 Had it not been the setting for arguably the French Army's greatest ever disaster in 1917, the village of Craonne would occupy a small place in the history books as the spot where Napoleon won a brilliant but little-known victory against superior Prussian forces in 1814. 'Napoleon' surveys the Craonne battlefield Situated on the eastern spur of the Chemin des Dames - the high ridge extending 35 kilometres between Reims and Soissons on the north bank of the Aisne - Craonne has numerous links to some of history's most infamous characters. Among those who have come here to observe battle through the ages are Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte and Kaiser Wilhelm II. Thousands of combatants have fought and died on these slopes in battles spanning many centuries; Britis h, French, German and Italian graves from both World Wars lie in a number of Military Cemetries running across the plateau. It was here that trench warfare began in 1914 and here that the doomed Nivelle Offensive of 1917 saw casualty rates surpassing even the opening day of the Somme. View of the battlefield overlooking Craonne I have visited the Chemin des Dames on several occasions, mostly in relation to its famous World War 1 sites such as the Fort de Malmaison and Cavern du Dragon. Each time, I have been intrigued by the curious little statue of Napoleon standing rather  forlornly upon the cultivated slope overlooking Craonne. Not being an expert on Napoleonic Wars, and in the absence of further details being forthcoming, more research was required to determine that this was indeed the site of battle on 7th March 1814 during the 'War of the Six Coalition'. Plateau du California Viewpoint overlooking Craonne Following the retreat from Moscow and defeat in Central Europe, Napoleon's forces were depleted and very much on the defensive. A 100,000 strong Prussian-led Coalition Army under Blucher now advanced towards Paris, reaching Soissons on 4th March. Napoleon gathered his meagre forces, comprising largely of inexperienced recruits, together and bravely set out to confront the invader. Within view of Soissons, the small French Army camped for the night. Napoleon spent a sleepless few hours planning his strategy, interrogating and rewarding local people for information on the movements of Coalition forces in the vicinity. Battle was engaged at daybreak; it was a bitterly cold morning, with a light dusting of snow covering the plateau.  Much of the fighting centred around the Hurtebise Farm, one of the key positions on the hillside situated at an important crossroads near the Cavern du Dragon. The farm changed hands several times during the battle, the outcome of which hung in the balance for much of the day. Hurtebise Farm today According to the account of Napoleon's Valet, it was a 'horribly bloody struggle' with over 10,000 dead and wounded strewn across the plateau. On this occasion, the precipitous, scraggy slopes of the Chemin de Dames were to favour Napoleon. Ironically, little more than a century later, it would be French troops who were cut to pieces attempting to seize the very same heights from German forces during the Nivelle Offensive. The outcome of the battle proved a minor but short-lived success for the French; with 5,400 casualties, French losses were slightly higher than the Coalition forces but Napoleon had at least out-manouvered his opponents and the French had bravely held their ground in the face of superior numbers. It was, however, merely a prelude to the Battle of Laon which two days later resulted in a reversal of fortunes and the beginning of the end for Napoleon. Hurtebise Farm Monument (1814 - 1914) Napoleon statue aside, there is little to mark the battle today. Though dramatic in its own right, it was a relatively small affair in the greater scheme of things. Hurtebise Farm was destroyed in World War 1 but later rebuilt and is still a working farm today; directly opposite is the Hurtebise Farm Monument representing French soldiers from both the Napoleonic and Great War who fell on the Chemin des Dames. The inscription reads: "To the bravery of the French youth: 'Marie Louise' of 1814 - Bleus of 1914." 'Marie Louise' was a reference to the soldiers who served in Napoleon's Army who were too young to have started shaving at the time many of them met their deaths. As for Craonne, the village that gave i ts name to the battle of 1814, there is nothing left of the original. Where once there were homes and vineyards now there are but a few grassy foundations amid the ragged trees beneath the dramatic rise of the California Plateau. Obliterated by artillery in World War 1, an arboretum marks the site of the village, now declared a 'Red Zone'. The original site of Craonne The churned up ground still bears the scars of 1917. The location of former buildings such as the Church of St Martin is marked only by information boards. The church served as a casualty station, tending over 400 wounded soldiers for six weeks after the 1814 battle ended. A new 'Craonne' was built a few hundred yards away from the site of the original village. Today, there are little more than 60 inhabitants but despite the destruction of 1814 and the even greater carnage of 1917, the name Craonne is destined to live on for future generations. The village of Craonne today |