Napoleon in the territory
 
The Fall of the Eagle


Marshal Valée a schoolfriend of Napoleon

  March 29, 1814,the emperor Napoleon walked thoughtfully on the bridge at Dolancourt, he had learnt that the allied army was at the gates of Paris. He decided to march on the Capital. Too late! Paris capitulated the following day. The dice was thrown, he had to abdicate.

So ended the French campaign that had started against Prussian troops in the territory with Napoleon's victory at Brienne - Le - Château. There, Blucher was almost captured in the chateau the young Bonaparte had seen built when he was a student at the military academy in the town. The eagle though didn't have enough troops to win at La Rothière where the fighting took place between Trannes and Dienville.
The retreating emperor passed by Lesmont and Piney, where a memorable combat took place between the Cossacks and his guards, in the covered market. Napoleon spent the night here in the house of the Dukes of Luxembourg , which still exists. In February and March, what were called minor combats that were nevertheless important took place between Laubressel and Thennelières. The Guillautière bridge at Courteranges was a strategic point.
After the failure of the armistice talks at Lusigny, the south eastern part of the Forêt d'Orient was the site of the last combats in the French Campaign. Mesnil - St - Père guards a souvenir of this in the places called "La bataille" and "Les champs de honor". Magny - Fouchard was shelled. On February 28th Oudinot and Marmont, finally, defended dearly the bridge of Dolancourt .
 
Modern Europe was born on the bridge at Dolancourt

Modern Europe was born in Vienna in 1815 but all had already been said on the bridge at Dolancourt. The territory guards the souvenir by the monument to the dead at La Rothière and statues in Brienne. Here and there, bullet holes devoutly preserved on church walls and of course, the Napoleon Museum in Brienne helps relive the epic.
 
A rich territory of memory

Town hall in Radonvilliers
Constructed with money for war damage granted by Napoleon
  Louis XVIII finally gave the money to the civilians around 1816, it was then, that the last half timbered houses were built: those ravishing houses in late C18th style, the countryside is always slightly behind.

Napoleon III finally, granted the money that his uncle had promised, Brienne and Radonvilliers, built a Town hall, Lesmont a market hall.

Today the enthusiast will find to admire, all the important buildings that were discrete and have been forgotten but all still standing, chateaus, houses where the negotiations took place, bridges etc...
Sylvain Michon PNRFO © PNRFO