- Forest of Argonne
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The Forest of Argonne is a long strip of rocky mountain and wild woodland in north-eastern France.
In 1792 Charles François Dumouriez outmaneuvered the invading forces of the Duke of Brunswick in the forest before the Battle of Valmy.
The forest is also the site of military action during World War I. Several United States Army soldiers earned the Medal of Honor there, including Colonel Nelson Miles Holderman, Major Charles White Whittlesey, and Sergeant Alvin C. York.
The World War I Montfaucon American Monument consists of a large granite Doric column, surmounted by a statue symbolic of Liberty. The monument is located twenty miles northwest of Verdun. It is not far from the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial.[1]
Through strenuous maneuvering and planning, the forest was selected as the primary route of mechanized forces of Nazi Germany in 1939 and 1940 for the Invasion of France. The forest's great size could conceal the armoured divisions, and because the French did not suspect the Germans to make such a risky move, they did not consider a breakthrough there. German forces primarily led by Erich von Manstein carried out the plan, and managed to slip numerous divisions past the Maginot Line to attack France. This event is frequently considered one of the greatest large-scale armoured movements in history.
Contents
Points of interest
- Arboretum du Petit-Bois
See also
References
- ^ American Battle Monuments Commission: Montfaucon monument.
External links
This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.
Coordinates: 49°09′N 4°58′E / 49.15°N 4.967°E
Categories:- Lorraine
- Forests of France
- Lorraine geography stubs
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