The Probert Encyclopaedia of Warfare

FRANCO-GERMAN WAR

The Franco-German War (Franco-Prussian War) broke out on July 19th 1870 between France and Prussia following French feelings over Prussia's support for a Hohenzollern prince likely to become king of Spain - an offer being made in June, 1870, by General Prim, then at the head of affairs in Spain, of the crown of that country to Leopold of Hohenzollern, a prince belonging to the reigning house of Prussia. The government of Napoleon III demanded of the King of Prussia that he should forbid the candidature of the prince, and when the prince voluntarily retired from his candidature, still insisted that this renunciation should be formally made by the king, and a guarantee given that the candidature would not be revived. This demand was refused, and a formal declaration of war by France against Prussia was received by Count Bismarck, the Chancellor of the North German Confederation, on the 19th of July.

The French were the first in getting their troops to the frontier; but it soon became manifest that instead of being in a complete state of readiness for war, as the minister of war had declared, the French army was defective in almost everything essential to the equipment of an army.

In Germany everything formed a complete contrast to this state of matters. Each section of the army was completely organized in the head-quarters of the district which it occupied in time of peace, and was only sent to the frontiers after being furnished with everything it required. In addition to this Prussia, against which country alone the war had been declared, was not only joined, according to treaty, by all the states of the North German Confederation, but also by those of the South, upon whose neutrality, perhaps even upon whose alliance, Napoleon and the French had counted.

The German forces were divided about the end of July into three armies, one of which, known as the First Army, had its head-quarters at Treves under General Steinmetz; another of which, known as the Second Army, occupied the Bavarian Palatinate under Prince Frederick Charles; while the Third Army, under the Crown-prince of Prussia, was stationed in Northern Baden. The commander-in-chief of the whole forces was King William of Prussia, who was supported by a staff of general officers, with Von Moltke at their head.

The French army, under Napoleon himself, had its head-quarters at Metz, and two advanced divisions were stationed on the borders of France and Germany, the one in the north on the Saar, under General Frossard, the other further south at Weissenburg, under General Douay. The victories of the Third Army, under the crown-prince, at Weissenburg on August the 4th and at Worth on August the 6th, and of the first and second armies at Forbach on August the 6th, put the French army in retreat along its whole line, the southern half in the direction of Nancy, and the northern of Metz.

The northern army under Bazaine was overtaken by those of Steinmetz and Frederick Charles on the 14th of August, when an engagement at Courcelles took place, in which the Germans were again victorious. This was followed by the battles of Vionville, or Mars-la-Tour, and Gravelotte, the result being that Bazaine withdrew his army under the protection of the fortifications of Metz, which was now surrounded by an army under the command of Prince Frederick Charles.

Meantime the Crown-prince of Prussia had advanced as far as Nancy, and was there awaiting the result of the battles around Metz. He had still the army of MacMahon to deal with, which had now reached Chalons, where it had been reorganized and strengthened to such a degree that the army of the crown-prince was no longer able to cope with it unaided. Accordingly, out of three corps d'armee belonging to the second army, a new army was formed, which was afterwards called the army of the Meuse, and was placed under the Crown-prince of Saxony. About the 20th of August these two armies set out on parallel routes in the direction of Chalons in order to engage the army of MacMahon, which it was expected would now retreat on Paris. Instead of this, however, Count Palikao, minister of war at Paris, issued an order to Marshal MacMahon to strike northwards to the Belgian frontier that be might thence make a descent upon Metz and relieve Bazaine.

On the 27th of August, at Buzancy, an advanced detachment of cavalry belonging to the army of the Meuse dispersed a body of French chasseurs, and on the days immediately succeeding a number of engagements and strategic movements ensued, the result of which was that on the 1st of September the army of MacMahon was surrounded at Sedan by a force of overwhelmingly greater numbers, and on the following day both army and fortress surrendered by capitulation. On this occasion 50 generals, 5000 other officers, and 84,000 private soldiers became prisoners of war. Among these was Napoleon III, who was unexpectedly found to have been present with the army of MacMahon. He had a personal interview on the day after the battle with King William of Prussia, who assigned to him Wilhelmshohe, near Cassel, as his place of residence during his captivity.

One of the first consequences of this defeat was an outburst of rage on the part of the Parisians against the Napoleon dynasty, which on the 4th of September was declared by Gambetta and some members of the corps legislatif belonging to the Left to be dethroned. The same members then proclaimed a republic. A government of national defence was formed, at the head of which was placed General Trochu. Meantime France had no army available which was strong enough to stand its ground for an instant before the German armies that were now enabled to continue their march upon Paris. The investment of the city was completed on the 19th of September. It was not until about the beginning of October that the French were able to organize a new army after the loss of that of MacMahon, and by the beginning of November the war in the open field had been resumed in different centres: but the capitulation of Metz with the army of Bazaine on the 28th of October, and that of Strasburg on the 27th of September, had set free for further operations large numbers of German troops, and the utmost efforts of the French could not relieve Paris.

The city had held out for a much longer period than even the most sanguine on the side of the French had at first expected that it would be able to do. Sallies were made at intervals by the garrison on October the 12th and 21st, etcc; on January the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th, but not sufficiently often or in sufficient strength to have any decisive effect. On the failure of the last sally, which took place on the west side from Mont Valerien on the 19th of January, it was seen that a capitulation was inevitable. On the 21st of February Thiers, head of the executive, arrived at Versailles along with a diplomatic commission, and preliminaries of peace were signed at Versailles on the 26th of February and accepted by the assembly at Bordeaux on the 1st of March. The principal terms were the following: 1. That France should cede to Germany one-fifth part of Lorraine, including Metz, together with the whole of Alsace except Belfort and the surrounding district. 2. That France should pay to Germany a war indemnity of five milliards of francs (200,000,000 pounds sterling). 3. That certain departments of France should remain in the occupation of the Germans, and should not be fully evacuated until after the payment of the whole indemnity. The definitive treaty of peace, which was signed at Frankfort on the 10th of May, and ratified on the 21st, confirmed in all essential particulars the preliminaries of Versailles. The last instalment of the war indemnity was paid on the 5th of September 1873, and France was completely evacuated by the Germans on the 13th of the same month.
Research Franco-German War