Lecture | “A Visual Presentation of the History of Savoy’s Fortifications”

In order to present the fortifications of Savoy—and more specifically those built in the Haute-Tarentaise to control the Petit Saint-Bernard Pass—
we will use the technical evolution of artillery as a guiding thread (1858: rifled artillery; 1885: the torpedo shell crisis)
as our guiding thread, which forced military engineers to make the necessary adaptations to keep the forts operational.

The historical context is significant, given the major fluctuations in Franco-Italian relations and the pivotal dates of the 19th and 20th centuries:
1860, 1870, 1882, 1890, 1915, 1922, and 1945.
To explore the fortifications of the Dukes of Savoy, we will discuss the extraordinary fortress of Montmélian, which for several centuries remained
the indispensable gateway to the Tarentaise and Maurienne regions.
We will discuss the iconic great siege of 1691 and the tragic end of this great Savoyard stronghold.
We will examine the defensive system established by General Séré de Rivières from 1874 to 1914 in Savoy.
This began with the construction of several forts around Albertville and Aiton to control the exits of the two major Savoyard valleys.
We will note that the Bourg-Saint-Maurice region was not fortified until 1890, with the new policy
of border defense and the creation of the Alpine troops.
Between 1935 and 1940, a solid defensive line was built across the valley
at the Versoyen and Reclus torrents.
It was at this defensive position that the Italians were halted in late June 1940.
Finally, we will note that after 1945, the Maginot fortification at La Cave à Canons was expanded as part of the Cold War.
Today, these fortifications have become memorial sites offering interesting tours of the local heritage,
such as the iconic Vulmix battery, which is maintained by a dynamic local association.