TheMarne (/mɑːrn/;French pronunciation:[maʁn]^ⓘ) is ariver inFrance, an easterntributary of theSeine in the area east and southeast ofParis. It is 514 kilometres (319 mi) long.^[1] The river gave its name to thedepartments ofHaute-Marne,Marne,Seine-et-Marne, andVal-de-Marne.

Marne
The Marne at Dormans, showing aspects of 21st century navigation: grain silos, generating traffic, a hotel barge, and recreational craft
Marne River Basin (Interactive map)
Native name	La Marne (French)
Location
Country	France
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Langres Plateau,Haute-Marne
Mouth	Seine
• location	Charenton-le-Pont
• coordinates	48°48′57″N2°24′40″E / 48.81583°N 2.41111°E /48.81583; 2.41111
Length	514 km (319 mi)
Basin size	12,800 km2 (4,900 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	100 m3/s (3,500 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Seine→English Channel

The Marne starts in theLangres plateau, runs generally north then bends west betweenSaint-Dizier andChâlons-en-Champagne, joining the Seine atCharenton just upstream from Paris. Its main tributaries are theRognon, theBlaise, theSaulx, theOurcq, thePetit Morin and theGrand Morin.

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]

During the heyday ofcanal transportation, the Marne was a major artery connectingParis and theSeine with major rivers to the east: theMeuse (via theCanal de l'Aisne à la Marne and theCanal des Ardennes), theMoselle and theRhine (via theMarne-Rhine Canal), and theSaône andRhône (via theCanal de la Marne à la Saône). To facilitate transportation along the Marne itself, a number oflateral canals were constructed alongside. The most extensive was theCanal latéral à la Marne, which runs 67 km (42 mi) betweenVitry-le-François andDizy. Downstream of this were several more, including theCanal de Meaux à Chalifert, theCanal de Chelles, and the Canal de Saint-Maurice which ended atCharenton-le-Pont near the Marne's confluence with theSeine.^[7] Furthermore, a portion of theCanal de l'Ourcq also runs parallel and quite close to the Marne before swinging away to enter Paris from the north; at one time the two were linked by a "tub-boat"inclined plane nearMeaux.

• Haute-Marne (52):Langres,Chaumont,Saint-Dizier (confluence with theBlaise);
• Marne (51):Vitry-le-François (confluence with theSaulx),Châlons-en-Champagne,Épernay;
• Aisne (02):Château-Thierry;
• Seine-et-Marne (77):Mary (confluence with theOurcq),Meaux (confluence with theGrand Morin),Précy,Annet (confluence with the Beuvronne),Thorigny,Lagny,Saint-Thibault-des-Vignes,Torcy,Noisiel,Chelles;
• Seine-Saint-Denis (93):Neuilly,Noisy-le-Grand,Gournay,Neuilly-Plaisance;
• Val-de-Marne (94):Alfortville,Nogent,Créteil,Charenton-le-Pont,Champigny,Saint-Maur-des-Fossés,Joinville-le-Pont,Saint-Maurice,Bry,Le Perreux.

During the 19th and 20th centuries the Marne inspired many painters, among whom were:^{[citation needed]}

• 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
• Navigation details for 80 French rivers and canals (French waterways website section)
• "Marne, a river of northern France" .Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.