Le front du Chemin des Dames

During the 1914-1918 war, the Aisne department was crossed by the Western Front. The Chemin des Dames is a ridge line between the Aisne and Ailette valleys. Its location and its underground quarries make it a real fortress. After the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914, the Germans retreated to the heights that dominated the Chemin des Dames and from where the French troops were unable to dislodge them. An interminable and deadly confrontation began: the war of positions. The Chemin des Dames then became the site of great battles. Today, an open-air museum stretching 40 km from east to west, it is dotted with numerous monuments.

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