In the footsteps of the soldiers at Craonne

This stone statue of Napoleon I, sculpted by Georges Thurotte in 1974, commemorates the victory of the French armies at Craonne over the Russian and Prussian armies of General Blücher on 7 March 1814 during the French Campaign.It stands on the site of the Vauclair mill, which served as his observation post during that battle...

This defensive stronghold was the scene of fierce fighting in this sector of the Chemin des Dames following the launch of the Nivelle Offensive in April 1917.The soldiers called it the ‘edge fortification’ because it was situated on the edge of the plateau, but it was soon renamed the Gérardmer trench (or embankment) by the 152nd Infantry Regiment, which stormed it, in reference to the town in the Vosges from which their garrison hailed. Still visible beneath the foliage today, an information panel on site will explain the history of the site...

The California Plateau, in the heart of the Chemin des Dames, is, like Verdun, an iconic site of the First World War. However, it has long been associated with the crushing failure of the Nivelle Offensive in April 1917, the mutinies that followed and the collapse of the summer of 1918, and was consigned to obscurity after the First World War. Before 1914, this plateau, situated above the former village of Craonne, was already a popular spot for walks. After the war, pine trees were planted on this ‘red zone’, as the land was no longer suitable for cultivation. And since 2013, a freely accessible observation tower has allowed visitors to take in the view of the plain from a height of over 25 metres... And why the name, anyway? Quite simply because, during the Belle Époque, the site was a leisure destination, featuring a tropical plant garden, a zoo, and even a typical Wild West saloon – hence its nickname, reminiscent of the US West Coast!

This infamous trench on the Chemin des Dames is now maintained so that you can walk along it, following the course of the departmental road from its eastern end (known as the Jutland salient) to its western end near the statue of Napoleon (known as the Vauclerc turret). And it certainly lives up to its name: as the highest point in the area, it provided the German troops with a natural fortress from which they could control the plateau and strafe anyone attempting to climb the slopes. From 16 April 1917 onwards, casualties were therefore very heavy for the 201st Infantry Regiment, which stormed the hill; note that you can still see the tunnel entrances leading out from there, connecting all these trench systems.