The Selle is a river in the
departments of
Aisne and
Nord,
Hauts-de-France region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
, northern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. It flows into the
Scheldt
The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...
at
Denain
Denain (; pcd, Dnain) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Denain had a population of 19,877, on a land area of 11.52 km² (4.448 sq mi).
It is the largest of 47 communes which comprise the Communauté d'agglomération ...
, southwest of
Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...
, and approximately 20 km from the Belgian border. It is one of several rivers in France with the same name.
The river originates in the north of the ''département'' of Aisne, near
Molain and flows northwest to its confluence with the Scheldt. It is long.
History
In 57 BC, the Selle was the site of the
Battle of the Sabis
The Battle of the Sabis, also (arguably erroneously) known as the Battle of the Sambre or the Battle against the Nervians (or Nervii), was fought in 57 BC near modern Saulzoir in Northern France, between Caesar's legions and an association of B ...
between
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...
and the
Nervians,
Atrebates and
Viromandui
The Viromanduī or Veromanduī (Gaulish: *''Uiromanduoi'') were a Belgic tribe dwelling in the modern Vermandois region (Picardy) during the Iron Age and Roman periods. During the Gallic Wars (58–50 BC), they belonged to the Belgic coalition of ...
.
In the Middle Ages, the river was a boundary between the lands of
Hainaut and
Cambrai.
In
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 ...
, during the
Hundred Days Offensive of 1918, the
German Army had taken up positions along the Selle near
Le Cateau.
General Rawlinson's
Fourth Army spent two weeks preparing to assault these positions. The attack was launched on the night of 17 October when the river was crossed in foggy conditions and continued until the Germans were finally forced to retire on 20 October. The action is known as the
Battle of the Selle
The Battle of the Selle (17–25 October 1918) was a battle between Allied forces and the German Army, fought during the Hundred Days Offensive of World War I.
Prelude
After the Second Battle of Cambrai, the Allies advanced almost and liber ...
.
The Western Front Association - Land War - The Battle of the Selle, October 1918
/ref>
References
Rivers of France
Rivers of Hauts-de-France
Rivers of Aisne
Rivers of Nord (French department)
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