List of French villages destroyed in World War I

Les villages détruits (the destroyed villages) are in northern France, mostly in the French département of Meuse.

Sign indicating the site of the destroyed village of Fleury-devant-Douaumont

During the First World War, specifically at the time of the Battle of Verdun in 1916, many villages in northern France were destroyed by the fighting. After the war, it was decided that the land previously occupied by the destroyed villages would not be incorporated into other communes, as a testament to these villages which had "died for France", as they were declared, and to preserve their memory. While three of the villages in Meuse were subsequently rebuilt and are governed as normal communes, the other six are entirely unpopulated and are managed by a council of three members, appointed by the prefect of Meuse. All of these communes are located in the Canton of Charny-sur-Meuse in the Arrondissement of Verdun, and are located generally north of the city of Verdun, in the Lorraine region of northeastern France.

List of villages (communes)

In Meuse

In Marne
  • Auve[1]
  • Beauséjour, Marne
  • Bignicourt-sur-Saultz (3/33 homes remained)[1] 30 men and 45 women and children were taken captive.[2]
  • Etrepy (7/70 homes remained)[1]
  • Glannes[1]
  • Hurlus
  • Le Mesnil-lès-Hurlus
  • Perthes-lès-Hurlus
  • Ripont
  • Somme-Tourbe (everything in the village except the village hall (Mairie), church, and two private buildings)[1]
  • Tahure
  • Moronvilliers
  • Nauroy
  • Sermaize-les-Bains (40/900 homes remained).[1] About 150 people from the village were taken captive.[2]
  • Suippes[1]

In Meurthe-et-Moselle
  • Regniéville
  • Remenauville
  • Fey-en-Haye
  • Flirey

In Aisne
  • Moussy-sur-Aisne
  • Vauclerc-et-la-Vallée-Foulon
  • Ailles
  • Beaulne-et-Chivy
  • Courtecon
  • Craonne

Destroyed during World War II
See also: Bombing of France during World War II

See also

References
  1. March, Francis A. (March 1, 2008). World War I: History of the World War, Complete Edition, Volume 1. Wildside Press LLC. p. 145.
  2. March, Francis A. (March 1, 2008). World War I: History of the World War, Complete Edition, Volume 1. Wildside Press LLC. p. 147.
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