Vis-en-Artois
Encyclopedia
Vis-en-Artois is a commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...

 in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

Geography

Vis-en-Artois is situated 8 miles (12.9 km) southeast of Arras
Arras
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...

, at the junction of the D939 and the D9 roads.

History

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...

 deeply affected the town, which was under the thumb of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 troops from September 30, 1914 until its liberation by Canadian forces on 24 August 1918.

During the year 1918 the village was completely destroyed. The people who had not fled before the arrival of the invading troops were evacuated to Belgium.

On 24 September 1920, Vis-en-Artois received the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...

.

Population

Places of interest

  • The church of St.Martin, rebuilt, along with much of the village, after 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 war memorial, inaugurated on August 10, 1924.
  • For the Vis-En-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt
    Vis-En-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt
    The Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of World War I located between the communes of Vis-en-Artois and Haucourt in the département of Pas-de-Calais, France.-History:...

     see Haucourt.

External links

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