Germans occupy Soissons

On 1 September 1914 German units reached Soissons, an old episcopal city on the river Aisne, about 100 kilometres north-east of Paris. Sources differ on the date: the first patrols entered the town as early as 1 September, while according to some studies the actual occupation of Soissons took place a day later, on 2 September.

The crossing of the Aisne was covered by General Valabrègue’s group of French reserve divisions. On the night of 31 August/1 September a cavalry division was also sent to delay the enemy as long as possible and give the infantry time to cross. The retreating French blew up two bridges over the Aisne, but the medieval Saint-Waast bridge remained intact. The Germans took the town without much fighting and immediately imposed heavy requisitions on the inhabitants. These days are linked to the famous story of Jeanne Macherez, a Red Cross worker who, in the absence of the mayor, is said to have told the Germans: “The mayor? I am the mayor!” and for a dozen or so days acted on behalf of the inhabitants. The wartime press made her a heroine, but some historians today consider the story greatly exaggerated.

The first occupation was short. After the defeat on the Marne the Germans withdrew northwards, and on 12 September French African troops entered Soissons. Some sources state that the last German units left the town only on 13 September. The Germans, however, dug in on the heights on the other side of the Aisne, only a few kilometres from the town. Soissons remained a town just behind the front throughout the war, shelled by German artillery, and in 1918, during the great Spring Offensive, the Germans took it again for more than two months.