The Fort Neuf de Vincennes ("New Vincennes Fort") is a fortification built on the grounds of the
Château de Vincennes, on the east side of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 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), ma ...
. While the old chateau had been a significant fortification in its time, by 1840 there was a need for a modern fort at that location, capable of using and defending itself against artillery fire. A new bastioned fort was built to the east of the historic chateau.
Function
The fort remains the property of the Ministry of Defense, supporting a variety of Army activities. Public access is restricted. The fort houses the military archives of the Army, Navy and Air Force. The nearby chateau is a museum.
History
Built between 1841 and 1844, the Fort Neuf is one of seventeen forts built as part of the
Thiers Wall
The Thiers wall (''Enceinte de Thiers'') was the last of the defensive walls of Paris. It was an enclosure constructed between 1841 and 1846 and was proposed by the French prime minister Adolphe Thiers but was actually implemented by his succe ...
fortifications for the defense of the capital. During the
Siege of Paris (1870–1871)
The siege of Paris took place from 19 September 1870 to 28 January 1871 and ended in the capture of the city by forces of the various states of the North German Confederation, led by the Kingdom of Prussia. The siege was the culmination of the ...
the fort was the headquarters for General Ribourt, in command of the area around Vincennes.
German spy
Mata-Hari was executed at the fort on 15 October 1917.
The fort was the scene of the trials of
Jean Bastien-Thiry
Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry (; 19 October 1927 – 11 March 1963) was a French Air Force lieutenant-colonel and military air-weaponry engineer. He was the creator of the Nord SS.10/SS.11 missiles. He attempted to assassinate French President ...
and the other conspirators in the Petit-Clamart 1962 attempt on the life of President
Charles de Gaulle, in which Bastien-Thiry was condemned to death by firing squad.
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
* ''Le château de Vincennes aux XIXe-XXe siècles'', Jean Chapelot
External links
Fort Neuf de Vincennes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vincennes, Fort Neuf De
Fortifications of Paris
Buildings and structures in Val-de-Marne