Le chemin des dames: The Ladies’ Path

From this small plateau, you have a lovely, unobstructed view of the city and its surroundings. In the distance, across the plains of Picardy, you can see the infamous Chemin des Dames. This French departmental road is known to us as the setting of one of the most horrific events of World War I. The name “Chemin des Dames” has a story behind it; it was Madame de Narbonne who asked for the road to her residence, château de la Bove, to be improved. You see, she was expecting a visit from the daughters of Louis XV, also known as “Les Dames de France”, that is, “The Ladies of France”, and it wouldn’t do to jostle the princesses in their carriage on a bumpy road. But despite its sweet name, the Ladies’ Path would forever be remembered for the terrible defeat of the French troops, who were forced to leave their positions in the face of the German advance. What should have been a swift and effective offensive planned by General Nivelle, turned into several months of agony and a terrible fiasco for the French army. It was around this time that the first ever mutinies, that is, rebellions within the army, occurred in France, mainly on the Chemin des Dames and on the Champagne front. The plateau was also a hotly contested battleground during World War II. Feel free to explore and see the memorials. It’s worth noting that historians initially tried to downplay the extent of the damage and thus the failure of this offensive. Well, it’s easier to remember the Battle of Verdun as a French defensive victory, despite the horrendous casualties, rather than as a resounding defeat. Nevertheless, veterans and local initiatives have spontaneously erected memorials to this terrible battle. The battlefields were not marked out as memorial sites, as was the case in Verdun, but rather used once more as agricultural land. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the commemorations took on an official character, with the opening of a dedicated museum.