The Fortifications of Paris: An Illustrated History

As a strategically located seat of European power, Paris was a prized target for invaders. Consequently, it was one of the world's most heavily fortified cities. Though many of the fortifications have been demolished, or hidden, they have left their imprint on the city, both physically and historically. To understand the history of Paris--and indeed, of France as a whole--one must understand the history of the fortifications. This heavily illustrated history begins with the period 300 B.C. to A.D. 987. Part II looks at the Medieval era (987-1512), a growth period for the city. Bastioned fortifications (1512-1874) are the focus of Part III, covering the era in which Paris modernized its defenses. Modern fortifications (1874-1944) are detailed in Part IV, ranging from the building of the second Parisian ring of polygonal forts to the end of World War II.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction      PART I. FROM LUCOTECIA TO PARIS (300 B.C.–A.D. 987) 1. Geographical Situation of Paris 5 2. Gallic Time The Celts      Lucotecia      Fortifications of Lucotecia      The Roman Conquest      3. Roman Rule Romanization and Urbanization      Lutetia      Fortifications of the Ile de la Cité      Christianization      4. The End of the Roman Empire The Barbarian Invasions      The Huns      Lutetia During the Invasions      5. The Merovingian Period Clovis      Paris as the Capital      6. The Carolingian Era The Carolingian Dynasty      Charlemagne      The Vikings      7. The Capetians Hugues Capet      The Feudal System      A Wall Around Paris in the 10th Century?      PART II. MEDIEVAL PERIOD (987–1512) 8. The Growth of France The First Capetian Kings      Emancipation of Towns      9. Growth of Paris The Cité Island      The University      The Ville      10. Capetians versus Plantagenets Louis VII      Philippe II Auguste      11. The Enceinte of Philippe Auguste The First Medieval Enceinte      The Enceinte: Too Large?      Financing      Evolution of Urban Fortification      Wall      Towers      Gates      Defense by the Seine      Grand Châtelet and Petit Châtelet      12. The Louvre 57 13. The Temple 60 14. Paris at the Time of Saint Louis and Philippe the Fair Louis VIII and Louis IX      French Predominance      Philippe IV the Fair      The Royal Palace and the Conciergerie      15. The First Part of the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1414) Main Cause of the War      Jean II Le Bon      Charles V      16. The Enceinte of Charles V The Second Medieval Enceinte      Tracé of Charles V’s Enceinte      Walls, Towers and Ditches      Gatehouses      Barbican      17. The Castle of Vincennes A New Royal Residence      The Enceinte      The Keep      Vincennes Castle through Today      18. The Bastille 87 Hôtel Saint Pol and Palace of Tournelles      A Gatehouse Becomes a Castle      Description of the Bastille      State Prison      July 14, 1789      19. Private Medieval Fortifications Paris: an Unhealthy and Unsafe City      Private Fortifications      Hôtel de Clisson      Hôtel de Sens      Hôtel de Cluny      Saint Geneviève Abbey      Saint Antoine Abbey      Convent of Celestins      Abbey of Saint-Germain-des Prés      Saint-Martin-des-Champs Priory      20. The Second Part of the Hundred Years’ War (1415–1453) Civil and Foreign Wars      Jeanne d’Arc      The End of the War      21. Firearms Gunpowder      Early Guns      Siege Artillery      Mine      Improvement of Artillery      Handguns      Warfare with Fire Weapons      22. Transitional Fortification A Gradual Problem      Rampart      Embrasure      Artillery Emplacements      Makeshifts      23. Paris After the Hundred Years’ War Louis XI      Citadels and Forts      Transitional Fortification in Paris      24. The End of the Middle Ages Wars in Italy      The Renaissance      PART III. BASTIONED FORTIFICATIONS (1512–1874) 25. Italian Bastioned Fortification Early Italian Theorists      Italian Bastioned Front      Description of the Italian Bastioned Fortification      Italian Predominance      Old Dutch and French Bastioned Systems      26. The Religious Wars The Crisis of the Catholic Church      From Henri II to Henri IV      27. Modernization of the Parisian Defenses (1512–1562) A Chaotic Development      The “Fossés Jaunes” Bastioned Enceinte (1566–1633)      Louis XIII      28. Louis XIV’s Reign (1661–1715) The Fronde Revolt      The Sun King      Paris at the Time of Louis XIV      The Hôtel des Invalides      Vauban’s “Pré Carré”      Vauban’s Project for Paris      French Border Fortifications      Vauban’s Legacy      The End of the Sun King      29. Paris at the Time of Louis XV (1715–1774) 151 30. Cormontaigne and Montalembert Cormontaigne      Montalembert      Montalembert’s Influence      31. The Enceinte of the “Fermiers Généraux” A Fiscal Barrier      The Wall      The Tollhouses      32. The French Revolution of 1789 The Storming of the Bastille      The First French Republic      33. Napoléon I and the First Empire Napoléon Bonaparte      Napoléon I, Emperor of the French People      Zenith and Decline      Napoleonic Warfare      Napoleonic Fortifications      34. Paris at the Time of Revolution, Consulat and Empire Revolutionary Ambitions      Prestige Buildings      Public Infrastructures      Defenses of Paris in 1814 and 1815      35. Monarchic Restoration (1815–1848) Louis XVIII and Charles X      Louis-Philippe      36. Thiers’s Fortifications (1841–1845) The Necessity for a New Enceinte      Dode de la Brunerie’s Design      The Construction of the Fortifications      The Bastioned Enceinte      Bastions, Ditch and Counterscarp      Gates      Division of the Bastioned Enceinte      Detached Forts and Redoubts      Royal Citadels      Description of the Forts      Armament      37. Paris Transformed by Baron Georges Hausmann and Napoléon III Napoléon III      The Industrial Revolution      A New Face for Paris      38. The Franco-Prussian War and the Commune (1870–1871) Tension between France and Germany      Rifled Weapons      The Fall of Napoléon III      The Siege of Paris (1870)      The Commune (1871)      PART IV. MODERN FORTIFICATIONS (1874–1944) 39. New Weapons of War Weapons industry      Artillery      Rifles      Machine Gun      Railway      40. New Systems of Fortification German Developments      Belgium and the Netherlands      General Séré de Rivières’s Forts      41. The Second Parisian Ring of Polygonal Forts 213 42. Description of a Polygonal Fort General Outline      Ditch and Caponier      Covered Way and Glacis      Gatehouse      Accommodation      Powderhouse      Artillery Emplacements      Infantry Positions      Réduit      Redoubts and Batteries      43. The Crisis of the 1880s New Projectiles      Concrete Protection      Counterscarp Coffer      Armored Turret      Dessus and Dessous      A New Era      44. Paris at the Close of the 19th Century World Exhibition Fairs      La Belle Epoque      A Fragile Peace      45. The First World War (1914–1918) The Early Stage of the War      Trench Warfare      The Bombardment of Paris in 1918      46. The Maginot Line Demolition of the Thiers Enceinte      New Plans for the Defense of France      Composition of the Maginot Line      The Maginot Line Myth      47. The Chauvineau Line Conception of the Chauvineau Line      Composition of the Chauvineau Line      Construction of the Chauvineau Line      The Battle of France May–June 1940      48. Occupation and Liberation 1940–1944 Vichy      German Bunkers in Paris      The Liberation of Paris (August 1944)      Appendix: Vestiges of the Parisian Fortifications      Glossary      Bibliography      Index     

About the Author :
Historian, writer and illustrator Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage is the author of numerous books. His interests include World War II and medieval and French history. He lives in Groningen, Netherlands.

Review :
“excellent”—Newsletter of Site O Association; “pack in an enormous amount of information copiously illustrated, encompass a diverse range of fortification aspects and will grace the shelves of any fortification enthusiast”—Casemate; “complex history of the fortifications of Paris are well covered in this book, fully and completely illustrated throughout”—FORT—The International Journal of Fortifications and Military Architecture; “impressive...heavily illustrated...the author is to be commended for this exquisitely researched and finely written volume”—www.deremilitari.org.