Sur les traces du 35e Régiment d'Infanterie

This 3 to 7 km trail takes you back in the footsteps of the 35th Infantry Regiment engaged in the fighting in 1914, and shows you what daily life was like in Autrêches during the German occupation.

Less than four weeks after the declaration of war, soldiers of the 1st German Army passed through Autrêches on August 31, 1914. After the Battle of the Marne, the French attempted to retake the village. On September 14, infantrymen from the 35th and 42nd Infantry Regiments temporarily succeeded. The following day, fierce fighting continued for more than ten days, spreading throughout the area. By the end of September 1914, when the front stabilized, the Germans held the heart of the village, while the French occupied the southernmost hamlet. From then on, for more than 29 months, the enemies faced each other. Frequent bombardments on both sides destroyed most of the village's dwellings.

The outcome of the war was disastrous: over 95% of the village was destroyed.