command posts, sometimes simultaneously. The artillery bombardment of the area actually cracked some of the overlying cliffs, which can be seen today. A noteworthy visitors' centre that offers guided tours is now located at the site.
Cemeteries
Approximately only half of those who are buried at Chemin des Dames cemeteries could be identified. The others were interred in ossuaries or into collective graves. Note: The following list of national cemeteries does not include the names of municipal cemeteries in France holding burials of soldiers lost in the battles.French national cemeteries
- SoupirSoupirSoupir is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:Located south of the Chemin des Dames, the village was largely destroyed during the Second Battle of the Aisne in World War I.-References:*...
(I et II) - Berry-au-BacBerry-au-BacBerry-au-Bac is a commune in the department of Aisne in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...
- BraineBraine, AisneBraine is a commune in the department of Aisne in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...
- Cerny-en-LaonnoisCerny-en-LaonnoisCerny-en-Laonnois is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
- CraonnelleCraonnelleCraonnelle is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
- CrouyCrouyCrouy is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...
- OeuillyŒuilly, AisneŒuilly is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...
- PontavertPontavertPontavert is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
- Vailly-sur-AisneVailly-sur-AisneVailly-sur-Aisne is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
- VauxaillonVauxaillonVauxaillon is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
- VauxbuinVauxbuinVauxbuin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
German national cemeteries
- Cerny-en-LaonnoisCerny-en-LaonnoisCerny-en-Laonnois is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
- LaonLaonLaon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
"Bousson" - LaonLaonLaon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
"Champ de Manoeuvre"
- MontaiguMontaigu, AisneMontaigu is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
(I et II) - Mons-en-LaonnoisMons-en-LaonnoisMons-en-Laonnois is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
- SoupirSoupirSoupir is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:Located south of the Chemin des Dames, the village was largely destroyed during the Second Battle of the Aisne in World War I.-References:*...
- SissonneSissonneSissonne is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...
- VesludVesludVeslud is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
British national cemeteries
- SoupirSoupirSoupir is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:Located south of the Chemin des Dames, the village was largely destroyed during the Second Battle of the Aisne in World War I.-References:*...
- Seraucourt-le-GrandSeraucourt-le-GrandSeraucourt-le-Grand is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...
"Grand Seraucourt" - MontcornetMontcornetMontcornet is the name of several communes of France:* Montcornet, Aisne, in the Aisne department* Montcornet, Ardennes, in the Ardennes department...
- SissonneSissonneSissonne is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...
- Vailly-sur-AisneVailly-sur-AisneVailly-sur-Aisne is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
- VendresseVendresseVendresse is a commune in the Ardennes département in northern France.-Population:The inhabitants of Vendresse are Vendressois....
- La Ville-aux-Bois-les-PontavertLa Ville-aux-Bois-lès-PontavertLa Ville-aux-Bois-lès-Pontavert is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...
Other national cemetery sections
- Denmark: section in the French National Cemetery at BraineBraine, AisneBraine is a commune in the department of Aisne in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...
- United States: section of Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial near Fère-en-TardenoisFère-en-TardenoisFère-en-Tardenois is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, .-Population:-Personalities:It was the birthplace of Camille Claudel , sculptor and graphic artist.-Sights:...