French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
formation during both
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
World War 1
The 71st Infantry Division was mobilised on the outbreak of war. It included the 217th, 221st, 309th, 349th, 358th, and 370th Infantry Regiments. The division served in the
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
,
Verdun
Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department.
Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...
and Lorraine sectors during the first half of the war. It took part in the Battle of Verdun in 1916, and the fighting in
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
in May to June 1918, (including the Second Battle of the Marne), and then in the French army's advance on the
Aisne
Aisne ( , ; ; pcd, Ainne) is a French department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne. In 2019, it had a population of 531,345.Meuse-Argonne Offensive).
During the first part of the war, it was not attached to a particular Corps, but from June 1917 to the end of the war, it was part of the French XXXVIII Corps.
At various times, it was part of the French First Army, French Second Army, French Fourth Army,
French Fifth Army
The Fifth Army (french: Ve Armée) was a fighting force that participated in World War I. Under its commander, Louis Franchet d'Espèrey, it led the attacks which resulted in the victory at the First Battle of the Marne in 1914.
World War I C ...
, D.A.L., D.A.N. (Northern Army Detachment), D.A.V. and GQGA.
World War 2
The 71st Infantry Division was a "B" reserve division, a third-line formation with few regular soldiers on strength and older equipment. The division was mainly formed from
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
ian reservists.
During the Battle of France, the Division contained the following units:
*120th Infantry Regiment
*205th Infantry Regiment
*246th Infantry Regiment
*60th Reconnaissance Battalion
*38th Artillery Regiment
The division served on the
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
sector, under the command of the French X Corps, part of the French 2nd Army. During the early phase of the
Battle of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...
, the 71st Division was largely destroyed in the fighting along the Meuse between 14 May and 17 May 1940.
The division was disbanded on 21 May 1940 and the remaining forces were combined with the survivors of the 55th Infantry Division to form the 59th Light Infantry Division.