Ten facts about The French Ardennes and the First World War

Nowhere in France can claim to have been at the crossroads of history as often as The French Ardennes. The only French department to have been fully occupied for the entire duration of both world wars, it was also the here (in Sedan) that France was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. Invaded, occupied, bombed and devastated, it is nevertheless today one of the most rural and peaceful corners of the country, where its possible to experience a truly relaxing holiday while following some of the most famous chapters of French history. But for Battlefield Tourists, here are ten facts about The French Ardennes and the First World War 1. Its greatest claims to fame is the fact that it was the regional capital, Charleville, which was turned into the German HQ during the First World War. The (then) opulent Castle Renaudin above Charleville became the Headquarters for Kaiser Wilhelm II and the Kronprinz in 1916, through to the end of the war. 2. Nearby Sedan Castle was originally created to defend France but despite being the largest fortress in Europe it was simply circumnavigated by the th th modern invading armies of the late 19 and 20 centuries. It then became a symbol of revenge during WWI, with any of the local population who refused to obey the orders of the occupying forces being interned here, and often being left to perish. 3. Walnut-Pont-Maugis is where one of the biggest battles of The French Ardennes was fought during the First World War. "The Marfe" had become strategically important to both sides, and ultimately led to the deaths of more than 4,000 soldiers on each side of the divide. The Military Cemetery here, which has the graves of almost 27,000 French and German soldiers killed during both world wars, has the graves of many of the soldiers killed during this battle. 4. American forces - especially those from The Big Red One (The American st 1 Infantry Division) - were very active in The French Ardennes during the First World War. A monument entitled "This Point" in Wadelincourt marks the end of the American troops advance on November 10, 1918. A huge relief for France, it shows General Pershing paying homage to his troops. 5. Sergeant Alvin Yorks heroic actions in Chtel-Chhry, which - according to the commander of the Allied armies, Marshal Foch - was the greatest feat ever achieved by a single soldier of all the armies in Europe was turned into a Hollywood movie and earned Gary Cooper the Oscar for Best Actor. One of the most decorated American soldiers in World War I, Sergeant York received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest in Chatel Chhry, in the south of the French Ardennes, single-handedly taking 32 machine guns, killing 28 German soldiers, and capturing 132 others. Today, its possible to follow in the footsteps of Sergeant York in Chatel Chhry on a self-guided 3 km through the nearby forests. 6. Far less well known is the fact that The French Ardennes is also where the last French victim of the Great War, Augustin Joseph Trebuchon, fell - just th fifteen minutes before the cease-fire at 11am on November 11 , 1918. Trebuchon is buried in the cemetery of Vrigne-Meuse, an Ardennes village of 220 inhabitants, where visitors today will find a church with 18 white crosses

surrounding a memorial - in honour of the men of the 415th Infantry th Regiment who all died on November 11 during the last offensive while attempting to cross the River Meuse. Augustine Trebuchon - unmarried and childless, and mobilized on August 4, 1914 - had fought on all fronts and was th wounded twice before being killed at 10:45am on November 11 , 1918, fifteen minutes before his friend and solider-in-arms Delaluque had the honour of sounding his bugle here, in The French Ardennes, to mark the ceasefire. 7. The village of Haybes contains a war memorial by sculptor L. Rauner, telling one of the First World Wars most tragic stories. The monument th commemorates not only the war dead but also the tragic days of August 24 th 26 in 1914 when Haybes, a martyr village, was bombed and burned by the Germans. Many events are planned for August 2014, to commemorate thosee tragic days. 8. A name best known, these days, for being a major grand-slam tennis tournament Roland Garros, is actually named after the aviator Lieutenant th Roland Garros who crashed in aerial combat at Saint-Morel on October 5 1918. A pilot famed for the first aerial crossing of the Mediterranean in 1913, he enlisted as a volunteer in 1914. Forced to land in occupied territory, in April 1915, he was taken prisoner for almost three years in Germany before escaping and returning to the front. The tomb of Roland Garros, is located in Vouziers cemetery in The French Ardennes. 9. More than half of Charleville-Mzires was destroyed in bombing at the end of the First world war, and a great deal of reconstruction was required during the following decades. This was when a special bond developed with the people of Manchester in England, who despite their own hardships of the time - raised funds to help with the rebuilding. A section of the town is still named Manchester to this day. 10. And exhibition "Visages d'Ardennais dans la Grande Guerre" will take place in the main tourist information centre in Charleville-Mzires from July th th 4 to September 28 in 2014. It will feature 30 photographs of men and women, with a personal testimony of the dramatics events of World War I. A guide entitled Battlefields and Memorials is available in French, and English, and for further information visit www.ardennes.com. Ends For press information, contact: Djamila Daoud T: +33 3 24 56 67 77

E: daoud@ardennes.com