Gravelotte
Encyclopedia
Gravelotte is a commune
in the Moselle
department in Lorraine
in north-eastern France
.
Population (1999): 652.
and the former French-German frontier, as it was between 1870 and 1918. It was famous as the scene of the battle of 18 August 1870
between the Germans under King William of Prussia and the French under Marshal Bazaine
.
The battlefield extends from the woods which border, the Moselle
above Metz to Roncourt
, near the river Orne. Other villages which played an important part in the battle of Gravelotte were Saint-Privat
, Amanvillers
and Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes
, all lying to the north of Gravelotte.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
in north-eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Population (1999): 652.
History
Gravelotte is located between MetzMetz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
and the former French-German frontier, as it was between 1870 and 1918. It was famous as the scene of the battle of 18 August 1870
Battle of Gravelotte
The Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
between the Germans under King William of Prussia and the French under Marshal Bazaine
François Achille Bazaine
François Achille Bazaine was a French General and from 1864, a Marshal of France, who surrendered the last organized French army to the Prussians during the Franco-Prussian war. He was the first Marshal who had started as a legionnaire and like the great Marshals of the First Empire, he had risen...
.
The battlefield extends from the woods which border, the Moselle
Moselle River
The Moselle is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, joining the Rhine at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Mosel through the Our....
above Metz to Roncourt
Roncourt
Roncourt is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
, near the river Orne. Other villages which played an important part in the battle of Gravelotte were Saint-Privat
Saint-Privat-la-Montagne
Saint-Privat-la-Montagne is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.Saint Privat is located between the former French-German frontier as it was between 1871 and 1918 and between 1940 and 1944...
, Amanvillers
Amanvillers
Amanvillers is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
and Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes
Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes
Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-References:*...
, all lying to the north of Gravelotte.