Craonne

Craonne is a common French, located in the department of the Aisne and the area Picardy.

“On the spot, /kr ɑn/is said. But everyone… but elsewhere, one pronounces //. ” - (Stephan Audoin-Rouzeau, France Inter, 2000 years of history , April 24th, 2007). In fact, the pronunciation krɑɔn developed with the song of Craonne. The name would come from Celtic the " Craon" , the Cave.

Origins

CRAONNE, Craubenna Xe century; Craonna in 907; Cranna, Credona, Corona, Creona

Owner

Martin saint

Fair of Craonne

establishment with Craonne of three days an annual frank fair in 1482, to begin of November 2nd.

Wine of Craonne

The culture of the grape and the wine is very old in Craonne. The inhabitants paid to the prior of Marcoul Saint the dime of the wine which was twentieth of their harvest

Geography

Craonne is halfway between Laon and Rheims (to approximately about thirty kilometers of each one of these cities). The village before 1914 had a triangular form corresponding to the three main streets and it extended on the slopes from the plate from the Chemin from the Ladies, taking at this place the name of “ plate of Craonne ”. The new village was installed in the valley, in the south-west of the old village.

History

Craonne at the XIXème century

The village of Craonne enters the national history in 1814. It is there that Napoleon i gains one of his last victories: he manages to push back the Russian and Prussian troops. This battles at the time which the Marie-Louise were committed was particularly fatal: one counted 5400 dead or wounded.

To the XIXe century, the village located on the slopes of the plate of the Chemin of the Ladies is devoted to agriculture and the vine growing. With the arrival of the train, the villagers forsake the vine to devote themselves to the truck farming. On the high plateau overhanging the hill a American saloon was called " Californie" created by Henry Vasnier associated champagnes Pommery. In addition to a service of hotel trade, of a zoo, and an exotic garden of Amerindian plants, the place was known to be a " house of plaisir" attended by the middle-class rémoise. Thereafter, the plate will take the name of " Plate of California ". It is still possible to discover exotic plants having survived the First World War.

Craonne at the time of the First World War

Craonne acquires a tragedy notoriety at the time of the First World War. In 1914, after the First battle of Aisne, the village is occupied and its population is moved: the village is located indeed on the frontline. With the Offensive Bubble, the village was entirely shaven in spring 1917 by the massive bombardments: 5 million shell fell on the way from the Ladies between the April 6th and 16th 1917. The combat are terrible there at the time of this offensive: the 1st division of infantry which goes up to the attack finds blocked on the level of the cellars of Craonne. Then on May 4th, one second offensive is launched by the 36e division of infantry which ends to the resumption of Craonne and the progression on the plate of California.

After the failure of this offensive and the undergone serious losses, losses of more than 130000 men in 10 days, the French Army must deal with many acts of insubordination concerning more than 150 units: one speaks then about mutinies. the song of Craonne associates the village with these insubordinations and pacifism.

The rebuilding

After the war, the rebuilding of the new village was below made the plate of California, in the plain, on a space more favourable with a modern agriculture. The village was located in red zone: the village was to thus disappear. It is the tenacity of some returned villagers with Craonne which obliges the political officials of recontruire a village.

Today, the village accommodates conferences and demonstrations around the First World War. It is there that meets in particular the International Collectif of Research and Debate on the War of 1914-1918.

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

On the plate of California, draws up the sculpture of Haïm Kern, commemorating the eightieth birthday of the armistice of 1918. It is Lionel Jospin which inaugurated the monument.
the town hall received on April 16th, 2007, three tables of Tardi.

Personalities related to the commune

Yves Gibeau, author of Let us go z' children , is buried in the old cemetery of Craonne since 1994.

In its speech of November 5th, 1998 with Craonne, the Prime Minister of the time Lionel Jospin wished that the soldiers “shot for the example”, “exhausted by attacks condemned in advance, slipping into a soaked mud of blood, plunged in a despair bottomless”, which “refused to be sacrificed”, victims “of a discipline whose rigor had of equal only the hardness of the engagements, reinstate today, fully, our national collective memory”.

In the context of Cohabitation, this initiative was criticized by the President of the Republic Jacques Chirac.

See too

War memorials pacifist
Soldier shot for the example
Common of Aisne
Great War:
Nicolas Offenstadt ED., the Way of the Ladies of the event to the memory , Paris, Stock, 2004. Much information on the history of Craonne in 14/18 and afterwards.
Way of the Ladies
Battle of Craonne (1814)

External bonds

Craonne on the site of the national geographical Institute
Craonne on the site of INSEE
Craonne on the site of Quid
Localization of Craonne on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Craonne on Mapquest
Site of the CRID

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