Near the town ofSaint-Dizier, part of the flow is diverted through the artificialLake Der-Chantecoq. This ensures both flood prevention and the maintenance of minimum river flows in periods of drought.[2]
The Marne is famous as the site of two eponymous battles duringWorld War I. Thefirst battle was a turning point of the war, fought in 1914. Thesecond battle was fought four years later, in 1918.
TheGauls worshipped a goddess known asDea Matrona ("divine mother goddess") who was associated with the Marne.
The Marne was navigable as a free-flowing river until the 19th century. It had one gated 500 m shortcut, the Canal de Cornillon in Meaux, which was built in 1235, the oldest canal in France.[3] Canalisation was started in 1837 and completed to Épernay in 1867. It included a number of canals to bypass the most extravagant meanders.[4]
InWorld War I, the Marne was the scene of two notable battles. In theFirst Battle of the Marne (September 1914), the military governor of Paris, GeneralJoseph Gallieni, took the initiative in driving the Germans back from the capital, rendering theirwar-plan inoperative.[5] In theSecond Battle of the Marne (July-August 1918), the last major German offensive on the Western Front was defeated by an Allied counter-attack, leading eventually to theArmistice.[6]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toMarne River.
River Marne navigation guide with maps and details of places, ports and moorings on the river, by the author ofInland Waterways of France, 8th ed., 2010, publ. Imray
