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| Braye-en-Laonnois Today |
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| Braye Is Position 4 on This Map of the 1917 Battle |
A commune located just south of the Chemin des Dames, Braye-en-Laonnois would be a focus of action for almost the entire First World War. Five different belligerent armies would fight in and around what was at the start of the conflict a 2,000 person community. Most of the civilians would be evacuated when German staff decided to make it one of the most elaborate defensive positions in the Aisne sector after their retreat from the Marne in 1914.
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| Main Street before the War |
Braye was chosen for this role out of a passel of similar villages in the area for several unique features.
1. It was located on a valuable north-south road.
2. It also overlooked a key tunnel entrance for the strategic Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne that connected the two river valleys.
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| Canal Tunnel Entrance |
3. There was a nearby quarry, Froidmont Carrière, that could serve as secured barracks and storage.
4. It is positioned in a deep hollow between two ridges. (It's not clear whether this was considered an advantage or disadvantage.)
These factors would magnetically draw the forces of five nations during four years of conflict. The wartime experiences of Braye-en-Lannois are best summarized chronologically:
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| First German Trenches Along the Aisne |
September 1914—German forces retreat to the Aisne sector, followed by pursuing British forces. The first trench lines of the Great War develop here.
March 1915—A concerted British effort to capture Braye-en-Laonnois fails.
April 1917—In anticipation of the Nivelle Offensive, French artillery levels the surviving village. On 16 April, the French attack in the vicinity utterly fails.
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| French Soldiers Examining German Emplacements |
October 1917—Poilus of the 132nd French Infantry Regiment and the 69th Battalion of Chasseurs à Pieds recapture the village.
February-March 1918—Units of the U.S. 26th Yankee Division occupy Froidmont quarry.
May 1918—The village once again falls into German hands during the fourth German offensives of the year.
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| Italian Troops in the Sector |
October 1918—Italian troops finally liberate Braye-en-Laonnois.
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| Braye-en-Laonnois at War's End |
Aftermath—During the 1920s, only 200 inhabitants came to resettle in Braye, and the reconstruction of the village lasted until 1935. The new population—only 10% of the 1914 level—has stayed steady since.
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| American Graffiti |
The Froidmont quarry, visited and slept in by troops of all five nations, provided a wonderful opportunity for carving images and names by the soldiers. The Doughboys of the Yankee Division were especially industrious during their two-month habitation. The site is now considered a cultural artifact and treasure of the war. It has been featured in a number of articles such as HERE.
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