Editing Ardennes (department) (section)

== History ==
The department is one of the original 83 departments created during the [[French Revolution]] on 4 March 1790 under the Act of 22 December 1789. It includes part of the former provinces of [[Champagne (historical province)|Champagne]] and Argonne, several principalities including those of Arches and [[Prince of Sedan|Sedan]], countships (such as [[Rethel]]), and different areas returned to France (from the former [[Spanish Netherlands]]) in the 18th century.

On 12 May 1793, the department expanded itself with the [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège|Bailiwick of Liège]], [[Couvin]], and the countships from the [[Holy Roman Empire]] of Fagnolle and on 26 October 1795 a part of the [[Duchy of Bouillon]].

After the victory of the [[Seventh coalition|allies]] in the [[Battle of Waterloo]] on 18 June 1815, the [[Treaty of Paris (1815)|second Treaty of Paris]] subtracted territory from Ardennes to attach to the Netherlands: [[Duchy of Bouillon]], [[Couvin]], Mariembourg, Fagnolle, and [[Philippeville]]. In addition, the department was occupied by Prussian troops from June 1815 to November 1818.

On 2 September 1870, Sedan was the place of surrender for [[Napoleon III]] at the [[Battle of Sedan]] against the troops of the Prussian states, a coalition commanded by [[Helmut von Moltke]]. The King of Prussia [[Wilhelm I]], the future emperor of the [[German Empire|Imperial Germany]], and [[Otto von Bismarck|Bismarck]] viewed the battle from the hills overlooking Sedan. The defeat marked the end of the [[Second French Empire|Second Empire]],<ref>[http://centretudargonnais.org/HorizonArgonne87.pdf ''The Franco-German War and the occupation of Argonne (1870–1873)''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018223145/http://centretudargonnais.org/HorizonArgonne87.pdf |date=18 October 2011 }}, Daniel Hochedez, Concerning the movement of troops preceding the Battle of Sedan and generally on the war of 1870 in Argonne, Ardennes, and the German occupation, Revue ''Horizons d'Argonne'', publication of the Centre for Argonne studies, Number 87, June 2010 {{in lang|fr}}</ref> and at the same time the birth of the [[French Third Republic]] on 4 September 1870.
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 104-0152, Argonnen, zerschossener Wald, Stellung.jpg|thumb|left|Forest of Argonne in October 1915 ravaged by shellfire.]]

During the two world wars, for strategic reasons, the region each time became the passage for the invading armies because of the narrow width of the Meuse and its deep valley. The French military believed that the region was defended by its terrain and thick forests present in the northern of the department and so neglected the defence of the territory. During the First World War, the [[Battle of the Ardennes]] was fought in the department, and [[Charleville-Mézières]] became the headquarters of the [[William, Crown Prince of Germany and Prussia|German Crown Prince]]. It was at Vouziers and other places that the [[Czechoslovak Legion in France|Czechoslovak legions]] fought, and it was also near the same city that the aeroplane of [[Roland Garros (aviator)|Roland Garros]] was shot down.

It was the only French department to have been fully occupied during that conflict, except for northern [[Lorraine (region)|Lorraine]] ([[Moselle]]) and [[Alsace]], which had been under German administration since 1871.

During the Second World War, the main effort of the German army was again focused on this area, especially on the right bank of the River Meuse, symbolized by the breakthrough at Sedan which would lead the French troops into the strategic trap the [[Yellow Plan]] designed by [[Erich von Manstein|General von Manstein]] and approved by [[Hitler]].

It is in this department that the [[Maginot Line]] ended: the last fort of the line ([[Ouvrage La Ferté|Fort Villy la Ferte]]) was located about five kilometres from [[Carignan, Ardennes|Carignan]]. The French General staff did not want to continue the line of defence along the border with Belgium, a neutral and friendly country. Furthermore, they hoped that the unique geography and the forest would stop the German army.

After the armistice of 1940, Ardennes was declared a "forbidden zone" (actually a German settlement area) throughout the occupation by the [[Nazi]] army.

In 1944, the [[Battle of the Bulge]] was fought partly in this department.

=== Etymology ===
The name of the department is related to the [[toponym]] ''Ardenne'' which could derive from the Gallic ''ardu'' meaning "high". It would have been transformed into ''Arduenna'' by the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] to designate the ancient [[Ardennes forest]] and the mountains mentioned by Julius Caesar in the work attributed to him: ''[[Commentarii de Bello Gallico|Commentaries on the Gallic War]]''. ''Arduenna Sylva'' was used for the pine forest on the plateau of [[Bastogne]]. It was then transformed into ''Ardenna'' in the 6th century.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rsNpi7IVulEC&dq=Ardenne&pg=PA128 ''General Toponymy of  France''], Vol. 1, Ernest Nègre, Librairie Droz, 1990, {{ISBN|9782600028837}}, p. 128, Ardenne {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

This toponym is absent from the names of communes in the department of Ardennes while those of Argonne ([[Beaumont-en-Argonne]]), Porcien ([[Château-Porcien]], [[Novion-Porcien]], [[Chaumont-Porcien]], and even [[Champagne (historical province)|Champagne]] ([[Vaux-Champagne]]) are sometimes fused and all have a connotation of regional belonging. This is why the name of ''Ardenne'' is not specific to the department as it is found in many other parts of France – for example in western and central-western France,<ref group="N">This toponym is present 5 times in [[Charentes]]; notably in the name of the village of [[Saint-Grégoire-d'Ardennes]] in [[Charente-Maritime]]); principal source: Jacques Duguet, ''Place names of Charentes'', éditions Bonneton, 1995, p. 9 and 10 {{in lang|fr}}</ref> Belgium, and Luxembourg where it has its usual sense – from Celtic origin – of "high", "high woods" or "forest".<ref>Dottin G., ''The Gallic language: grammar, texts, glossary'', Paris, 1920. {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

=== Heraldry ===
{{Blazon-arms
|img1=Blason département fr Ardennes.svg
|legend1=Arms of the department of Ardennes
|text=

'''Blazon:'''<br />
''Azure, a bend argent potent counter potent of Or with an inescutcheon argent charged with a boar in sable; in chief of gules charged with 3 rakes of Or 2 and 1.''
}}