paris, as capital of the republic, first merits consideration among the great garrison towns of france. it has the most extensive system of fortifications in the world, and has had the doubtful privilege of having undergone more sieges, burnings, and other military experiments than most large cities can boast or mourn. the inner line of fortifications was planned as far back as 1840, with a total measurement of 22? miles, but after the war of 1870 two main lines of detached forts were erected in addition to those already in existence, which formed the skeleton on which the more modern plan is built. the older forts are those of st. denis, aubervilliers, romainville, noisy, resny, nogent, vincennes, ivry, bicêtre, montrouge, vanves, issy, and mont valérien; the new forts which completed the scheme are those of palaiseau, villeras, buc, and st. cyr, which form the versailles portion of the scheme, and marly, st. jamme, and aidremont, round st. germain. on the opposite side of the seine are situated forts cormeillers, domont, montlignon, montmorency, écouen, stains, vaujours, villiers, and villeneuve st. georges. the chatillon fort occupies a position between the two lines, and is placed on the site whence german batteries bombarded paris during the siege of 1871, forming a proof of the wisdom displayed in the german choice of position. the double line of forts thus disposed renders paris as nearly impregnable to the attack of an enemy as is possible under modern military conditions.
the total number of troops garrisoned in paris in normal times is about 25,000, and there are also about 4500 gendarmerie. paris in itself ranks as a separate military district of the republic, and is noteworthy as being the head-quarters of the republican guard, practically the only body of picked men in the french military system, and analogous with the guards' brigade of the british army.
amiens, the head-quarters of the 2nd army corps, is a city of nearly 100,000 inhabitants, containing a cathedral which is generally considered the finest existing example of gothic architecture. situated eighty-one miles north of paris, it is one of the principal points of concentration for troops in the vicinity of the northern frontier, and forms head-quarters for the departments of aisne, oise, somme, and parts of seine-et-oise and seine. although head-quarters of an army corps, amiens does not rank among the principal fortified posts of france.
besan?on, situated 243 miles south-east of paris, ranks as a first-class fortress, and is the head-quarters of the 7th army corps. it is the centre of military administration for the departments of ain, doubs, haute-marne, haute-sa?ne, jura, belfort, and part of rh?ne. it is an ancient town containing roman remains dating from the second century of the christian era, including an amphitheatre and triumphal arch. situated on the main line of rail from dijon to belfort, besan?on is one of the centres of mobilisation for the defence of the eastern frontier, and it is from this point that a good many of the first line of troops were drafted to the area of recent conflict in alsace and lorraine. in itself besan?on is a quiet and pleasant city on a peninsula stretching out from the left bank of the river doubs, and it has a reputation as the principal watch-making centre of france.
bordeaux, the metropolis of south-western france, is 360 miles distant from paris by rail, and forms the head-quarters of the 18th army corps. as one of the finest cities of france, and a coastal town, it is a popular station among the troops, and serves as head-quarters for the departments of charente-inférieure, gironde, landes, basses-pyrénées, and hautes-pyrénées. the military history of bordeaux dates back to very ancient times, for it was sacked successively by vandals, visigoths, franks, and norsemen, and attained to a period of peace only at the middle of the twelfth century. as centre of one of the principal wine-growing districts of france, it is as near climatic perfection as the conscript can expect to get, though those who serve in the department of hautes-pyrénées undergo more rigorous conditions of weather. in addition to being a port of departure for trans-atlantic traffic, bordeaux is a popular pleasure resort, and thus plenty of amusements are within reach of the troops serving at head-quarters.
bourges, the head-quarters of the 8th army corps, is one of the principal military stations of france, although not in itself a town of very great importance. its training establishments rank very highly in the military life of the nation, including as they do a national cannon foundry, very extensive engineering works, and schools of artillery and pyrotechnics for the training of officers. bourges is head-quarters for the departments of cher, c?te-d'or, nièvre, sa?ne-et-loire, and part of the department of rh?ne. it is one of the chief arsenals of the republic, and occupies a position near the geographical centre of france. the town dates back to roman time, and had the doubtful distinction of being destroyed by julius c?sar, at about the time of his invasion of britain.
chalons-sur-marne has been a centre of conflict in most of the wars in which france has been engaged from very early times. it was destroyed by the vandals, by attila and his ruthless huns, and by the burgundians in medi?val times, and is situated on a plain which has always been considered an ideal battlefield, and has served that purpose throughout the centuries up to the present day. it is the head-quarters of the 6th army corps, and is the military centre for the departments of ardennes, aubes, meurthe-et-moselle, marne, meuse, and vosges. it is 107 miles east of paris by rail, and is one of the principal brewing centres of france, the wine trade in which it used to be engaged having gone northward to rheims. in the scheme under which the french army is constituted, chalons is one of the centres for early mobilisation of troops of the first line with a view to the defence of the north-eastern frontier.
clermont-ferrand is head-quarters for the departments of loire, haute-loire, allier, cantal, puy-de-d?me, and part of the department of rh?ne. it is the head-quarters of the 13th army corps, and is a town of about 55,000 inhabitants, situated 260 miles directly south of paris by rail. it may be regarded as one of the first centres of systematic mobilisation of which france affords historical record, for at the end of the eleventh century peter the hermit preached the first crusade in the church of notre dame at clermont-ferrand.
grenoble, dominated by mont rachais, a hill rising nearly 3500 feet above sea-level, ranks as a first-class fortress, and is the military centre for the departments of hautes-alpes, dr?me, isère, savoie, haute-savoie, and part of the department of rh?ne. it is the head-quarters of the 14th army corps, and is one of the most beautiful of french cities. in consequence of this it is a well patronised tourist centre, and as such is a popular station among the conscripts.
le mans, the military centre for the departments of eure-et-loire, orne, mayenne, sarthe, and parts of the departments of seine-et-rise and seine, is situated 131 miles w.s.w. from paris by rail, and has historical associations with richard c?ur de lion and henry ii of england, having been the birthplace of the latter. it is the head-quarters of the 4th array corps, and has a population of about 65,000, including the garrison of about 5500. it was a walled city of the roman empire in the third century, and has undergone sieges by the dozen from medi?val times onward. it was one of the centres of conflict in the internecine strife between bendean and republican troops at the time of the revolution, while in 1870 it was the scene of a french defeat. its cathedral contains the tomb of an english queen, lion-hearted richard's consort, and the town is one of great historic interest.
lille, the military centre for the departments of nord and pas-de-calais, is the head-quarters of the 1st army corps, and is in the centre of one of the most thickly populated manufacturing districts of france. it is situated 153 miles north of paris, and up to a few years ago ranked as a first-class fortress town, but, on account of its great commercial importance, and the manufacturing character of the district in which it is situated, it was decided that lille should be regarded as an open town, and not subject to bombardment. the nature of the country in which lille is situated and the density of population may be judged from the fact that it forms a military centre for two departments only, instead of for four or five, as in the case of other head-quarters garrison towns. the old fortifications of lille have been converted into boulevards; under the old scheme of defence the works were so constructed that large areas in the vicinity of the citadel could be placed under water, in case of attack. as french cities go, lille is comparatively modern, dating back only to a.d. 1030, when count baldwin iv walled in the village from which the present prosperous town of nearly 200,000 inhabitants has sprung.
limoges, the military centre for the departments of charente, corrèze, creuse, dordogne, and haute-vienne, is situated about 250 miles s.s.w. of paris by rail. it is the head-quarters of the 12th army corps, and even at the time of the roman conquest was a place of importance, having contributed 10,000 men to the defence of alesia against the roman invasion. during the hundred years' war it sustained alternate sieges by french and english, and from the time of john of england to that of the black prince it was under threat to fire and sword, to which the black prince gave it up after taking the town by assault. remains of a roman fountain and amphitheatre still exist in the town, of which the present population is about 85,000.
marseilles is the military centre for the departments of basses-alpes, alpes-maritimes, corse, vaucluse, bouches-du-rh?ne, gard, var, and ardèche. it is the head-quarters of the 15th army corps, and is a naval station as well. it has been a place of commercial importance from the earliest days, and, situated as it is in one of the healthiest districts of france, as well as being on the coast, it forms an ideal military station. in former times it was subject to epidemic diseases on account of the sub-tropical nature of the climate, but modern methods of sanitation have neutralised this drawback, and marseilles is now as pleasant a place as any that a conscript can hope for in order to undergo his term of service. it is the principal port of france, and as such is strongly fortified, but its fortifications belong to the naval administration of the republic. historically, marseilles dates back to the year 600 b.c., when the greeks established a colony here. it passed to roman rule at the time of the invasion of gaul and became connected with, among other notable romans, petronius, the arbiter of elegance at nero's court. throughout the middle ages marseilles enjoyed a semi-independence, and it has always played a prominent part in the history of the mediterranean sea-board.
montpellier, the head-quarters of the 16th army corps, is the military centre for the departments of aude, aveyron, hérault, lozère, tarn, and pyrénées-orientales. it is about 480 miles south of paris, and about seven miles distant from the mediterranean, from which it is divided by the lagoons of perols and l'arnel. the town is of comparatively late formation as towns go in france, having become a place of note only in the eighth century. it is a wine and brandy centre, and is also engaged in silk works, and, owing to its situation, enjoys a congenial climate. the population is upwards of 80,000.
nantes, the head-quarters of the 11th army corps, is known as the most populous town of brittany, and is the military centre for the departments of finistère, loire-inférieure, morbihan, and vendée. it is situated about 27 miles from the sea and about 250 miles from paris by rail. the population is about 140,000, and from an historical point of view nantes is one of the most interesting of french cities. its name is derived from its having been the chief city of the nannetes, an ancient gallic tribe, and under the romans the city became one of the principal centres of western gaul, having retained its prominence up to the present day. it has seen many sieges and assaults, and was the last city of france to surrender to henry iv of france, who signed here the famous edict that gave protestants equal rights with catholics for nearly a hundred years. many notable frenchmen owned nantes as their birthplace, among them jules verne and several famous french generals. unto the present day the bretons of nantes and the surrounding district retain their distinct peculiarities of character, forming for france what east anglia forms for england, and norman influence, combined with celtic origin, is evident in the people of the country. the breton, by the way, makes a fine soldier, having more of doggedness than the usual frenchman to combine with the dash and agility of body and mind characteristic of the latin races.
orleans, the head-quarters of the 5th army corps, is the military centre for the departments of loiret, loire-et-cher, seine-et-marne, yonne, part of seine-et-oise and part of seine. it is situated 75 miles south-west of paris by rail, and has a population of about 60,000, including its garrison. as the capital of a separate kingdom, orleans enjoyed great prominence throughout the middle ages, and it is always remembered for its associations with the soldier-maid of france, jeanne d'arc. one of the principal artillery schools of the army is situated here. an ancient celtic centre, the town was renamed in the period of roman occupation, and was a flourishing city as early as the fifth century. it was vainly besieged by attila and the huns, taken by clovis, and held against the english at the time when jeanne brought reinforcements to the garrison and compelled the raising of the siege. the long wars between huguenots and catholics brought more strife to orleans, and in the revolutionary period it suffered severely, while it was occupied by the prussians both in 1815 and in 1870, numerous battles being fought in its vicinity during the last-mentioned war. it is worthy of note that a duke of orleans, a member of the old royal family of france, served in the british army in the reign of victoria.
rennes, the ancient capital of brittany, is the head-quarters of the 10th army corps, and the site of a large arsenal in addition to the barracks, while it is the military centre for the departments of c?tes-du-nord, manche, and ille-et-vilaine. in the early part of the eighteenth century the town was almost destroyed by fire, a catastrophe that is not even yet forgotten; while as the birthplace of boulanger, who introduced many reforms into the french army and was largely responsible for its efficiency in recent years, rennes is peculiarly connected with military matters. it may be remembered, by the way, that the second dreyfus trial was held here in 1899. the population of the town is about 75,000, and it is 51 miles south-east of st. malo and 232 miles west-south-west of paris. historically, rennes was the centre of several roman roads which are still recognisable, and in medi?val times it suffered greatly from the wars between french and english. in the revolutionary period the republican army made rennes their centre for the operations against the vendeans, but it has no later prominence in connection with military history.
rouen, 87 miles north-west of paris by rail, is the head-quarters of the 3rd army corps, is the ancient capital of normandy, and military centre for the departments of calvados, eure, seine-inférieure, and parts of seine-et-oise and of seine. it has a population of about 120,000, including the garrison, and is a town of narrow, picturesque streets and of old-world dignity and interest. here william the conqueror died and jeanne d'arc was burned—a statue commemorates the latter event in the town. although 78 miles from the sea, rouen is one of the principal french ports, the bed of the seine having been deepened from the sea to the city by an ingenious system of embankments, which forced the river to deepen its own bed rather than extend its width—and military labour went far toward the construction of the embankments.
toulouse, the head-quarters of the 17th army corps, is the military centre for the departments of ariege, haute-garonne, gers, lot, lot-et-garonne, and tarn-et-garonne. the town is peculiarly liable to great floods, and those of 1855, which swept away the suspension bridge of st. pierre, and of 1875, which destroyed 7000 houses and drowned 300 people, are still remembered in the city. it is situated 478 miles south of paris and 160 miles south-east from bordeaux, and, with a population of about 150,000, ranks as the metropolis of southern france.
tours, the head-quarters of the 9th army corps, is situated 145 miles south-west from paris by rail, and is the military centre for the departments of maine-et-loire, indre-et-loire, deux-sèvres, and vienne. under the gauls it was the capital of the turones, from whom it derived the name which it still bears, and traces of roman occupation still remain in the form of the ancient amphitheatre. after the fall of roman power, tours was fortified against barbarian invasion, and subsequently it was closely connected with the great names of french history, notably those of clovis, who presented rich gifts to the church at tours out of the spoils won from alaric and the goths, and with charlemagne, who disciplined its monasteries. few towns surpass tours in historic interest, and it is noteworthy in modern times, as the birthplace of balzac and the two marshals boucicaut. in 1870 the government of the national defence was established at tours, and the third republic may thus be said to have had its birth here.
no list of the great garrisons of france would be complete without a reference to verdun and toul, the ends of the great chain of fortresses which defend the eastern frontier. toul, 14 miles to the west of nancy, is the centre of a vast network of entrenchments and defences, and the hills surrounding the town are crowned with forts which command all the country within range to the east. a series of forts, echeloning along the ridge of the meuse, connect toul with verdun, and forms a defensive line which is only equalled in strength by the defences of paris, as far as the french military defensive system is concerned. verdun, at the northern end of the line of frontier defences, is surrounded by a ring of detached forts, eleven in number, and occupying a circumference of 25 miles. since the loss of metz to germany, verdun has been so strengthened as to form the most formidable fortress in france.
