The Fort de Montmorency was built following the
Franco-Prussian War to defend
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 ...
. Located to the north of Paris in
Montmorency, the fort was part of an outer ring of fortifications built in response to improvements in the range and effectiveness of
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
since the construction of the
Thiers fortifications of the 1840s. It was built between 1875 and 1879 in accordance with improved principles of fortification developed for the
Séré de Rivières system.
The fort defended its neighbors, the
Fort de Domont
The Fort de Domont was built following the Franco-Prussian War to defend Paris. Located to the north of Paris in Domont, the fort was part of an outer ring of fortifications built in response to improvements in the range and effectiveness of ar ...
and the
Fort de Montlignon
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
, as well as the town of
Saint-Denis. The fort saw no action in the
first
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
or
second
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...
world wars, but its prominent height made it ideal for use as a telecommunications relay station. In 1947 the
French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...
occupied the site, and by 1952 communication cables were installed to link the fort to the national air defense communications system. In 1956 the Fort de Montmorency became the national headquarters for Air Force communications. The fort was designated ''Base aerienne 285''.
''Base aerienne 285'' was disbanded in 1968 and the fort was first placed under the jurisdiction of 'Base aerienne 104'' at
Le Bourget
Le Bourget () is a Communes of France, commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre zero#France, center of Paris.
The commune features Paris - Le Bourget Airport, Le Bourget Airport, which in turn hos ...
, and later under the control of the French Air Force hardened command center at ''
Base aerienne 921'' at Taverny, at the west end of the Montmorency forest. From 1992 the fort has served as a training center for security forces associated with the Taverny center, the ''Centre d'Initiation aux Techniques Commandos''.
The fort remains occupied by the military and is not open to the public.
See also
*
Fortifications of Paris in the 19th and 20th centuries
The fortifications of Paris in the 19th and 20th centuries comprise:
*The Thiers Wall, surrounding the city of Paris, and farther from the city,
*The detached forts and their complementary fieldworks.
They were built in two stages:
*1840–1845 ...
References
External links
Fort de Montmorencyat Chemins de Mémoire
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montmorency, Fort De
Fortifications of Paris
Séré de Rivières system
Buildings and structures in Val-d'Oise