Footsteps of Generals

18/12/2021

www.footstepsofgenerals.com

10/12/2021

Memorial to the battle that ended the Napoleonic Wars.

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historytravelling

01/12/2021

Canadian and Polish fallen from the liberation of the Scheldt Peninsula

24/11/2021

20/11/2021

The Citadel of Namur is located on a hill at the confluence of the Sambre and the Meuse. This was an important strategic position and the fortress’s role was to defend and monitor this crossing point.
This castle has undergone many changes over the centuries as military technology and strategic priorities shifted. From 1519, the conflict between Charles V, emperor of the Low Countries, and François I king of France inspired considerable development of the medieval fort and underground construction, bastions, casements and curtain walls were added. Many of these constructions are still visible. Following Spain’s entry in the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), the Citadel of Namur underwent considerable improvements and fortification works.
The last major fortification works of the Citadel took place between 1815 and 1830. After the Napoleonic wars, the territory of Belgium was attached to the Netherlands.. The Citadel was then rebuilt by the Dutch.
From the late 19th century, the construction of nine concrete forts around Namur made the Citadel useless as a defence tool. It was thus turned into a leisure and walking venue A hotel was built as well as a games stadium and an open-air theater. Access to the site was facilitated by the construction of two scenic routes, a tram line and a funicular that still operates today. Only the parts called Median and Terra Nova retained their military function. They mainly served as barracks. The last military regiment left the site in 1977.
You can now walk the grounds of the Citadel of Namur and visit the Terra Nova Visitor Centre, hop on a tourist train or take a guided underground tour takes visitors on a walk through the Citadel's military past.









book

17/11/2021

book

14/11/2021

The National Military Museum has a fantastic collection of militaria. It is located on the former air base at Soesterberg in central Netherlands. Opened in 201, it combines the collections of the former Military Aviation Museum in Soesterberg and Army Museum in Delft. It Focuses on the Netherlands armed forces in the past and the continued relevance of the forces in the present and future.
Military history buffs will love the exhibits on tanks, planes, suspended aircraft, armored vehicles and helicopters.
The entire museum district is made up of 45 hectares and is being trans- formed into a nature reserve. The museum is surrounded by heath and forest and visitors can stroll the grounds.



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10/11/2021

Please take a minute to reflect

30/07/2021

28/07/2021

25/07/2021

22/07/2021

09/07/2021

04/07/2021

01/07/2021

27/05/2021

Many have seen the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but have you ever looked closely at it? I would love for you to share your pictures of this famous memorial.

24/04/2021

book

20/04/2021

The château d’Angers dates back to the 1200s. Its ramparts are around half a kilometre in length and feature 17 towers.
The fortress was intermittently occupied by the Dukes of Anjou in the 14th and 15th centuries. As well as being a palace, the fortress was also a prison for seven centuries, holding both criminals and the mentally ill. It was also used as barracks until the middle of the 20th century. During the French Revolution, the fortress withstood a massive bombardment by cannons from the Vendean army. For many years, an officer training academy was run from the château, with one of its most famous students being Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who would eventually lead British forces in the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.
After the army finally deserted the building in 1947, it was opened to the public.
The grounds of the fortress are home to beautiful gardens and in a permanent exhibit is found the “Apocalypse Tapestry” – a technical masterpiece of mediaeval art from the 1300s.

16/04/2021

Which is your favorite?

15/04/2021

Vrrrroooooom

Chers amis sportifs,
Toutes les informations concernant la Course de Côte de Quillan 2021 sont en ligne sur le site de l'ASAC :
https://www.asacorbieres.fr/

17/03/2021

In 1917 the French army attacked German defenders at the Chemin des Dames, near Laon. During this battle, more than 270 German soldiers were entombed in a deep supply tunnel. This tunnel, and the dead in it, have recently been found by amateur archeologist, forcing the French and German governments to preserve the site. This is one of the most important discoveries of the last decade. For more information, search “bbc chemin des dames news”.

17/03/2021

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/bombed-first-world-war-tunnel-found-with-remains-of-270-german-soldiers-still-in-it

'It was like Pompeii. Nothing had moved' in French battlefield site

05/03/2021

02/03/2021

The Battle of Gravelotte
War broke out between France and Prussia in 1870. In an early engagement between French and Prussian armies at the Battle of Mars-La-Tour the French suffered the first of the many losses in this war, and in August 1870 were retreating toward the French city of Metz. Pursued by the Prussians, the French Army of the Rhine, commanded by Marshal François Bazaine, dug in near Gravelotte along a line of high ground. The Prussian 1st and 2nd Armies under the direct command of Kaiser Wilhelm I and his Chief of Staff von Moltke, attacked the French on 18 August.
Initially, the French held off the Prussians, making good use of their longer range Chassepot rifles and rapid-firing mitrailleuses (a type of volley gun with multiple barrels of rifle calibre that can fire either multiple rounds at once, or several in rapid succession). But soon after, the Prussians brought their new Krupp all-steel breach-loading guns into play and began to decimate the French with effective canon fire. Thousands of Prussians were then thrown into the assault, and by the early evening French forces were overwhelmed all along the line. The French were out of ammunition, outflanked by the Prussians and ¼ of their men lost. The decimated French Army of the Rhine retreated to Metz, where they were besieged and forced to surrender two months later.
Gravelotte is a sleepy town and its biggest attraction is the excellent Musée de la Guerre de 1870 et de l'Annexion. The museum is well worth the detour should you be visiting the area around Metz. What is really interesting is the ability to check out a tablet from the museum and use this outside to see a virtual reconstruction of the battle.

footstepsofgenerals.com