or , ▁has ▁played ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁a ▁b olt ▁against ▁invas ions ▁over ▁the ▁centuries ▁whether ▁origin ating ▁from ▁the ▁west ▁or ▁the ▁east ▁and ▁remained ▁a ▁communic ations ▁center ▁that ▁is ▁impossible ▁to ▁circum vent . ▁After ▁the ▁Franco - Pr uss ian ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁B elf ort , ▁the ▁language ▁border ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁new ▁dem arc ation ▁line ▁between ▁the ▁newly ▁established ▁German ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁French ▁Third ▁Republic ▁retain ing ▁B elf ort . ▁A ▁series ▁of ▁fort ifications ▁was ▁set ▁up ▁to ▁ensure ▁defense ▁of ▁the ▁area . ▁The ▁most ▁recent ▁military ▁advance ▁through ▁the ▁B elf ort ▁G ap ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁I ▁Corps ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁Notes ▁▁ ▁This ▁article ▁incorpor ates ▁text ▁translated ▁from ▁the ▁corresponding ▁French ▁Wikipedia ▁article ▁as ▁of ▁November ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁ ▁Category : Pl ate aus ▁of ▁Metropolitan ▁France ▁Category : Land forms ▁of ▁Grand ▁Est ▁Category : Land forms ▁of ▁Bour g ogne - Fran che - Com té <0x0A> </s> ▁Ne pt une ▁was ▁a ▁ 7 4 - gun ▁ship ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁Navy . ▁ ▁Under ▁Captain ▁de ▁Lat ou che , ▁she ▁captured ▁a ▁ 3 0 - gun ▁British ▁private er ▁named ▁Her cules ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁October ▁ 1 7 7 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 2 ,