Birth of the project

Pays de Meaux was marked by a major historical event: the Battle of the Marne.

In September 1914, from Senlis to Verdun, almost 750,000 French and 80,000 British soldiers stood against 700,000 Germans. Fighting was fierce and the men were exhausted, but it ended in victory for the  Allies. It was also near Meaux that the second Battle of the Marne took place, bringing an end to the 1914-1918 war.

Today, numerous sites in Pays de Meaux and its surroundings still bear witness to the fighting - among many others, Barcy, Chambry, Villeroy and Étrépilly all carry the scars left by the conflict.
Creating a Museum of the Great War in Meaux is therefore a fitting endeavour that meets a real need.