GRAVELOTTE

gravelotte, a village of lorraine between metz and the french frontier, famous as the scene of the battle of the 18th of august 1870 between the germans under king william of prussia and the french under marshal bazaine (see metz and franco-german war). the battlefield extends from the woods which border the moselle above metz to roncourt, near the river orne. other villages which played an important part in the battle of gravelotte were saint privat, amanweiler or amanvillers and sainte-marie-aux-chenes, all lying to the n. of gravelotte.