The Resistance in the southern zone

In summer 1944, a betrayal led to the arrest by the Gestapo of large numbers of Resistance members in the R2 region (present-day Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur). These included, on 16 July 1944, the vast majority of members of the Comité Départemental de Libération des Basses-Alpes, who were gathered in Oraison. Others were called in for questioning or paid a visit at their homes. After being subjected to interrogation and torture at the Gestapo headquarters in Marseille, 425 rue Paradis, they were transferred to Les Baumettes prison.

On 18 July, after a sham trial, 29 of these men were killed by firing squad in an isolated valley in the Signes woods. On 12 August, nine others were executed on the same site. The bodies were buried where they lay.

The discovery of this mass grave in September 1944 revealed the brutality of the executions: some were buried alive and quicklime was scattered on the bodies, making some of them unrecognisable. Among the victims, it was possible to identify members of the various Resistance movements and organisations, including the chairman of the Basses-Alpes Departmental Liberation Committee (CDL), several members of the Mouvements Unis de Résistance (MUR), Organisation Universitaire (OU) and Noyautage des Administrations Publiques (NAP), the head of the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) for Region 2, the Regional Military Delegate (DMR), young officers of the Free French Forces (FFL), a member of the British Special Operations Executive and a US officer.

In the Signes woods, the Nazis inflicted heavy losses on the Provençal Resistance, depriving it, on the eve of the Provence landings, of a number of its leaders.

On 21 September 1944, a national funeral was held at Saint Pierre cemetery in Marseille, presided over by Raymond Aubrac, then regional Commissioner of the Republic, and attended by civilian, military and religious leaders. Since then, on 18 July each year, a ceremony has been held in this “Valley of the Martyrs” turned national cemetery, in memory of those 38 members of the Resistance who were executed here.

Ceremony of 18 July 1945. Chiny collection

Those executed at Signes

• Marcel ANDRÉ

44, headmaster – CDL Basses-Alpes

• André AUNE

45, broker– departmental head, AS Bouches-du-Rhône

• Georges BARTHÉLEMY

37 ans – Lieutenant FFI

• Lucien BARTHÉLEMY

40, sales representative – France au Combat

• Charles BOYER

59, lawyer – France au Combat

• Albert CHABANON

29, teacher – regional head, OU

• Henri CHANAY

30, French officer – head of inter-Allied mission (acting DMR)

• Roger CHAUDON

36, head of farming cooperative – SAP Basses-Alpes

• Georges CISSON

34, highways authority engineer – regional head, NAP

• Paul CODACCIONI

55, inspector-general, PTT – regional head, NAP-PTT

• François CUZIN

29, philosophy teacher – CDL Basses-Alpes

• André DAUMAS

44, doctor – doctor, FFI Basses-Alpes

• Jean-Pierre DUBOIS

49, decorator – MLN

• Léon DULCY

32, doctor – British SOE

• Guy FABRE

19, student – OU

• Maurice FAVIER

27, town hall secretary – CDL Basses-Alpes

• Paul KOHLER

44, head mechanic – NAP SNCF

• Pierre-Jean LAFFORGUE

29, French officer – ORA

• Émile LATIL

41, painter – CDL Basses-Alpes

• Jean-Louis LESTRADE

20, student – OU

• Maurice LEVY

32, adman – intelligence agent, OSS

• Jean LIBERT

20 – head of MLN liaison service

• René MARIANI

22, student – OU

• Louis MARTIN-BRET

46, head of cooperative – leader, MLN, and chairman, CDL Basses-Alpes

• Jules MOULET

45, entrepreneur – head, NAP Bouches-du-Rhône

• Jean M. MUTHULAR

34, US officer – Inter-Allied Mission, OSS

• Francis NINCK

30, French officer – sector commander, AS Marseille

• Léon PACAUD

31, French officer – FFL

• François PELLETIER

23, French officer – BCRA, FFL

• Jean PIQUEMAL

39, nurse – CDL Basses-Alpes

• Terce ROSSI

28, mechanic – agent, FTP Basses-Alpes

• Robert ROSSI

31, French officer – regional head, FFI

• Georges SAINT-MARTIN

20, student – FFI (Robert Rossi’s secretary)

• Robert SALOM

18, student – agent, FTP Basses-Alpes

• André WOLFF

44, notary – OU

Operation Anvil/Dragoon

Two months after the Normandy Landings of 6 June 1944, the Allies landed in Provence.

Despite significant strategic disagreement among the Allies, the principle of a second invasion in the south of France to complement Operation Overlord was agreed upon as early as November 1943. Churchill wanted the focus to be on northern Italy and the Balkans. Stalin was opposed to this, his preference being for the invasion of Provence, which would relieve the Eastern Front. For Charles de Gaulle, this operation would hasten the liberation of France. In the end, President Roosevelt opted in favour of an operation in the south of France.

The wild and rocky Provençal coastline, with its small beaches, was ill suited to a large-scale invasion. But the relatively deep water near the shore meant the ships would be able to come in close, and the proximity of Corsica would enable the massive use of air power. Above all, the liberation of Provence would bring into play the deep-sea ports of Marseille and Toulon, vital for supplying the Allied armies in France.

The 250 000-strong German 19th Army, under General Wiese, defended the South of France. The German troops had abandoned the hinterland and the secondary routes to concentrate on the main supply routes, like the Rhône Valley, and the coast. The navy and air force were very poorly resourced, and the coastal defences were far less impressive than those of the Atlantic Wall, although the ports of Toulon and Marseille, transformed into entrenched camps, were solidly defended. The two ports would not be captured until after the landings, which did not affect them directly, taking place as they did over 50 miles of coastline between Lavandou and Agay.

15 August 1944: the Allies land in Provence

Command of the assault troops was entrusted to American general Alexander Patch, who had won the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Pacific. He commanded the Seventh United States Army, comprised of General Truscott’s VI Corps and General de Lattre de Tassigny’s Army B (future 1st Army). The French naval presence was much greater than in Normandy, with the destroyer Lorraine and ten cruisers, including the Montcalm and Georges Leygues. The French Forces of the Interior (FFI), highly organised in the South of France and in particular in the Alpine massifs, were tasked with facilitating the landings by harassing the German troops in the hinterland.

Comprised of 800 warships and 1 370 other vessels, the Allied fleet set sail from Corsica, Italy and North Africa carrying 500 000 men. It had air support from 1 500 aircraft. On the night of 14 to 15 August, more than 5 000 Allied paratroopers were dropped behind the Maures massif, in the Muy area, while commandos stormed the enemy batteries along the coast. At dawn, a terrible aerial and naval bombardment fell on the coast and, at 8 am, the first American assault waves landed on the beaches of Alpha, Delta and Camel, between Cavalaire and Saint Raphaël. Despite fierce resistance from the enemy in the Saint Raphaël sector, the landing was a total success, and by the evening of 15 August, a bridgehead roughly 50 miles by 20 had been established.

The liberation of Toulon and Marseille

On 17 August, the German 19th Army received the order for general retreat, with the exception of the Toulon and Marseille garrisons. Capitalising on their initial successes, the Americans headed straight for the Rhône Valley and Route Napoleon, leaving to the French the difficult mission of taking the entrenched camps of Toulon and Marseille.

The Battle of Toulon went on from 18 to 28 August. The 1st Free French Division (1st DFL) took Hyères, then advanced along the coast. The 9th Colonial Infantry Division (9th DIC) manoeuvred through the mountains, while the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division (3rd DIA) took Toulon from behind and continued its advance on Marseille. The French troops approached Toulon, with air and naval artillery support. Fierce fighting to take the city’s forts ensued. For General de Lattre, the fighting brought to mind the battles of Douaumont and Thiaumont, in which he had fought in 1916. Entrenched in the Cap Cépet battery on the Saint Mandrier peninsula, the last German soldiers surrendered on 28 August. During the fighting for Toulon, the troops of the 3rd DIA advanced on Marseille. Guided by the Resistance fighters who had started the uprising, the French soldiers pushed through to the heart of the city. After violent street battles, they whittled down the pockets of resistance, liberating the city on 28 August.

Heading up the Rhone Valley and Route Napoleon, the Allies progressed northwards at lightning speed, liberating Grenoble on 22 August, then Lyon on 3 September. On 12 September, at Montbard (Côte d’Or), French troops of the 2nd DB coming down from Normandy met those coming up from Provence.

In the French section lie the bodies of soldiers and sailors who fell during and as a result of World War I, particularly on the Eastern front: 1,024 French, 22 Serb, 18 Greek, 16 Russian and 1 Bulgarian combatant are buried in individual graves. The remains of 777 French combatants have been placed in an ossuary. In 1961, the southeast section was transferred to the Italian government, which placed in a columbarium the remains of 975 soldiers who had perished in the south of France during World War II and whose bodies were not claimed by their relatives.

An eight-metre high pyramid and two sphinxes were erected in September 1810. They serve as a memorial to Vice-Admiral Latouche-Treville, Commander-in-Chief of French Naval Forces in the Mediterranean, who died in Toulon harbour on 17 August 1804.

The tomb of Marie-Nicolas Ravier, captain of the Armée d’Orient who gave his life for France on 8 October 1917 includes the inscription: “In recognition of care given to his son, Marie-Nicolas Ravier de Dounemari bequeathed half of his fortune to the Hôpital de Saint-Mandrier on 8 January 1919”.

Established in July 1943 in Dupleix (Algeria), the Group of Commandos was made up of volunteers from North Africa who had escaped from France or Spain and infantrymen frmo Algeria and Morocco. Before dawn, this unit arrived before Allied waves of assault and would be the first unit to land on French soil. During the early hours of Operation Dragoon, this commando, whose mission was to support the Allied progress, suffered heavy losses in Cap Nègre.

This cemetery covers an area of 220m², making it the smallest of the French national cemeteries.

Five of the nine graves are In Memoriam, meaning they preserve the memory of five soldiers who died for France, whose bodies have been returned to their families. Upon the request of General Bouvet, the head of African Commandos and Mr. Gola, the Mayor of Rayol-Canadel, this cemetery has been preserved by the Ministerial Decision of 22 July 1950.

From the beginning of the 16th century, the inhabitants of Toulon were heavily preoccupied with sheltering their town from an attack by sea. And although, with its fortified wall dating from the 14th century, Toulon could consider itself sheltered from a sudden attack from the land, its harbour remained entirely open to enemy fleets. Listening to the pleas of the province and alerted by the town council, in 1513 KIng Louis XII ordered the construction of a fortification in the form of a tower in the entrance to the port to defend its access. Originally called the Royal Tower, this fortification was immediately called the Great Tower or the Big Tower by the people, who were amazed at its size. In a municipal debate held on the 16th July 1513, the town council decided that this tower would be built on the cape known as la Manègue, in the entrance to the port, as the king had wanted. The execution of the work was under the supervision of an Italian engineer of great renown, Jean-Antoine de la Porta, who arrived at the port in early May 1514. The work was started on the 14th May, the date of the first excavations, to public rejoicing and would continue, often halted due to financial difficulties, for ten years. The Great Tower was completely finished and armed in May 1524. Command of it was entrusted to the unsavoury individual Captain Jehan du Mottet, famous for the cowardice with which he surrendered it to the Imperials, without a struggle, for 500 gold Ecus, when the latter invaded Provence in 1524. The enemy found 3 canons and 9 other artillery pieces there, which they drove to their camp outside Marseille, opening up the first route through the Ollioules gorges, in order to avoid the harsh climb up the Corps de Garde pass. Amongst the canons taken were the famous culverin, called Lézarde, which was later to cause so much harm to the French on the day of the Battle of Pavia (24th February 1525) and which was partly responsible for the victory. In 1529, the Great Tower was rearmed and as a result was able to resist in July and August 1536, when the fleet of Andréa Doria entered Toulon. It could not, however, prevent it from occupying the harbour during the new invasion of Provence by Charles Quint. During the persecutions suffered by the protestants in the province as a result of the Saint-Barthélémy massacre, about twenty Reformist families found asylum in the Great Tower.

It played no active role during the siege of 1707, but as it was powerfully armed, the ships of Admiral Showel's English fleet did not dare to break through the harbour. Towards the end of the 17th century, this fortress, which had for a long time provided the only defence of Toulon from the sea, was already no longer capable of providing a useful service. However, in 1746, it was still equipped with fifteen 24 canons, ten 18's, four 12's and two 6's, making a total of thirty one canons. From 1770 onwards, which was when Fort Lamalgue was finished, the Great Tower no longer played a major role in the defence of the harbour. The Revolution was to turn it into a jail; many victims were imprisoned and perished there. It had the same use during the counter-revolution of 1793. On the 19th May 1798, Josephine came to the Tower to say goodbye to Bonaparte as he set off on his expedition to Egypt. Although it was a pleasant prison in 1809 for the crew of the English frigate the Proserpine, captured off Sicié on the 27th February, for the duration of the First Empire it would accommodate in a more rudimentary fashion the many draft dodgers awaiting trial or their departure to the companies of pioneers. In 1825, the chapel was demolished and the small cemetery deconsecrated. The Tower had twenty-one canons in 1844. During the Franco-German war of 1870-1871, its basements were used to store the gold of the Bank of France. A project to install a battery of two 370mm canons there was abandoned in 1900. Since then, the Great Tower has been used as a store for naval construction, and to service torpedoes etc. In the 1914-1918 war German prisoners of war were interned there. During the 1939-1945 war it was occupied by the Germans and armed with various weapons, most notably anti-aircraft canons. It was hit several times and was badly damaged during the allied bombardments of 1943-1944. Between 1947 and 1948 it was cleared of rubble and a few minor repairs were carried out. Since the 11th April 1947 it has been listed as a historic monument.
A canon tower, almost circular in shape, 60 metres in diameter, with walls varying in thickness from 5 m to 3 m, it consists of a central nucleus, a low casemated battery with eight embrasures, a platform at access level with a drawbridge and an upper terrace protected by a solid wall forming a parados. It is surrounded by a wide moat. Several modifications have been carried out to the fort over the years: the addition of two low batteries at the end of the 17th century, whose embrasures are now blocked up; the establishment of a barracks on the platform and then a guard house; the development of the upper terraces to accommodate anti-aircraft artillery.
The central nucleus contains a collection of premises laid out on three levels, one above the other and linked by spiral staircases. In addition to two water tanks, there are vaulted halls used as storerooms and dungeons. It was all originally lit by natural light. The nine casemated cells are accessed by a circular gallery. A canon ramp links the stores with the upper terraces, allowing the transportation of artillery and ammunition.
This historic monument, managed by the Ministry of Defence, is covered by a Culture and Defence protocol, signed on the 17th September 2005. Click here to see the list of other buildings ...
Toulon Tourist Information Office Place Raimu 83000 Toulon Tel.: + 33 (0) 4 94 18 53 00

Un outil de formation à la citoyenneté

Actif au sein des Ecoles militaires de Draguignan, comme outil de formation des militaires et civils de la Défense, il est aussi tourné vers l’extérieur en accueillant un large public de touristes et de scolaires. Fort de plus de 21.000 visiteurs en 2014, dont 7.000 enfants et adolescents, le Musée de l’artillerie est donc une vraie ressource pédagogique pour les groupes scolaires comme pour les familles. Le Musée est aussi porteur d’expositions temporaires des plus variées.

Après « Soldats de plomb » en 2011, « Animaux dans la guerre » en 2012, « La Marne » en 2014 et « Coups de pinceaux » en 2015, l’exposition temporaire de l’année 2016 s’attache à témoigner des batailles de Verdun et de la Somme, paroxysmes militaires et humains de la violence de masse au cours de la Grande Guerre, devenus des symboles de paix et de réconciliation.

Un conservatoire du patrimoine de l’artillerie

S’appuyant sur une collection de près de 15.000 objets dont 2.000 d’intérêt majeur, le Musée de l’artillerie présente une collection unique dont les pièces les plus anciennes remontent au XIVe siècle. Tout particulièrement riches pour la période comprise entre 1870 et notre époque, les collections du musée font l’objet d’un chantier permanent de rénovation et de mise en valeur, notamment grâce au bénévolat de passionnés. La richesse de cette collection permet d’affirmer que le musée présente Sept cents ans d’histoire de France, vus à travers l’âme d’un canon (titre éponyme du livre de visite).

VERDUN-LA SOMME

Au milieu de la guerre, au bout de leurs forces

Du 21 mai au 20 novembre 2016, dans le cadre du centenaire de la Grande Guerre, le Musée de l’artillerie de Draguignan organise une exposition consacrée aux deux batailles titanesques de Verdun et de La Somme. Du dimanche au mercredi inclus (et les jeudis sur rendez-vous), de 9h00 à midi et de 13h30 à 17h30, l’exposition intitulée VERDUN – LA SOMME, Au milieu de la guerre, au bout de leurs forces, réalisée en partenariat avec des collectionneurs privés, traite de ces deux batailles, véritables virages de la guerre où l’intensité des combats a dépassé tout ce que l’Homme avait connu auparavant. Par son discours pédagogique et la richesse de sa présentation, cette exposition est conçue pour tous les âges, des plus jeunes aux plus expérimentés. Exposition adaptée pour la visite par des classes du CM1 au Lycée, dans le cadre des cours d’histoire et d’éducation à la citoyenneté.

Sources : ©Musée de l'Artillerie

Le Musée des Troupes de Marine est une évocation illustrée aussi bien par ses collections très diversifiées, que par des archives et des documents iconographiques, des troupes coloniales de Richelieu à nos jours. L'une des missions du musée est de conserver la trace et les preuves du rôle pacificateur et civilisateur de la France dans son empire colonial.

Les collections sont constituées d'uniformes, d'insignes, d'armes, de coiffures et de décorations, affiches, dessins, documents photographiques, pièces d'archives, souvenirs de personnages, illustres ou non, etc. . soit environ 10.000 objets.

L'une des caractéristiques majeures des objets de cette collection est leur taille. Ils sont de dimensions modestes, mis à part la voiture de Gallieni et quelques pièces d'artillerie.

L'autre caractéristique est leur nombre : il s'agit de collections de grandes séries tels que 4.000 décorations, 700 fanions, 3.000 insignes métalliques et des dizaines de milliers d'images.

On estime qu'environ 50 % des objets proviennent de collections publiques (dépôts d'autres musées et récupération du patrimoine des salles d'honneur de régiments dissous à l'occasion de restructurations du ministère de la défense), l'autre moitié provenant des dons des particuliers.

Depuis 1993, le musée dispose d'un auditorium de 250 places où l'AAMTDM organise un cycle annuel de conférences.

À partir de l'an 2000, le musée organise, chaque année, une journée d'étude ou un colloque scientifique. Il présente chaque trimestre une nouvelle exposition temporaire et participe aux célébrations du ministère de la culture : Printemps des musées, Festival de la langue française, Nuit européenne des musées et Journées européennes du patrimoine. En 1996, l'ampleur de la documentation conservée au musée a motivé la création du Centre d'Histoire et d'Etudes des Troupes d'Outre-Mer (CHETOM), le centre de recherches du musée. Les chercheurs peuvent y consulter, sur rendez-vous, les archives, les fonds privés, les fonds cartographiques ou iconographiques et la bibliothèque spécialisée du musée forte de dix mille ouvrages.

À travers l'histoire des colonies, ce sont les principales étapes de l'Histoire de France qui sont présentées au Musée des Troupes de Marine. Le musée s'intègre dans un paysage culturel historique. En plus d'être la «maison mère» des Troupes de Marine, Fréjus a un patrimoine militaire particulièrement riche (notamment avec la présence d'une pagode bouddhique et d'une mosquée africaine sur sa commune). Il nous renvoie aussi au débarquement de Provence d'Août 1944.

Le rayonnement du musée est important, son expertise est reconnue et ses collections particulièrement sollicitées. Près de 480.000 visiteurs dont plus de 2.000 enfants et adolescents ont été accueillis dans le musée, très souvent dans le cadre de découverte du patrimoine. Le musée est également tourné vers les militaires, les jeunes engagés et les jeunes cadres viennent y trouver leurs racines . ces hommes et ces femmes qui entrent parmi le corps des soldats des Troupes de Marine ont une histoire à découvrir.

Sources : ©Musée des Troupes de Marine

In the 16th century, the harbour of Toulon was surrounded by a system of defences designed to protect its access, firstly by sea and then by land, as offensive artillery gradually increased its range. Constructed between 1672 and 1680, at the end of the 17th century this fort provided effective protection for the port of Toulon as well as for the shores of the Seyne. The name Eguillette seems to come from the presence in the area of soft water lakes (ayguades), where ships would come to take on fresh supplies. Unlike the round structures of the forts of Balaguier and the Royal Tower, the Eguillette Tower is square and flanked by two oblique wings: a corridor and an open air battery with parapets and embrasures, behind which 22 canons commanded the harbour with their grazing fire. The Fort de l'Eguillette is a fort with a low battery: at the time when the navy used sailboats, it was used to fire on the hulls of the ships. With the advances in artillery during the middle of the 19th century, the right-hand battery was casemated with stone vaults. The left-hand battery, which could be turned against the arsenal in the event of seizure of the fort, was filled in. The Fort de l'Eguillette is now rented by the town of Seyne-sur-Mer.

Ministry of Defence General Secretariat for Administration "Direction de la Mémoire, du Patrimoine et des Archives" (Management of Remembrance, Heritage and Archives) 14 rue Saint-Dominique 00450 Armées E-mail: dmpa-sdace-bacm@sga.defense.gouv.fr Toulon Tourist Information Office Place Raimu 83000 Toulon Tel.: +33 (0) 4 94 18 53 00

Following an inspection by Vauban in Toulon in 1679, the fort des Vignettes was constructed between 1692 and 1697 to prevent landings on the beach and keep any sailboats likely to try to drop anchor in the harbour at a distance. Destroyed in 1707, it was rebuilt, almost identically, in 1708 under the name of Fort Saint-Louis.

During the siege of 1707, the fort, under the command of Captain Daillon, was seized in an attack by Austro-Savoyard batteries positioned on the hills. After nine days, the state of ruin of the fort forced its defenders to retreat to the Great Tower (Royal Tower) after having set fire to the powder stores. The fort was rebuilt almost identically in 1708 under the name of Fort Saint-Louis. In 1743, it was armed with nine 24-pound canons. In 1847, it was armed with three 30-pound canons and three 22 cm howitzers, positioned behind an earth parapet encompassing the stone parapet. Developments in artillery led to the disarming of the fort at the end of the 19th century, as it was impossible to site large calibre canons there. It then housed an observation and command post for the detonation of the electrical mines that formed a barricade of the large harbour. It later became the headquarters of the officers' nautical club until 2001. It has appeared on the secondary list of historic monuments since 1948.
The fort is in the form of a semi-circular battery, whose gorge is closed by a casemated tower forming a redoubt and capable of bearing canons. Access to the fort is via an elevated gate, with a drawbridge in front. The aim of this device was to make invasion by foot soldiers difficult. Next to the entrance gate, a plaque affixed to the ramparts tells of the heroic conduct of the defenders of the fort in 1707. The plan of the battery is almost semi-circular. It is about fifty metres in diameter. Nine canon embrasures pierce the parapet, directed towards the sea. The embrasures are finished in brick so as not to splinter into dangerous shrapnel in the event of an enemy strike. In the middle of the 19th century, the parapet was incorporated into a solid earth parapet. It was returned to its original state during the 20th century. The back of the platform is protected by two walls forming a parados to mask the battery from blows from the land-side. The plan of the tower is asymmetrical. On the land-side, it is in the form of a flat bastion to flank the fort with parallel fire from the ramparts. On the coast-side, it is semi-circular so that artillery positioned on the terrace could comb a wide sector. The tower has two vaulted levels. The underground level held a water tank and a store. On the upper floor, a large vaulted chamber was used as accommodation for 24 men. You can still see the edge of the water tank. Access onto the terrace is via a spiral staircase.
Fort Saint Louis is not open to the public. This historic monument, managed by the Ministry of Defence, is covered by a Culture and Defence protocol signed on the 17th September 2005. Click here to see the list of other buildings...
Ministry of Defence General Secretariat for Administration Direction de la Mémoire, du Patrimoine et des Archives( Management of Remembrance, Heritage and Archives) 14 rue Saint-Dominique 00450 Armées E-mail: dmpa-sdace-bacm@sga.defense.gouv.fr Toulon Tourist Information Office Place Raimu 83000 Toulon

In the 16th century, Toulon harbour was surrounded by a system of defences designed primarily to protect access to it by sea and then - as the range of artillery increased - by land. After 1524, the commercial port of Toulon was protected by the "Big Tower" or Royal Tower. In 1634, Richelieu convinced Louis XIII to build another tower on Balaguier Point, opposite the Royal Tower, thus enabling the harbour entrance to be effectively locked. The aim was still to protect Toulon harbour, but more particularly, a small arsenal founded under Henri IV and which Richelieu, First Minister of the Navy, believed would grow in size. In 1679, Vauban was appointed to the Board for Fortifications.

The arsenal left the galley base at Marseilles and moved to the heart of the new dock. As part of the new design for fortifications, the canon tower of Balaguier was equipped with the ramparts, walls, accommodation and powder stores which give the fort its current appearance. In late August 1793, when the English entered Toulon, Balaguier became the target for the observers. Initially a refuge for sailors refusing to accept the English occupation, Balaguier went on to be occupied by coalition troops. The young republican artillery commander, Napoleon Bonaparte, understood the strategic importance of the location of the second element of the harbour protection. After two months of inconclusive fighting, his plan was finally accepted and, leading his troops into the attack by land, he took Balaguier Fort on 17th December 1793. The republican canons were then turned on the English fleet, which withdrew. After the Fachoda crisis, Balaguier Fort was rearmed one last time. Then, no longer of use, it was rented privately between the wars. Occupied by the Germans in 1942, it was liberated in 1944. After restoration, it has been a museum of maritime and local history since 1970.
Since 17 March 1975 it has been on the inventory of additional historical monuments. Balaguier Tower, or the "Little Tower" as opposed to the Royal or "Big Tower" was designed according to Richelieu's plans. The structure originally included a 19.5 m diameter canon tower. The basement contained a water cistern and magazines for powder and provisions. Access to the outside was via a drawbridge. This level consists of a vaulted room providing quarters for around forty men. The upper section of the tower was equipped with a canon platform protecting the harbour entrance from eight embrasures and a covered walkway whose parapet was broken by firing positions for close defence. On either side of the tower itself, batteries were built to provide grazing fire from parapets equipped with embrasures.
This building has been entrusted to the Ministry of Defence. France's Defence and Culture ministries signed an agreement to restore it, on 17 September 2005.
Ministère de la défense(Ministry of Defence) Secrétariat Général pour l'Administration (General Bureau for Administration) Direction de la Mémoire, du Patrimoine et des Archives (Remembrance, Heritage and Archives Department) 14 rue Saint-Dominique 00450 Armées E-mail: dmpa-sdace-bacm@sga.defense.gouv.fr