Belfort Gap
Encyclopedia
The Belfort Gap is a plateau located between the northern end of the Jura Mountains
and the southernmost part of the Vosges mountains
. Its altitude varies between 345 meters at its lowest and a little more than 400 meters in the area of the watershed between the catchment areas of the Rhine and that of the Rhône
. This watershed divide was used in 1871 to determine the new border between the German Empire
and France
. A series of fortifications was set up to ensure defense of the Belfort Gap. This roughly 40-kilometer wide terrain corridor connects the département of Haut-Rhin
, south of the région Alsace
and the département Territoire-de-Belfort, north of the région Franche-Comté
. Lines of communication that traverse the Belfort Gap include national highway RN 83 and autoroute
A36, the Paris-Basel railway and the planned high-speed railway "Rhine-Rhone", as well as the Rhône-Rhine Canal
.
Two important routes crossed the area during the Roman
era, which allowed Caesar
to quickly move troops which were used to defeat Ariovistus
and force his German tribes (primarily Suebi
) to retreat across the Rhine. The town of Belfort
, situated in the center of the corridor, has played the role of a bolt against invasions over the centuries whether originating from the west or the east and remained a communications center that is impossible to circumvent. The most recent military advance through the Belfort Gap was that of the French I Corps in November 1944.
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
and the southernmost part of the Vosges mountains
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
. Its altitude varies between 345 meters at its lowest and a little more than 400 meters in the area of the watershed between the catchment areas of the Rhine and that of the Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
. This watershed divide was used in 1871 to determine the new border between the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. A series of fortifications was set up to ensure defense of the Belfort Gap. This roughly 40-kilometer wide terrain corridor connects the département of Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin is a département of the Alsace region of France, named after the Rhine river. Its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less populated of the two departements of Alsace, although is still densely populated compared to the rest of France.-Subdivisions:The department...
, south of the région Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
and the département Territoire-de-Belfort, north of the région Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
. Lines of communication that traverse the Belfort Gap include national highway RN 83 and autoroute
Autoroutes of France
The Autoroute system in France consists largely of toll roads, except around large cities and in parts of the north. It is a network of worth of motorways. Autoroute destinations are shown in blue, while destinations reached through a combination of autoroutes are shown with an added autoroute logo...
A36, the Paris-Basel railway and the planned high-speed railway "Rhine-Rhone", as well as the Rhône-Rhine Canal
Rhône-Rhine Canal
The Rhône–Rhine Canal is one of the major waterways of France linking the Rhine and the Rhône and thereby the North Sea and the Mediterranean.It is 217 miles long....
.
Two important routes crossed the area during the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
era, which allowed Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
to quickly move troops which were used to defeat Ariovistus
Ariovistus
Ariovistus was a leader of the Suebi and other allied Germanic peoples in the second quarter of the 1st century BC. He and his followers took part in a war in Gaul, assisting the Arverni and Sequani to defeat their rivals the Aedui, after which they settled in large numbers in conquered Gallic...
and force his German tribes (primarily Suebi
Suebi
The Suebi or Suevi were a group of Germanic peoples who were first mentioned by Julius Caesar in connection with Ariovistus' campaign, c...
) to retreat across the Rhine. The town of Belfort
Belfort
Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
, situated in the center of the corridor, has played the role of a bolt against invasions over the centuries whether originating from the west or the east and remained a communications center that is impossible to circumvent. The most recent military advance through the Belfort Gap was that of the French I Corps in November 1944.