In 57 BC, the Selle was the site of the
Battle of the Sabis between
Julius Caesar and the
Nervians,
Atrebates and
Viromandui. In the Middle Ages, the river was a boundary between the lands of
Hainaut and
Cambrai. In
World War I, during the
Hundred Days Offensive of 1918, the
German Army had taken up positions along the Selle near
Le Cateau.
General Rawlinson's
Fourth Army spent two weeks preparing to assault these positions. The attack was launched on the night of 17 October when the river was crossed in foggy conditions and continued until the Germans were finally forced to retreat on 20 October. The action is known as the
Battle of the Selle. ==References==