Hartmannswillerkopf, also known as the Vieil Armand or
Hartmannsweiler Kopf (Hartmansweiler Head) is a pyramidal rocky spur in the
Vosges mountains of Alsace. The peak stands at 956 metres (3,136 ft)
overlooking the Rhine valley. At Hartmannswillerkopf stands a national monument
of World War I for the fighting which took place in the trenches here.
The French (Chasseurs Alpin) and Germans fought for control of the mountain
peak during the First World War. Fighting took place throughout 1915. 30,000
died near Hartmannswillerkopf during the First World War, with the majority of
deaths suffered by the French.
After about 11 months of fierce combat, both
sides began to focus most of their attention farther north on the Western
Front. Only enough men to hold the lines were left at Hartmannswillerkopf. The
lines remained relatively stable for the remainder of the war and generally
only artillery exchanges took place.
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