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France commemorates a dark chapter in WWI history

CRAONNE, France -- Barbara Hendricks sang a requiem at Verdun. Prince Charles spoke at the Somme. And last week Queen Elizabeth paid homage at Vimy, another of the great battle sites of World War I.

But ceremonies will be decidedly less elaborate Monday as France observes one of its most tortured and enigmatic anniversaries: the start nine decades ago of the battle of Chemin des Dames, which led to the largest mutiny in modern military history.

The battle, fought on a barren ridge less than two hours from Paris by modern road transport, is seared into French collective memory and has fascinated historians as the moment when man said "no" to the machine gun...

Read entire article at International Herald Tribune