On 1 September 1870, the Battle of Sedan was fought between the French under Napoleon III against the Prussians under Helmuth von Moltke during the Franco-Prussian War.
Why did it happen?
Prussia’s defeat over Austria at the Battle of Koniggratz in 1866 made it the dominant state in Germany. However, Germany was still only a confederation of states, with Prussia its most important member. Not content with this, Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck decided that a war with France was the best way to unite the German states under the rule of King Wilhelm I. French emperor Napoleon III, who was facing severe domestic problems and sought to achieve foreign-policy success to boost his popularity, declared war on Prussia on 19 July 1870. On 28 July, Napoleon took personal command of the 385,000-strong French army to face the 430,000-strong German army at Metz. However, “These German generals had no illusions about ‘La Gloire’; they knew that modern war was a serious matter” (Regan, 2002, p.171). On 18 August, the French army was defeated at the Battle of Gravelotte, and Marshal Patrice MacMahon was ordered to relieve the besieged French forces around Metz. On 31 August, however, he and Napoleon were driven by the Prussian armies away from Metz towards the seventeenth-century fortress town of Sedan, where they sought to rest their demoralised forces.
Who was involved?
The French army at Sedan numbered 120,000 soldiers and 419 artillery. Most of the French army was positioned on the east bank of the Meuse River near Sedan. VII Corps under Douay was positioned north of Sedan, with I Corps under Ducrot defending the east and XII Corps under MacMahon and Lebrun defending the south. The French plan at Sedan was to gain time to re-equip the scattered and demoralised French army before considering their next move. The Prussian army at Sedan numbered 200,000 soldiers and 500 artillery. The Prussian army was divided into two field armies: the Third Army under the Crown Prince of Prussia, Friedrich Wilhelm, and the Army of the Meuse under the Crown Prince of Saxony, Albert. As explained by Michael Howard, “The Meuse Army was to advance down the right bank of the river with its right flank on the Belgian border; the Third Army was to move north towards the river on a broad front and seal off the French with its left wing” (Howard, 1962, p.206-07).
What happened?
At 4am on 1 September, after surrounding the French army, the Prussians attacked Bazeilles and Wadelincourt with artillery fire, which pummeled both towns. At 6am, Patrice MacMahon was wounded by an artillery shell and was replaced by Auguste Ducrot and Emmanuel de Wimpffen. At 7am, the French launched a breakout attempt at La Moncelle, which pushed the Prussians back before French resistance at Bazeilles collapsed, freeing more Prussian troops to assault La Moncelle. At 9am, the Prussians moved fresh artillery pieces upon the high ground near Givonne, which forced the French back into Sedan, and the streets became crowded with terrified soldiers. At 12pm, while the French were preoccupied near Givonne, the Prussian V and XI Corps moved north to encircle Sedan. In response, the French cavalry under Jean Auguste Margueritte attempted to cut through the Prussian line three times, only to be mown down by Prussian artillery. Finally, at 4pm, after Emmanuel de Wimpffen attempted to break out of Sedan near Balan, Napoleon III intervened and ordered a white flag of surrender to be raised at 6pm. French casualties numbered 3,000 killed, 13,000 wounded, and 104,000 captured, while Prussian losses numbered only 1,300 killed and 7,700 wounded.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Sedan was a decisive Prussian victory. After negotiating with Moltke and Bismarck on 2 September, Napoleon III surrendered himself and his army on 3 September, effectively ending the Second French Empire. In Paris, a Third French Republic was proclaimed and the war against the Prussians continued. On 19 September, the Prussians began the Siege of Paris, which lasted until 28 January 1871, when an armistice was agreed, which ended the war. As explained by Geoffrey Regan, “Defeat had humiliated France as never before, and when Bismark insisted that Wilhelm I should be crowned Kaiser of the new German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles he was ensuring that France would never forget that humiliation, nor the loss of Alsace and Lorraine that followed the Treaty of Frankfurt in 1871” (Regan, 2002, p.173). In the aftermath of the war, France forged alliances with Russia and Britain. At the same time, Germany allied with Austria-Hungary and Italy, effectively dividing Europe into two armed camps: The Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance. Ultimately, the resentment felt by France at the loss of its territories helped provide the fertile ground for a future war with Germany, which would come in 1914.
Bibliography
Grant, R.G. Commanders: History’s Greatest Military Leaders. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2010.
Hooper, George. The Campaign of Sedan: The Downfall of the Second Empire, August-September 1870. London, George Bell & Sons, 1887.
Howard, Michael. The Franco-Prussian War. London, William Clowes and Sons, 1962.
Regan, Geoffrey. Battles That Changed History: Fifty Decisive Battles Spanning Over 2,500 Years of Warfare. London, Andre Deutsch, 2002.
Snow, Peter. Battles Map by Map. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2021.