Franco-Prussian War

French incursions

On 28 July 1870, Napoleon III left Paris for Metz and assumed command of the newly titled Army of the Rhine, some 100,000 strong and expected to grow as the French mobilisation progressed. Marshal MacMahon took command of I Corps (4 divisions) near Wissembourg, Marshal François Canrobert brought VI Corps (4 divisions) to Châlons-sur-Marne in northern France as a reserve and to guard against a Prussian advance through Belgium. A pre-war plan laid out by the late Marshal Adolphe Niel called for a strong French offensive from Thionville towards Trier and into the Prussian Rhineland. This plan was discarded in favour of a defensive plan by Generals Charles Frossard and Bartélemy Lebrun, which called for the Army of the Rhine to remain in a defensive posture near the German border and repel any Prussian offensive. As Austria along with Bavaria, Württemberg and Baden were expected to join in a revenge war against Prussia, I Corps would invade the Bavarian Palatinate and proceed to "liberate" the south German states in concert with Austro-Hungarian forces. VI Corps would reinforce either army as needed.

Related Topics:
28 July - 1870 - Metz - Army of the Rhine - Wissembourg - François Canrobert - Châlons-sur-Marne - Adolphe Niel - Thionville - Trier - Charles Frossard - Bartélemy Lebrun - Bavarian Palatinate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Unfortunately for General Frossard's plan, the Prussian army was mobilising far more rapidly than expected. Against all expectations, the south German states had come to Prussia's aid and were mobilising their armies against France. The Austro-Hungarians, still smarting after their defeat by Prussia, seemed content to wait until a clear victor emerged before committing to France's cause.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Already, by August 3 1870 some 320,000 German soldiers were now massed near the French border. A 40,000 strong French offensive into southern Germany would run into superior numbers and be rapidly cut off and destroyed. Napoleon III, however, was under immense domestic pressure to launch an offensive before the full might of Moltke's forces were mobilised and deployed. Reconnaissance by General Frossard had identified only one Prussian division guarding the border town of Saarbrücken, right before the entire Army of the Rhine. Accordingly, on July 31 Napoleon III ordered the Army forward across the Saar River to seize Saarbrücken.

Related Topics:
August 3 - Saarbrücken - July 31 - Saar River

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Occupation of Saarbrücken

General Frossard's II Corps and Marshal Bazaine's III Corps crossed the German border on August 2, 1870 and evicted the Prussian 40th Regiment of the 16th Division from the town of Saarbrücken. The Chassepot rifle proved its worth against the Dreyse rifle, French riflemen regularly outdistancing their Prussian counterparts in the skirmishing around Saarbrücken. However the French suffered 86 casualties to the Prussian 83 casualties. Saarbrücken also proved to be a dead-end in terms of logistics - only one single railway there led from the border to the German hinterland which could be easily defended by a single force, and the only river systems in the region ran along the border instead of inland.

Related Topics:
August 2 - 1870 - Saarbrücken

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While the French hailed the invasion as the first step towards the Rhineland and later Berlin, General Frossard was receiving alarming reports from foreign news sources of Prussian and Bavarian armies massing to the south-east in addition to the forces to the north and north-east.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Moltke had indeed massed three armies in the area - the Prussian First Army commanded by General Karl von Steinmetz (50,000 soldiers) opposite Saarlouis, the Prussian Second Army commanded by Prince Friedrich Karl (134,000 soldiers) opposite the line Forbach - Spicheren, and the Prussian Third Army commanded by Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (125,000 soldiers) poised to cross the border at Wissembourg. Cavalry reconnaissance had identified a French division of MacMahon's corps at Wissembourg, the Third Army moved forward to engage this division. The Second Army moved forward towards the border and Forbach and Spicheren beyond. The First Army marched to Saarlouis, to catch in the flank and rear any French forces moving to reinforce Spicheren. Moltke planned for the First Army in concert later with the Third Army to envelope the entire French army against the Second Army and destroy the entire force.

Related Topics:
General Karl von Steinmetz - Saarlouis - Prince Friedrich Karl - Forbach - Spicheren - Friedrich Wilhelm - Wissembourg - Cavalry - Reconnaissance

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Battle of Wissembourg

Main article: Battle of Wissembourg

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On learning that the Second Army was just 30 miles from Saarbrücken and was moving towards the border, General Frossard hastily withdrew the elements of Army of the Rhine in Saarbrücken back to Spicheren and Forbach. Marshal MacMahon however was unaware of Prussian movements beyond vague rumours from newspapers, and left his four divisions spread 20 miles apart in depth to react to any Prussian invasion. At Wissembourg on August 4, MacMahon's 2nd Division commanded by General Abel Douay was the first to make contact with leading elements of the Prussian Third Army, beginning the Battle of Wissembourg.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first action of the Franco-Prussian War (excluding the push into Saarbrucken by elements of Frossard's French II Corps on 2nd August) took place on 4th August 1870. This bloody little battle saw the unsupported division of General Douay of I Corps, with some attached cavalry, which was posted to watch the border, attacked in overwhelming but poorly coordinated strength by German 3rd Army. As the day wore on elements of one Bavarian and two Prussian Corps became embroiled in the fight which was notable for the complete lack of higher direction by the Prussians and blind offensive haste by their low level officers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Douay held a very strong position but his force was too thinly stretched to hold it and his division was driven south by way of Riedseltz at dusk. Douay himself was killed in the early afternoon when a caisson of the divisional mitrailleuse battery exploded near him. General Pelle took up command and withdrew the remnants of the division.

Related Topics:
Caisson - Mitrailleuse

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although Failly's V Corps was just a few miles away at Bitsche and the other three divisions of MacMahon's I Corps were a similar distance away to the south at Worth, neither moved to assist, despite the clear rumble of guns.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Battle of Woerth

Main article: Battle of Worth

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The two armies clashed again only two days later (August 6, 1870) near Woerth, less than ten miles from Wissembourg.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The German 3rd army had drawn reinforcements which brought its strength up to 140,000 troops. The French had also been reinforced, but their recruitment was slow, and their force numbered only 35,000. Although badly outnumbered, the French bravely defended their position along a ridge at the western outskirts of Woerth. By afternoon, both sides had suffered about 10,000 casualties, and the French army was reduced to a size which did not permit it to maintain a battle order. Also, the Germans had taken the town of Froeschwiller which sat on a hilltop in the center of the French line. Having lost any outlook for victory and facing a massacre, the French army broke off the battle and retreated in a western direction, hoping to join other French forces on the other side of the Vosges mountains.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The German 3rd army did not pursue the withdrawing French. It remained in Alsace and moved slowly south, attacking and destroying the French garrisons remaining in Alsace.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The battle of Woerth was the first major one of the Franco-German war, with more than 100,000 troops in the battlefield. It was also one of the first clashes where troops from various German states (Prussians, Badonians, Bavarians, Saxons etc.) fought jointly. These facts have led some historians to call the battlefield of Woerth the 'cradle of Germany'.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Battle of Spicheren

Main article: Battle of Spicheren

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Battle of Spicheren, on August 5, was the second of three critical French defeats. The French were able to stall the German I Army until the German II Army under Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia came to the aid of their compatriots and routed the French. Together with the Battle of Worth, on the following day, the Prussians succeeded in separating the northern and southern flanks of the French army. The German victory compelled the French to withdraw to the defenses of Metz.

Related Topics:
August 5 - Battle of Worth

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~