The collection of relief maps bears witness to more than two centuries of military siege history, from its creation in 1668, under Louis XIV, until the last quarter of the 19th Century when the fortified bastions were abandoned. The Museum of Relief Maps exhibits, at the Invalides in Paris and at the fine arts museum in Lille, an unrivalled collection of a hundred historical models of the forts or fortified towns that were spread along the former French borders. The practice of making relief maps and models of fortified towns for strategic purposes was the result of an initiative by Louvois. In 1668 the minister of Louis XIV was responsible for creating a collection that would continue to grow richer for more than two centuries. The king's engineers thus created relief maps not only of French places situated on the borders of the kingdom, but also foreign towns captured from the enemy. Apart from their military interest, they were valued as prestige objects, testament to the power of the monarchy and the kingdom, as well as being commemorative pieces illustrating important battles and great sieges. Their production only ended towards 1870, with the disappearance of bastion fortifications.

Used in military training, the collection of relief maps now represents an exceptional source of information for the history of the architecture, town planning and changes to the countryside. The models were created with great attention to detail, under the supervision of military engineers and with help from a large amount of written and graphic documentation. The collection, comprising 111 models, mostly on a scale of 1/600 (26 models, 21 other objects and 64 relief maps), first kept at the Tuileries, was transferred to the Louvre in 1700 and then in 1770 to the Hôtel des Invalides. Because of its eminent historical interest, it was classified as a historic monument in 1927. Today it is kept by the museum of relief maps (at the Hôtel des Invalides), created in 1943, where about a hundred models of French and foreign towns are displayed. Sixteen relief maps have been sent on loan to the museum of Fine Arts in Lille.
Hôtel national des Invalides 6 bd Invalides 75007 PARIS Tel.: 01 45 51 92 45 Email: pedagogie.relief maps@culture.gouv.fr Opening times 10 am until 6 pm from Monday to Sunday Unguided tours Full rate: 7.5 € Reduced rate: 5.5 € Conferences Group rate (over 25 people): 120 €

The speed at which Strasbourg fell, on 28 September 1870, after 46 days of siege, prompted the German High Command, under the authority of General Von Moltke and Von Kameke, to formulate a defence plan for the Empire’s western borders that planned to turn the towns of Cologne, Metez, Thionville and Strasburg into fortified camps, protecting their perimeters by a ring of armed forts.

The defensive ring around Strasbourg

Strasbourg was thus protected by a ring of detached, half-buried, heavily fortified and armed structures, even before the construction of the new urban line of fortifications that would be started in 1876 after the commissioning of the first forts. The works began in 1872, under the direction of the engineering officers Hauptmann Stephan (Fort Rapp) and Volkmann (on the Rhine side in the northeast to pass over to Kehl on the right bank via the southeast).

Fort Reichstett (Moltke) was inaugurated on 26 September 1874. Eleven structures were built in Alsace covering a perimeter of nearly 35 kilometres and three structures around Kehl (in Germany) covering a perimeter of 18 kilometres. The line included forts with dry and wet ditches. The masonry, in dressed standstone from Vosges and bricks manufactured in Rust (Germany) and Achenheim (Alsace), puts these monuments in the Neo-Prussian style. Two to three thousand workers were employed, including Italian bricklayers.

Fort Rapp-Moltke

The outpost covered 4.5 hectares and was made up of some 220 rooms and facilities. The fort comprised: an entrance with a place of arms, guard house, large powder store and guard quarters during peace time; a dry ditch surrounding the fort fitted with a covered way supplemented by a barbed-wire fence; barracks on two levels housed the troops quarters and services (HQ, kitchen, bakery, infirmary, sleeping quarters, washing facilities, etc.) and were equipped with a defence system of the ditch by flanking; an entrance into the fort composed of a gate, draw bridge and reinforced door; a central corridor leading to the casemates; casemates composed of alarm rooms, powder stores, munitions assembly rooms, goods hoist for moving munitions into artillery positions at the top of the fort; front and side parapets surmounting the fort, reserved for artillery pieces.

The outposts were protected by: sheltered corridors, a reinforced observation turret made it easier to keep watch of the front; a double caponier above the front ditch, converted in 1885 to a front battery was built in the counyterscarp with a system of countermines and sewers completing the frontal defence system; adjoining batteries to the left and right. Each fort was defended by 18 cannons (90 to 150 and even 220 mm) in firing position; 18 reserve pieces of artillery in the interior courtyards (cannons and mortars). The short-range defence was assured by 90-120 mm cannons which were later replaced by Hotchkiss 37-mm revolver cannons and 53-mm rapidfire machine guns. The fort could hold 800 men (infantrymen, pioneers, artillerymen and guards) under the command of 15 officers.

An evolving system

In 1885, the discovery of picric acid and the manufacture of torpedo shells triggered a huge crisis in military constructions. High Command decided to take the artillery outside the fort to form the adjoining batteries, reinforce the top sections of the forts with “special concrete” and granite blocks, convert windows in the barracks into fire stands, turn the double caponier into a front-facing battery offering greater protection and equipped with revolver cannons, fit out the walls with counterscarps of metal gates and build the entrance via the ditch, install blast-proof doors at certain access points, and reinforce the fort’s defences with two marine artillery pieces, 150 mm on rails.

From 1890, intermediate structures were built between the forts to block up any gaps; these included infantry, artillery and munitions buildings to complete the defence system. In this year, the fort in Strasbourg lost its strategic importance due to the stronghold erected in Mutzig (1893-1914) that had the capacity for up to 6,500 men with artillery in turrets and armoured shields.

Between 1914 and 1918, the fort was used as a munitions and equipment store then a camp for Russian and Italian prisoners. Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France following the Treaty of Versailles and the site was integrated into the Maginot Line as a rear base for the 226th Infantry Regiment of Strasbourg and a rest centre for the fortress troops based in the fortifications along the Maginot Line along the Rhine. Marine artillery pieces were placed on top of the fort around 1937.

The Ney-Rapp intermediate structure occupied by the 155^th Fortress Artillery Regiment, was damaged by an explosion in June 1940. From 1940 to 1944, the German army used the stronghold as a warehouse. It was occupied by the FFI and the first French and American troops during the Liberation. Between 1946 and 1968, the fort was used as a munitions store.

After being decommissioned, the site was allocated to the civil protection department of the French Ministry of the Interior. In 1993, the Friends of Fort Rapp Association was tasked with rescuing, preserving and restoring this military structure. After three years of work, the fort was opened to the public.

Fort Rapp-Moltke

Rue de Lorraine 67116 Reichstett

Contact: mjg.schuler@evc.net

Tourisme 67

Established in 1967 on the initiative of Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Order of the Liberation, National Military Delegate of General de Gaulle in Vichy France, the Centre National Jean Moulin is located on the premises of the former Caisse d'Epargne de Bordeaux, a building constructed in the mid-19th century.

Born in Béziers in 1899, Jean Moulin was, upon the completion of his law studies, the youngest permanent departmental ministerial representative in France, before becoming the youngest prefect in France. At the time of the debacle of June 1940, he was prefect of Chartres where he accomplished his first act of resistance on 17 June. He left for London after being deposed by the Vichy government. Moulin was parachuted into Provence on the night of 1 January 1942 with two sets of orders - one civil, the other military - and was in charge of coordinating movements by the Resistance, as well as forming a secret army. Moulin, the first president of the National Resistance Council, was arrested in Caluire on 21 June 1943. After being tortured, he died during his transfer to Germany. Since 19 December 1964, his ashes have been kept at the Panthéon.
Jean Moulin was also an art lover and an artist in his own right who, under the pseudonym of Romanin, published caricatures, created etchings and painted watercolours.
The Resistance 18 June 1940: A day after arriving in London, General de Gaulle makes his appeal. 2 July 1940: France is divided in two by a demarcation line: the area north of the line is occupied by German forces, while the area south of the line, controlled by the government of Pétain in Vichy, would also be under occupation from 11 November 1942. Those who refused to live under German control became members of the Resistance. Members of the Resistance were not soldiers; they were anonymous and clandestine volunteers without uniforms. Faced with the Resistance, the German system of repression was overwhelming, with the secret police service, the Gestapo, at times acting with the assistance of French citizens deceived by propaganda from Nazi collaborators, in particular the militia. While combat between the two sides was unequal, patriotic enthusiasm more often than not made up for inexperience, unfortunately at a heavy price.
The Free French Forces From July 1940, General de Gaulle, now based in London, formed his general staff, notable members of which included Dewavrin (Passy), Roulier (Rémy), Duclos (Saint-Jacques), Fourcaud, d'Estienne d'Orves, and others. These 'first men of London' would form the Central Information and Action Bureau (BCRA). At the same time, General de Gaulle regrouped and organised under his command the remnants of the French army that had managed to evade German capture. Those that volunteered would make up the army, navy and air force of Free France that would fight alongside Allied forces.
Deportation Concentration camps were one of the first institutions created by the Nazis when Hitler came to power in 1933. Terror, which had earlier been developed by paramilitary Nazi groups (S.A. and S.S.), became legal. The regime's most hostile opponents were arrested and interned. German authorities in France used deportation from the earliest days of the Occupation. The first to be deported were those being held in camps in the south of France (Austrians and Germans, political refugees, combatants for international brigades and Spanish Republicans, foreign Jews), then the inhabitants of Alsace and Lorraine who resisted Germanisation. Soon afterwards, all Jews and opponents (Gaullists, communists and members of the Resistance) would suffer the same fate.
Permanent collections The Centre National Jean Moulin is a World War II documentation centre and museum that houses three floors of collections dedicated to the Resistance, Deportation and the Free French Forces. The Centre National Jean Moulin is a place of great historical importance that also looks to the future, contributing to learning and research. The Centre is also a documentation centre within a museum, offering the public access to documents from the period (posters, clandestine correspondence, weaponry, etc.) and objects which remind visitors of that period in our recent history and help them to understand the different networks that were formed and to appreciate the efforts made by all concerned in the name of freedom. The Centre also holds exhibits, special studies and organised activities. The Centre National Jean Moulin also welcomes artists, in particular in the context of the 'Nuit et Brouillard' exhibit by Jean-Jacques Morvan, war paintings by Bordeaux painter Edmond Boissonnet and the enamel works of Raymond Mirande.
The Centre is open to the general public all year round for visits with commentary (groups of 5 or more on appointment). For school students, the Centre's education service, which is managed by an agrégé history-geography teacher, offers theme-based and/or general visits with commentary (on appointment). A reference library containing books and documentary albums on collections housed in the museum is open to adults and students. Postal address: 48 rue Vital-Carles 33000 Bordeaux E-mail: cnjm@mairie-bordeaux.fr Tel: 33 / 05.56.10.19.90 / 05.56.10.19.92 Fax: 33 / 05.56.10.19.91 Open Tuesday-Sunday From 14:00 to 18:00. Closed Mondays and holidays Free admission

Ajaccio, which is set at the top of a gulf, has been inhabited since Ancient times. From the 12th century onwards, the Genoese, wishing to establish a base of operations to support Calvi and Bonifacio in defending them against the threat from the Barbary Coast, built a fortification on the site, named Castel Lombardo.

Unfit for habitation, the position was abandoned three centuries later in 1492-1493 in favour of Capo di Bollo at Leccia Point. Cristoforo de Gandino, Francesco Sforza's military architect, was appointed by the Company of St. George to carry out the work for this site and at Calvi. Genoese and Ligurian families including the Bonapartes then set up a populating colony.

At that time, the town was structured around a fan formation of three roads: the Strada del Domo, the Strada San Carlo and the Strada Dritta, to plans drawn by the architect Pietro da Mortara. The citadel, which was built at the same time, was initially made up of a keep or citadel (castello) and a low curtain wall. In 1502-1503, the defensive features were enhanced with a ditch dug in rock around the citadel, accessible via a drawbridge, and strong walls around the settlement.

The town, which fell under French control between 1553 and 1559 was modified and extended, taking on its current hexagonal shape, the corners of which were reinforced with bastions. The Cateau-Cambrésis treaty returned the town to the Republic of Genoa, which commissioned the engineer Jacopo Frattini to fortify the seafront. He had a bastion built there, separated from the town by a ditch. During the 18th century, Corsica struggled in vain to escape foreign domination; in 1729, 1739 and 1763 the islanders attempted to take control of Ajaccio but it was placed directly under French control when the Genoese sold the island to France in 1768.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born in this town, and biographers tell that the ramparts and the citadel fuelled his games and dreams before featuring in his military and political career.

Used as a prison during the Second World War, Ajaccio Citadel was to be the last destination of the heroic Resistance fighter Fred Scamaroni. Scamaroni, who created the Gaullist Corsican Action R2 network in 1941, was mandated by General de Gaulle in January 1943 to try to bring unity to the Resistance movement. Betrayed by his radio operator, he was arrested by the OVRA (Italian counter-espionage) during the night of 18-19 March 1943. He chose to cut his throat with a piece of wire, leaving a last message written in his own blood: "Long live France and long live de Gaulle".

The citadel belonged to the Ministry of Defence until it was passed over to the city of Ajaccio in 2005.

Ajaccio city tourist office

3, Bd du Roi Jérôme BP 21 20000 Ajaccio

Tel: +33 (0)4 95 51 53 03

Fax: +33 (0)4 95 51 53 01

After five years of closure in order to carry out work under the supervision of Lucie Garban, Alain Desmarchelier and Marc Vareille, the Museum of the Legion of Honour and the Orders of Chivalry is now open. A surprising journey can be taken around the world through its collection of French Legion of Honour decorations through the ages, from the Middle Ages to present day.

This important place of national remembrance was created in 1925 on the initiative of General Dubail and thanks to a subsequent donation by an American man, William Nelson Cromwell, which financed four fifths of its construction. The museum currently occupies a whole wing in the Salm palace, a private building in the neo-classical style. It was constructed between 1782 and 1787 for a German prince, Prince Frederick of Salm-Kyrbourg and overlooks the courtyard of the Museum d'Orsay. When the Revolution came and along with it the Reign of Terror, the prince was led to the scaffold on the 23rd July 1794, leaving numerous debts to his son. His creditors ensured that the palace, which featured on the list of national properties, was returned to the family in order to repay their loans. This is how the palace came to be used for a while as a republican club frequented by Madame de Staël and for art exhibitions. Its purchase on the 3rd May 1804 by the Count of Lacépède, the Grand Chancellor and Chancellor of the Legion of Honour, brought these fluctuations in fortune to an end.
The new unobtrusive, modern layout is respectful to the philosophy of General Yvon Dubail, the founder of the museum in 1925, and maintains all the original charm of its galleries. The original showcases have been restored and adapted, reinstating the large exhibition space in the two large halls. The materials chosen, mahogany and oxidised brass, are in tune with the Empire-inspired décor of 1925, but with a contemporary feel. Having chosen a logical route that makes use of our philosophy of discovery, the museum offers tours that are suitable for any audience. Its renovation has allowed an increase in exhibition space, making the collections more vibrant and easier to read, without detracting from the charm and elegance of its internal architecture. The first part of the museum tour covers the history of national decorations. The orders of chivalry were inspired by the chivalrous ideal and the well-founded organisation of religious and military orders. Later, from the 14th Century, the princes of Europe founded their own orders of chivalry. In France, the royal orders of Saint-Michel (1469) and Saint-Esprit (1578) provided the framework for the Old Regime and their prestige remains engraved on the memory.
The first order of democratic merit, the military order of Saint-Louis, was created by Louis XIV in 1693. It was the forerunner of the Legion of Honour, whose roots are firmly planted in the traditions of French chivalry. The orders and awards of the old continent encapsulate the construction and development of the various countries that make up Europe. Often inspired by the French model, orders of merit came into general use from the 18th Century onwards. These were open to everyone and complemented by numerous military and civilian decorations, adapted to suit the history and symbolism of each country. Certain states, like the United States only recognise decorations, such as the prestigious Congressional Medal of Honour, saving their only order, the Legion of Merit, for foreigners. As for the countries of Latin America, they owe their awards system to those European models that have had great presence in their past. Lastly, the concept of honorary orders, as distinct from any material reward, was foreign to African and Asian civilisations. It was only in the 19th Century that western customs were gradually adopted and several orders were created.
As well as decorations, the museum also has the stained glass window depicting the king of Rome as a child, the First Consul painted by Gros, the drumsticks of the Arcole drum, Louis-Philippe receiving the Garter from the hands of a young Queen Victoria, astonishing scenes from the Algeria campaign under the July Monarchy and a superb portrait of Guynemer etc. "The Legion of Honour rewards an outstanding achievement for the benefit of the Nation, an act of bravery or a life of devotion," emphasises Anne de Chefdebien. "Through the objects and portraits exhibited here, the institution of the Legion of honour also delivers a civil message. A walk-through multimedia tour will allow you to meet some exceptional men and women. From a portrait, an honour or an artefact, visitors can learn more about the people who really mattered."
Fifty backdrops have been erected along the route, which ends in an interactive room where three hundred portraits are displayed, illustrating the richness and diversity of the national orders. These portraits allow us to reflect on the merits of those people who have shaped our nations. The insignia displayed at the Museum of the Legion of Honour are two-way mirrors. The interactivity of the tour encourages visitors to approach them, through providing audio-guided tours, audiovisual routes and a resource centre at the end of the tour. On the one hand, through the symbols, figures and designs that they bear, the decorations are witnesses to great historical events, the revolutions and wars that have shaped the France of today and her values. The comprehensive audio guide emphasises the museum's philosophy, which is to compare the orders of chivalry with contemporary distinctions and study the relationship through the ages between political power and the nobility and, later, civil society. On the other hand, the insignia carry on the memory of those who wore them. Every object is testament to a personal history, to an act of bravery or generosity, or to a life devoted to art, science or sport. In the halls, around fifty portraits can be displayed on interactive audiovisual terminals (directed by the audio guide) and more than 250 figures from the 19th and 20th Centuries are expanded upon in the resource centre, freely accessible in its own dedicated room. The resource centre is also accessible for teachers via the extranet. The Grand Chancellery currently administers the two national orders (the Legion of honour and the National Order of Merit) and the military medal. On the 31st December 2005, the Legion of honour had 98,373 members (nowadays, women represent about 17 % of civilian awards), the National Order of Merit, 194,908 (today, 27 % of civilian awards go to women) and there are 187,294 military medal holders.
Museum of the Legion of Honour and the orders of chivalry 2 rue de la Légion d'honneur 75007 Paris Tel.: 01 40 62 84 25 Fax: 01 40 62 84 96 Email: musee@legiondhonneur.fr Access Underground - Solférino Metro station RER Museum d'Orsay Bus 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 94 Access for those with reduced mobility 1 rue de Solférino 75007 Paris (Appointments on 01 40 62 84 25) Free entry From Wednesday to Sunday from 1pm until 6pm. Tuesday reserved for groups by appointment. Closed on Mondays and on the 1st January, 1st May, 15th August, 1st November and 25th December Other Departments Library and documentation department By appointment only, tel. 01 40 62 84 25 Society of the friends of the museum Created in 1970 and made a public service in 1964, it contributes to publicising the museum and is actively involved in enriching the collections and in publications. It publishes a newsletter. More information on 01 40 62 84 25. Shop Entry is free to the museum shop during museum opening times (mail order available, telephone 01 42 65 57 53 for a catalogue.)

Inaugurated in 1999, the Memorial is dedicated to the Second World War and, in particular, the resistance movement and the deportation to the Nazi concentration and extermination camps.

There is an emphasis on the local nature of events. Two permanent exhibitions present the resistance movement in the region and the Nazi concentration camp system. Themed exhibitions feature the bombings, passive defence, daily life and other special themes.

Taking a historical journey through diverse photographic documents, testimonials, summary texts, newspapers, the clothing of deportees, arms and a model of Buchenwald concentration camps, visitors will understand the horrors of the Nazi camps and the reality of the Resistance in Loire: the Wodli, Le Boussoulet , 93 and Espoir maquis, the Ange group, etc.; as well as the bombing of the town on 26 May 1944.

Educational events:

• Saint-Etienne under occupation: rationing, the fate of the Jews, passive defence, bombing;

• The Nazi concentration camps;

• Resistance in the Department. The Memorial is a meeting point for the generation who survived the events of the Second World War and today's generations.

A documentation centre allows visitors to consult magazines, books and CD-Roms on the Second World War, the Resistance and deportation.

Memorial to the Resistance and Deportation

9 Rue du Théâtre 42000 Saint-Etienne

Tel: 04.77.34.03.69

E-mail: memorial.loire@wanadoo.fr

Opening times

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 2-6 p.m.

Open on Saturdays for groups only (reservation required)

Annual holidays: Christmas holidays and 14 July to 15 August

Admission

Become a member of the association from €10 a year

Admission to the Memorial: €2, free for school visitors

Free educational activities

Getting there:

• By train: Lyon to Saint-Etienne line, Châteaucreux station.

• Public transport: Line 4 (Hôpital Nord - Solaure), Line 5 (Châteaucreux - Bellevue - Terrasse) – stops: Peuple Foy or Peuple Libération.

Memorial to the Resistance and Deportation of the Loire

With its original displays, this museum was set up by its founder to recognise those who took part in the battles waged in the Norman bocage in the summer of 1944.

Through eight museum sections and a sound and light show, the guided tour introduces visitors to the astonishing adventures of the brave men who fought in the bocage.

Through fascinating research, the men, who are a living testament to the battles fought and their often exceptional, always touching, destiny, were identified and invited to the museum.

They often visit the museum bringing with them souvenirs that resonate with the history of the place.

The Bocage Breakout Museum

5 rue du 19 Mars 1962 - 14350 Saint-Martin-des-Besaces

Tel/Fax: +33 (0)2 31 67 52 78
Only during the museum season.

Email: bluecoat@wanadoo.fr

The project for a tower 300 metres tall was instigated during preparations for the World Exhibition of 1889. The two principal engineers from the Eiffel company, Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin, had the idea in June 1884 for a very tall tower, designed like a large pylon consisting of four lattice-work girders, outspread at the base and coming together at the top, linked together by metal girders placed at regular intervals. On the 18th September 1884 Gustave Eiffel was granted a licence "new authorisation for the construction of metal structures and pylons over 300 metres tall". The curvature of the uprights was determined mathematically in order to provide the best possible resistance to the effects of wind. Erection of the supports began on the 1st July 1887, to be completed twenty-one months later. All the components were prepared at the factory in Levallois-Perret in the Paris suburbs, the head office of the Eiffel company: between 150 and 300 workers were involved in its assembly. The Tower was erected with the aid of wooden scaffolds and small steam driven cranes attached to the Tower itself. The assembly of the first level was carried out using twelve temporary wooden scaffolds 30 metres high and then four large 45 metre scaffolds. Started in January 1887, the project was completed on 31st March 1889. Gustave Eiffel was decorated with the Legion of Honour on the platform at the top.

A showcase for French industrial dynamism at the 1889 World Exhibition, the Tower would see more than two million visitors pass by during the event. Gustave Eiffel saved his work from demolition by promoting research into radio transmissions and suggesting that his tower could be used as an enormous radio mast. After the first radio signals were broadcast by Eugène Ducretet towards the Panthéon in 1898, Eiffel approached the military authorities in 1901 with a view to making the Tower into a long-distance radio antenna. In 1903 a radio connection was made with the military bases around Paris, and then a year later with the East of France. A permanent radio station was installed in the Tower in 1906, thus ensuring its continuing survival. During the Great War, the Tower provided many services by listening to enemy transmissions, which gave it the nickname "the big ear". It is thanks to the Tower that Joffre would be informed of the advance of von Klück's troops and decide to requisition all the taxis in Paris to send soldiers to the Marne. It was responsible, amongst other things, for the arrest of Mata Hari because, once again, the Eiffel Tower had kept an ear out and deciphered the spy's messages. In 1921 the first public radio broadcast in Europe would be transmitted from its aerials. The first television trials from the Tower date from 1925 and the first regular broadcasts from 1935. In May 1940, before the German troops arrived, a handful of patriots carried out acts of sabotage on the Tower, successfully enough to ensure that the lift did not work when Hitler came. A strategic place for commanding the city of Paris, the Tower was closed to the public between 1940 and 1945; it would not reopen until June 1946. Radio broadcasts were made from the centre at Allouis under the control of the occupying authorities, who took control of Radio-Paris. The top of the tower has been modified over the course of the years in order to accommodate ever more antennae. Today it accommodates several dozen antennae of all kinds, including a television mast that is 324 metres tall.

Transfer of the collections from the museum to Bourges:

Occupying the prestigious premises of the Condé Pavilion since 1978, in the Beaumont district of Tours, the museum was moved to Bourges in summer 2009 to a former commanding officer’s villa, refurbished for this purpose.

This charming building and its fascinating layout provide the perfect setting to display the collections presenting the various stages of the development of the unit train from its creation by Emperor Napoleon on 26 March 1807 to modern times.

Through a dozen rooms, visitors can discover, uniforms, models, military decorations, paintings, personal objects and more.

Empire room: Placed under the responsibility of the Supply Corps, the “military transport crews”, created on 26 March 1807 in Osterode (Poland) to compensate for the poor transport resources, counted up to 24 battalions and participated in the campaigns in Poland, Spain, Austria, Russia (1812), Germany and France. A room of figurines completes the display.

Restoration room: After a difficult time, the military crews train returned to glory during the Conquest of Algeria in 1830. A collection of Arabian fire arms and knives are souvenirs of this campaign.

Second Empire/Third Republic room: Uniform items and various other objects illustrating the imperial splendour of the time. The unit train crews participated in campaigns in far-flung places from the Empire (Crimea, Italy, Mexico). After the defeat of 1870, it reported to the artillery (1875) and took part in all the Third Republic's colonial conquests.

1914-1918 room: The Great War saw the introduction of the Automobile Service that made a name for itself in 1916 along the Sacred Way. In 1919, the automobile service merged with the military crews train. After becoming simply “the train” in 1928, it was then teamed with the cavalry.

1939-1945 room: After working side by side with their horse-mounted comrades in the heroic battle on the bridges of Saumur and many taking part in the underground struggle in the dark years of the Second World War, the train followed the roads to freedom from Chad and Italy to the Rhine and the Danube. In 1945, the train became independent and its officers’ training school was set up in Tours in the Beaumont district.

The tour continues on the upper level:

Indochina room: From 1946 onwards, the train was made a part of the Far East Expeditionary Corps and fought on all of Indochina's communication routes until 1954. It forged a reputation for itself on the colonial route no 4 in Annam, Cochincina. It became amphibious with its waterway squads and airborne with its air drop supplies companies.

Algeria room: During the peace-keeping operations in Algeria, the train took on more traditional functions, infantry fighting and mainting order with the creation of eight marching battalions and one battalion for protecting rail cargo.

Contemporary room – Overseas operations: Since 1978, the train has been continuously engaged in all theatres of war, taking part in violence control and peace-keeping operations.

Today, integral to the logistics chain, the train is the support branch for operations deliveries and resupplying support.

The visit ends with a room dedicated to veterans and badges.

Musée du train
Écoles militaires de Bourges
BP 50709
18016 Bourges cedex

Getting there, opening times and contact

Tel: +33 (0)2 48 68 76 45 (curator)
Tel: +33 (0)2 46 08 81 10 (deputy curator)
Tel: +33 (0)2 48 68 74 39 (secretariat)
Fax: 02 46 08 81 09

Email: museedutrain.emb@terre-net.defense.gouv.fr

On 25 August 1944, as Paris celebrated its liberation, 124 residents of the little commune of Maillé, in the south of the Touraine area, were massacred by German soldiers.

In the years that followed, the village was completely rebuilt. This absence of ruins meant that, unlike Oradour-sur-Glane, the event was entirely forgotten, despite being the second largest massacre to be perpetrated by the Nazis on French soil.

Opened in 2006, the Maison du Souvenir aims to raise awareness about the massacre, through more than 250 documents and a film of first-hand accounts. It tells the story of the village before, during and after the event. Aimed at both schoolchildren and the general public, the centre also looks at the fate of civilians in contemporary conflicts. Exhibitions and events are held throughout the year.
On 25 August 2008, the massacre at last received national recognition with the official opening of the Maison du Souvenir by the French President.

facebook.com/MaisonduSouvenirdeMaille

Source : ©Maison du Souvenir de Maillé

The Citadel of Blaye is one of the finest examples of 17th century military architecture. Started in 1652 by Pagan, it was extended, strengthened and completed by Vauban between 1685 and 1689. Designed to protect the port of Bordeaux, this complex seals off the Gironde at Blaye. On the right bank, it consists of a citadel comprising three successive fronts with orilloned bastions, a demi-lune and covered walkway, all of which are typical of Vauban's second system. On the Gironde side, a wall and batteries overlook a cliff that overhangs the river at a height of 45 metres. However, the range of artillery at the time was not capable of totally preventing ships from passing. Vauban therefore designed two other forts which allowed artillery cross-fire and the control of the Gironde.

On the left bank, the engineer Ferry built Fort Médoc, which was trapezoid in shape and had a very fine entrance gate. In the middle of the river, on a sand bank, he built a solid, low, round tower, Fort Paté, crowned with a parapet with embrasures and a gun terrace. The unstable nature of the ground made it necessary to set the tower on a double grill of wood, submerged for a year in the wet ground. Despite subsidence of 2 metres in 1707, the fort, which was consolidated in the 18th century, has remained intact.
The Citadel is still partly inhabited. Access is either on foot via the Porte Dauphine, or by car via the Porte Royale. Inside, there is the Museum of History and Art of the Blaye area. There is also the château des Rudel, a medieval triangular château where the troubadour Geoffroy Rudel, the lover of the "distant Princess" Melisande of Tripoli, was born. On the platform of the Tour des Rondes, an observatory offers a view across the town and over the Gironde estuary. From the Aiguillette Tower, you can also see the Gironde and all the little islands in it. Also worth seeing are the Place d'Armes where there is the Minimes Convent and the Pavillon de la Place, in which the Duchess of Berry was detained. A real little town within a town, the Citadel is on the list of Historic Monuments and today plays host to more than 200,000 visitors a year.
Tourist Information Office of the canton of Blaye Les allées marines 33390 Blaye Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 42 12 09 fax: + 33 (0) 5 57 42 91 94 Mail: info@tourisme-blaye.com Opening and closing times The citadel is open every day all year round, with groups by appointment. Charges : Free entry

Le Linge ridge is located in the Alsatian Vosges mountains.

At a height of 1,000 metres, it separates the Orbey and Munster valleys, some twenty kilometres west of Colmar.

Designated a historic site by decree on 11 October 1921, it was one of the deadliest battlefields of World War I. During the conflict, the Germans had organised their defences along the crestline of Le Linge ridge to keep the French troops from advancing toward Colmar.

From 20 July to 15 October 1915, the Chasseurs Alpins, often between the ages of 19 and 20, launched an assault against this impregnable bastion. Gas shells and flamethrowers were used.

Some 10,000 Frenchmen and 7,000 Germans died during this period before the troops reached a standoff and remained facing each other until the end of the war in November 1918. The site that is visited today is a large rocky knoll, land with scattered shelters and crisscrossed by a network of fortified trenches, covered with heath and a few trees. The barbed wire of the period has not been removed and the whole is very well preserved.

It is hard to imagine that his superb site, with the northern tip of the knoll forming a rocky outcropping affording a magnificent view, was witness to such a slaughter. And yet hundreds of soldiers from both sides still rest here.

The Memorial Museum exhibits French and German objects found on the site: arms, munitions, relics and personal objects.

The showcases present of French and German fighters, models of the battlefield, period photographs, letters written by soldiers, and maps indicating tactical operations. Visitors can also view a video projection of period photographs.

Le Linge Memorial Association

86, route du général de Gaulle 68370 Orbey

Tel.: +33 (0)3 89 77 29 97

Fax: +33 (0)3 89 71 31 61

info@linge1915.com

Access

The Memorial Museum and the Le Linge battlefield at Orbey are located near the Col du Wettstein "Nécropole Nationale française" on highway D11V1.

Opening hours

From Good Friday to 11 November: 9.00 am to 12.30 pm and 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm

Admission price

Adults: €3

Group (over 10 people): €2.50 / person

Under 16 years of age (accompanied by an adult) and military personnel in uniform: free admission

Primary and middle school students: €20 per class: free for two accompanying adults

High school students: €2.50 / person, free for two accompanying adults

Reservations are required for school groups, and an educational dossier can be downloaded at www.linge1915.com

Tourism 68

Le Linge World War I Memorial Museum

Richelieu, the founder of the Port du Ponant, launched the first work to fortify the town, which was then continued by Vauban under Louis XIV. It was during the reign of Louis XVI, during the American War of Independence (1775-1783), that the king, fearing that the English would land in Brittany, decided to construct forts and redoubts.

Constructed in various ways depending on the geography of the area to be defended, they all however possessed the means to cross their fire and respond to the intermediate batteries built on the first sign of war. These fortifications, evidence of the history of Brest and the surrounding area, were in their time considered to be state of the art French fortifications on the eve of the revolution. The Fort du Questel is in reality a "redoubt", in other words, a fortified, square-shaped construction, whose entrance or gorge is located on the least exposed side. This enormous quadrilateral with 100 metre long sides is situated between the Fort du Kéranroux (1.5 km t the right) and the Fort de Penfeld (1 km to the left).
Le Fort du Questel watches over the junction of the valleys of le Moulin du Buis, where the enemy could set up camp in order to bombard Brest. Surrounded by deep moats and accessible by a drawbridge, it consists of a stone wall (escarpe), with a walkway around the top for use by the musketeers. This walkway is itself surmounted by a rampart made of earth, which is set back and designed to support the artillery (26 canons in total, with a range of up to 4.5 km). The garrison of around 200 men there had access to various galleries, including two large underground ones linking the central courtyard with the walkways. We should also note the presence of rest areas which, during Vauban's time, was still a privilege ...
Constructed on a 6 hectare site Fort du Questel overlooks the Valley of the Allégoet, a tributary stream of the river Penfeld. Today, this site is one of a series of redeveloped natural areas leading up to the banks of the Penfeld along a circuit that passes by the foot of the Cavale Blanche hospital. On its premises, the fortress provides scenic walks through its well-sheltered ditches, basements, staircases, scarp and counterscarps, esplanade and its nearby cool undergrowth. The Fort du Questel has also become a popular place for hosting many activities.

Located at Bénerville-sur-Mer (Calvados), the protected natural site of Mont Canisy overlooks the sea from a height of 110 metres.

For centuries, the strategic position to the south of the Seine Bay occupied by this site has led it to be used successively as a seigniorial fief which was broken up in 1793, an anti-submarine defence post in 1917-1918, a coastal battery between 1935 and 1940 and then the largest artillery base of operations for the Atlantic Wall. In recent history, it has twice been used as a coastal artillery position: between 1935 and 1940 when the French Navy installed two batteries on the site to contribute to the defence of the estuary and Le Havre port, and between 1942 and 1944 when it became an important part of the Atlantic Wall defences, designed to repel any allied landing attempt.

Various installations from these two periods can still be seen (blockhouses, gun emplacements, fortified ouvrages linked by a 260-metre-long passageway housing an underground garrison, etc.).

Mont Canisy battery

Tel: +33 (0)2 31 87 91 14

Opening hours on Saturdays: 2.30pm to 5.30pm

Mont Canisy batteries website

Part of the German Atlantic Wall defences, the Longues-sur-Mer battery is located 8 km north of Bayeux, in the Calvados département. Located to the west of Arromanches-les-Bains in Normandy, Longues-sur-Mer overlooks the ocean from the top of a 65-metre high cliff, making it an ideal position for the Germans to install a battery of four 150 mm cannon. It is one of the few remains of the Atlantic Wall still intact.

Starting at 0530 on 6th June 1944, several cruisers and a battleship bombarded the position. But when the landing fleet arrived offshore, the battery opened fire itself. HMS Ajax retreated one kilometre offshore. The German cannons ceased fire briefly then began again; the last gun continued firing until 1700 hours. The Longues-sur-Mer battery surrendered to the British the following day along with the184 men of the garrison. Four 150mm cannons with a range of 19.5 kilometres were mounted in this battery. A firing post, barely finished by 6th June 1944, was installed alongside the cliff.
Longues-sur-Mer Battery 14400 Longues-sur-Mer Tel.: +33 (0) 231 06 06 45 Fax: +33 (0) 231 06 01 66 Access from the D514 Open all year round Guided tours from Easter to September

On 16 August 1944, 35 young people between 18 and 22 years old were shot behind the Reservoir pond after having fallen into a trap that led to their arrest. They belonged to three Resistance organisations and included 20 francs-tireurs and partisans from the town of Chelles, three members of the Civil and Military Youth Organisation and 12 Young Christian Fighters who wanted to participate in the liberation of Paris (25-26 August). They accepted a mission from a so-called intelligence service agent, who asked them to transport weapons, and showed up at the meeting place, Place des Ternes, without arms. Almost as soon as they did, they were encircled by the Gestapo and brought to its headquarters, where they were interrogated until 10pm before being taken to the waterfall and shot. Every year, this tragic event is commemorated on the spot where it occurred and where the old oak trees "still have the bullets that killed these teenage boys lodged in their hearts".

The Bois de Boulogne was bombed several times during the Second World War, but the most tragic incident took place on 4 April 1943, when six of the 38 bombs that fell on the 16th arrondissement hit the Longchamp racetrack on opening day, killing many civilians. In memory of that tragic day, coniferous trees were planted in the holes caused by the bombs in the forest, but a storm uprooted many of them in December 1999.
Bois de Boulogne Waterfall Bois de Boulogne Carrefour de Longchamp 75016 Paris

The casemate of Pont Saint Louis is to be found in a small square opposite the French customs building to the left of the Number 5 trunk road, barely 7 metres from the border. It consists of the casemate itself, an anti-tank barrier and a permanent mine device (dispositif de mines permanent or DMP) located 20 metres behind at the Garavan crossroads, opposite the current police station. It also comprises an anti-tank barrier completed by a minefield, i.e. two rows of 6 holes in which Ollivier piquets (105 mm shells mounted on steel stakes) were set. The anti-tank barrier was strengthened with torque rods and the obstacle was completed with barbed wire. Originally, a trench led towards the double doors on which there was a support for an FM 24/29 used for the close defence of the access trench. This position was used for launching signalling grenades or rockets in order to request artillery fire (green rocket) or possible withdrawal of the company (red rocket). Construction of the fortification The fortification was built by a civil company at a cost of 0.34 million old Francs. For comparison purposes, the Cap Martin fortification cost 17 million Francs. The pilot study dates back to the 1st October 1930, but a project from the 14th March 1940 allowed the acquisition of extra premises. The structural work was finished in August 1932 following several incidents, in particular problems with the housing for the 37 mm canon. In 1934, the fortification was permanently commissioned. The casemate was finally finished, despite the doubts raised by General Besson when he inspected the fortification in April 1938: "this blockhouse won't last 5 minutes... ".

Description of the fortification We enter through a narrow corridor about twelve metres long, 0.80 metres wide and 1.70 metres high, which leads to the firing chamber. Opposite the entrance there is a small 2 metre square room, which contains a ventilation system, a filtering box and a space that is also used for ventilation. Outside, there is the OTCF radio station aerial and telephone cable linking the building with Cap Martin. The firing chamber contains a slot for an FM 24/29 and space to house either the 37 mm 1934 model anti-tank canon or Reibel machine guns. Taking into account the proximity to the border and the reduced firing range (6 metres wide and 10 metres long) the canon has always remained in the space and the pair of machine guns have never been used. A grenade launcher chute is located to the right of the anti-tank housing.
The crew of the casemate was taken from the 96th Alpine Fortress Battalion and comprised Sergeant Bourgoin, Corporal Lucien Robert, some alpine soldiers, Gaston Chazarin, Marcel Guzzi, Nicolas Petrio, André Garon and Paul Lieutaud and was commanded from 17th June 1940 by sub-lieutenant Charles Gros. The casemate and its crew were cited on the Order of the Army by General René Olry.
The casemate of Pont Saint Louis Esplanade Jojo Arnaldi 06500 Menton Tel.: +33 (0) 6 64 26 34 61 or +33 (0) 6 69 48 69 57 Access : Bus lines 3 and 8 from Menton railway station Open to the public all year round by appointment. From June to September: on Saturdays by appointment and on Sundays from 9 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm Prices Group (more than 10 people): 1€ 50 Adults: 1€00 Children (under 10 years old): 0€50 Free (on production of card) for Police, military police, customs officers, ex-servicemen and military personnel. Document in Pdf format - 5 Mo June 1940 - the glorious defence of the Pont Saint-Louis - Source: www.maginot.org

In his collection of short stories, Solitude de la pitié (“The Solitude of Compassion”), Jean Giono evokes his friend Yvan Kossiakoff, who lies in this national cemetery (tomb 372). According to him, this fighter was shot in July 1917 at the Chalons camp. But there is no evidence that any Russian soldiers were executed at that time. In all likelihood, Jean Giono imagined this execution with reference to the Russian uprising in La Courtine (Creuse).

On 16 May 1937, the French Front Veteran Officers Association, founded in 1923, together with Veterans of the Moroccan Division, opened a memorial chapel dedicated to the 4,000 Russian soldiers who died in France and Salonika (now Thessaloniki). The chapel, designed in Orthodox style by architect Albert Benoît, was built near the cemetery, which also houses a monument in homage to the Russian infantry of the Second Special Regiment.

Since it was founded in 1679, Mont-Louis has experienced an extraordinary military past. In addition to the political decisions made by King Louis XIV, the enlightened plans drawn up by the well-known French architect Vauban and the very active and rigorous surveillance of the Secretary of State for War Louvois, the place has been the home and domain of soldiers!

Following the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 and on the behest of King Louis XIV who wished to secure this region only recently reclaimed by Spain, Vauban, General Commissioner of Fortifications, designed this stronghold from the ground up in 1679. The special strategic location, at the crossroads of the comarques of Conflent, Capcir and Cerdanya, determined the final choice of the site. Moreover, this position gave easy access to materials, pastures, mills, wood and fields.

Mont-Louis was planned over two terraces: the citadel and the town.

The original plans included a lower town for the sutlers, stables and feedstores as well as a redoubt but they were never built for lack of funds.

As concerns the military citadel, the view from which stretched from the Canigou to the Serra del Cadi, the defences were based on typical Vauban features: bastions, battered curtain walls and demi-lunes. While the chapel, the arsenal and two powder stores were completed, the governor's house, chaplain’s quarters and the hall to provide shelter for the soldiers never got off the ground.

Adhering to simple principles, Vauban then set about organising the interior layout of the new town to house a small middle class of craftsmen with infantry barracks either side of the sole entryway into the citadel. It met military requirements and was also a practical place to live and work with a simple and well-ordered layout where the command, combat and civilian activities were harmoniously integrated.

During this period of temporary peace, the soldiers provided most of the labour, in particular the Vierzet-Famechon, Stoppa Brendelé, Furstemberg and Castries regiments. There were many soldiers living around Mont-Louis - 3,700 were present when Louvois visited the site in 1680, all paid a poor daily wage for such harsh labour in tough conditions, not least the severe climate in Mont-Louis. They were supervised by specialised craftsmen (masons, stonecutters, carpenters, joiners, blacksmiths, well-diggers and the like) and overseen by quartermasters and engineers working for the King. Any prestige from wearing the uniform was sacrificed to the meanliness of their task.

In 1681, some 29 months after Vauban’s visit, most of the work was completed and the fortress was considered to be in a state of defence. On 26 October, the first governor, François de Fortia, Marquess of Durban, took possession of the place during a sumptuous celebration amid “loud cries of 'Long live the King!’ by the people of Cerdagne who came in droves and were delighted to witness such a ceremony”. Henceforth, Mont-Louis marked the final military southern border and was well positioned to keep close watch over the stronghold of Puigcerdà in Spanish Cerdagne. The excellent choice of location has persisted through the centuries to today.

In 1793, the fortress was central to the military events taking place in Cerdagne. Mont-Louis was renamed Mont-Libre. Taking advantage of the chaotic situation in France, the King of Spain used the French regicide as an excuse to send in his troops to invade the entire region of the Pyrénées-Orientales. In Cerdagne, General Dagobert pushed back the Spanish army twice. In July 1793, the Spanish troops occupying the Col de la Perche passage were routed out and in September those camped above Canaveilles were resoundingly defeated. General Dagobert continued his efforts and invaded Spanish Cerdagne and Puigcerdà, where he died in 1794 (Monuent Dagobert stands on Place de l’Eglise).

Peace returned on 1 August 1795 and Mont-Libre was essentially used as a storehouse by the army stationed in Cerdagne. Monte-Libre reverted back to its name of Mont-Louis on 24 October 1803. In 1808, Mont-Louis became a huge transit camp and a hospital for the Spanish army. With the Restoration, Mont-Louis’s defensive importance was more related to its topography than to the fortress itself. The work resumed with intensity in 1887 to improve the Mont-Louis’ defences in particular its immediate surroundings.

The World Wars saw floods of emigrants crammed within the fortress, during the Spanish Civil War in 1936 before the German Occupation and the liberation of the site by the Free French Forces. In 1946 the fortress reclaimed its original function as a military stronghold when the 11th BPC parachute regiment were stationed there and then in 1964 the site became the National Commando Training Centre.

This centre dedicated to French expertise in commando training instructed military personnel (officers, NCOs and other ranks) from the land and air forces, the national gendarmerie and foreign armies, but was also a training centre with special programmes for war correspondents, STAPS students (physical education) and personnel from the justice and interior ministries.

But the fortress did retain one unique architectural feature: the Puits des Forçats (Convicts’ Well), with its enormous wheel that supplied water to the site (open all year round to visitors). The town walls also harbour the first solar furnace with double reflection built in 1949 (also open to visitors through the year). Its church, dedicated to St Louis, was started in 1733 based on the model of the chapel in the citadel. Inside there is a series of Roussillon baroque altarpieces dating from the 17^th and 18^th centuries with a very fine statue of Christ made of polychrome wood (17^th century) in the Rhenish style.

Mont-Louis Tourist Information Office

3 rue Lieutenant Pruneta 66210 Mont-Louis, France

Tel/fax: +33 (0)4 68 04 21 97

E-mail: otmontlouis@wanadoo.fr

Guided tours: Fortress/Puits des Forçats well: during winter, every day except Sunday from 11 am to 2 pm. Village: in winter every day except Sunday at 3.30 pm. Solar furnace: Low season: every day at 10 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm. Summer: every day from 10 am to 6 pm, tours every 30 minutes.