Alma-Marceau hotel is at the start of Rue Jean Giraudoux and is well within reach of the Pont de l'Alma and Avenue Marceau: Alma, Marceau, Jean Giraudoux, three names, three periods in the modern and contemporary history of France.
The battle of Alma
The battle of Alma was won by General Saint-Arnaud’s and Lord Raglan’s Franco-English troops on Admiral Menchikov’s Russian army. On the 14th September the allied troops landed in the Crimea, between the River Katcha and the Alma, at a place named the "Old Fort" close to Eupatoria, approximately 40 km from Sebastopol. The Russian army was encamped on the high ground of the River Alma to cut off the route to Sebastopol. The allies tactic was to turn their attention to the Russian army flanks and attack them at the centre. On the 19th September, General Saint-Arnaud gave the command to attack and attempted a manoeuvre by the flanks: Bosquet’s division, strengthened by the Turkish division took the right, the English the left and the rest, the French army who were responsible for containing the enemy.
The turning point was very skilfully lead by General Bosquet, accompanied by his regiment of Zouaves and this is what sealed victory on 20th September. The Russian divisions were on the left, the English finally occupied the positions which they had been assigned, though not without difficulty. Finally, the Russians fled, leaving the route to Sebastopol free. The battle lasted 4 hours, with approximately 1800 Russians, 300 English and 150 French killed, not counting the number injured.
Jean Giraudoux
The only war which Jean Giraudoux is known for is the one mentioned in his drama, "The Trojan War will not take place", a mythological parody, in which events of the current day are easily recognisable. A writer and playwright born in 1882, who died in 1944, Giraudoux is best known for stories inspired by his own life: "Provinciales" in 1909, "Ecole des indifferents" in 1911, "Adorable Clio" in 1920; they recount everything about his provincial childhood , through the veil of decency and irony. In 1928, Jean Giraudoux had a determining meeting with Louis Jouvet, who set up the "Siegfried" theatre, taken from the book published in 1922. Giraudoux created numerous theatrical productions with "Amphitryon 28" (1929), "Electre" (1937), "Ondine" (1939). He participated with the political thinking of his time with, "Pleins Pouvoirs" in 1939. "Sodome and Gomorra", written in 1943, which conveyed Giraudoux’ despair with what for him was the end of the world. "La folle de Chaillot" (1944) urged for the liberation of Paris, something which Giraudoux did not see: he died in January 1944.
Histoire
