![]() ![]() The first line or the Etzel-Giselher Stellung included Montfaucon, and while the strongest German troops weren’t placed here, their position by nature of the terrain, was difficult to attack. ( Access the web map Where? Why There? to see the German lines). The German soldiers were organized into three main lines, each named for a witch in a Richard Wagner opera. The German defenses in the Meuse-Argonne region had been considered impregnable since 1915, and the American Army had a decisive strategy for how to attack this difficult terrain. The Crowned Prince of Germany used the splendid natural height of Montfaucon as an observation post for the Battle of Verdun in 1916. Why was this region important during WWI?ĭuring World War One, the heights of this region had been contested since 1914, when France failed to retake Montfaucon on several attempts. The region was just as diverse in 1918 as it was in 1800, and much of the region spoke some sort of German dialect.Ĭ. It remained French territory until the French lost the Franco-Prussian war, after which it became German land. The Treaty of Westphalia returned Alsace to the French in 1648, and the region of Lorraine was incorporated into France in 1766. In the redistribution, the Holy Roman Empire received the region of Alsace, and France took most of the modern Netherlands, Belgium and the region of Lorraine. Then the Kingdom of Lotharingia was split between King Lothair’s sons, Charles and Louis after his death. The Treaty of Mersen in 870 redistributed the land of the Carolingian Empire between the sons of Louis I. The Celts occupied Alsace-Lorraine during the much of existence of the Roman Empire, and it became part of Lotharingia in the mid-ninth century, united with the German territories of the Carolingians. Iron ore, coal, potassium chloride, and phosphate mines also contributed to the region’s wealth in natural resources. Agriculture and the harvesting of natural resources dominated the economy of the region at this time, and it contained quite a bit of fertile farmland, which was especially ripe for viticulture, or the growing of grapes. In 58 BC, the Romans invaded Alsace and turned it into an agricultural hub, complete with fortifications for defense. Why was this land contested for hundreds of years?Īs a result of its key location in Europe and its wealth of natural resources Alsace-Lorraine has been an area of contention for hundreds of years, as many nations wanted to reap the benefit of its wealth. The Alps serve as a topographical border to the southeast, and the Rhine River was a border to the northeast of France.ī. The Pyrenees Mountains create a natural border with Spain in the southwest. France had been seeking to establish its “natural boundaries” for hundreds of years. It was an area rich in natural resources and fertile farmlands. Alsace-Lorraine borders the countries of Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Much of the land that was fought over during the Meuse-Argonne campaign was located in the region of Alsace-Lorraine, which is located in northeastern modern day France. Section 6: Lesson Plans, Interactive Maps and 3-D ImagingĮssential question: Where is the Meuse-Argonne? Why did the largest land offensive in U.S. Section 5: A Virtual Field Trip: The ABMC monuments and Meuse-Argonne Cemetery ![]() ![]() Section 4: Geography is War, A Case Study of the Argonne Forest and the Lost Battalion Section 1: Overview of Teaching and Mapping the Geography of the Meuse Argonne Offensive ![]()
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