This conference presents the unknown path of General Séré de Rivières. The defeat of the 1870-1871 war led his genius to design a new fortified system to defend France.

The conference is led by Mathieu Panoryia, scientific advisor of the exhibition On ne passe pas! The fortifications, from the Séré de Rivières system to the Maginot line».
While the names of some military engineers and builders have remained in the collective memory of France, the most illustrious of which is undoubtedly Vauban, others remain unknown to the general public.
The vast majority of visitors to the Verdun battlefield forts are unaware that they are part of a much larger fortified complex. It runs from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. The complex was erected by General Séré de Rivières.