The Battle of the Hills (also known as the Battle of the Hills of Champagne, or the Third Battle of Champagne) was an episode of the First World War which was conducted during April and July 1917, and was a diversionary battle of the Second Battle of the Aisne

Second Battle of the Aisne

The Second Battle of the Aisne , was the massive main assault of the French military's Nivelle Offensive or Chemin des Dames Offensive in 1917 during World War I....

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The battle takes place east of Rheims, between Prunay

Prunay

Prunay is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....

 and Aubérive

Aubérive

Aubérive is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Marne department...

, in the province of Champagne

Champagne, France

Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...

, along the solid mass of Moronvilliers which includes seven mountains: Mont Cornillet (206 m), Mont-Blond (211 m), Mont-Haut (257 m), Mont Perthuis (232 m), Mont Casque (246 m), Mont Téton (237 m) and Mont-Sans-Nom (210 m). There is also a lower mountain, cote 181, to the east.

Despite German counterattacks on the 19 and 23 April, the French 4th Army still improved its positions by advancing slightly on the heights of Moronvilliers

Moronvilliers

In 1911, the small village of Moronvilliers had 86 inhabitants.On 2 September 1914, in the first month of World War I, the village, only 15 kilometers north-east from Rheims, was occupied by German troops. Situated on the frontline, the village was deserted and destroyed during the war.The village...

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See also

• 1917 in the Champagne - with day by day description of battle (in French) - accessed 03 Oct 2009.