✦ History

Franco-Prussian War

July 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871

Result German victory

Ended by Treaty of Versailles (1871), Treaty of Frankfurt (1871)

Conflict of 19 July 1870 to 28 January 1871 between France and the Prussian-led North German Confederation, triggered by France's determination to reassert continental dominance and Bismarck's edited publication of the Ems Dispatch. German victories culminated in the Siege of Metz and the Battle of Sedan, where Emperor Napoleon III was captured; after a four-month siege Paris fell on 28 January 1871. The war proclaimed the German Empire under Wilhelm I, ceded Alsace-Lorraine to Germany under the Treaty of Frankfurt, and established the French Third Republic, soon shaken by the Paris Commune.

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Battles 42

August 2, 1870
Battle of Saarbrücken French victory Saarbrücken Napoleon III, François Achille Bazaine, Charles Auguste Frossard
August 4, 1870
Battle of Wissembourg (1870) German victory Battle of Wissembourg (1870) Frederick III, German Emperor, Hugo von Kirchbach, Jakob von Hartmann
August 6, 1870
Battle of Wörth German victory Battle of Wörth Frederick III, German Emperor, Patrice de MacMahon
August 6, 1870
Battle of Spicheren German victory Battle of Spicheren Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz, Charles Auguste Frossard
August 14, 1870
Battle of Borny–Colombey French victory Metz François Achille Bazaine, Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz
August 16, 1870
Battle of Mars-la-Tour French victory Battle of Mars-la-Tour François Achille Bazaine, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia
August 16 – September 28, 1870
Siege of Strasbourg German victory Siege of Strasbourg August von Werder, Jean-Jacques Uhrich
August 16 – September 23, 1870
Siege of Toul German victory Toul Frederick Francis II, Gustav von Alvensleben
August 18, 1870
Battle of Gravelotte Prussian strategic victory Gravelotte, Lorraine Wilhelm I, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, François Achille Bazaine
August 20 – October 27, 1870
Siege of Metz German victory Metz François Achille Bazaine, Frederick Francis II, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia
August 30, 1870
Battle of Beaumont (1870) German victory Battle of Beaumont (1870) Gustav von Alvensleben, Georg I of Saxony, Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen
August 31, 1870
Battle of Noisseville Prussian victory Noisseville François Achille Bazaine, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia
August 31 – September 1, 1870
Battle of Bazeilles Bavarian victory Bazeilles Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen
September 1, 1870
Battle of Sedan German victory Sedan, Ardennes Otto von Bismarck, Wilhelm I, Frederick III, German Emperor
September 4 – December 14, 1870
Siege of Montmédy German victory Montmédy
September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871
Siege of Paris (1870–1871) German victory Paris Wilhelm I, Frederick III, German Emperor, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder
September 27–30, 1870
Battle of Le Bourget Le Bourget Albert I of Saxony
September 30, 1870
Battle of Chevilly German victory Chevilly-Larue Joseph Vinoy, Wilhelm von Tümpling
October 10, 1870
Battle of Artenay German victory Artenay Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen
October 13 – November 8, 1870
Siege of Verdun (1870) German victory Verdun
October 13, 1870
Battle of Châtillon German victory Châtillon Hugo von Kirchbach, Jakob von Hartmann, Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot
October 18, 1870
Battle of Bellevue Prussian victory Metz François Achille Bazaine, Ferdinand von Kummer
October 18, 1870
Battle of Châteaudun German victory Châteaudun
October 21, 1870
Battle of Buzenval (1870) German victory Rueil-Malmaison Hugo von Kirchbach, Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot
October 29, 1870 – January 23, 1871
Battle of Dijon (1870) 1st: Prussian victory Dijon Giuseppe Garibaldi, August von Werder, Gustav Friedrich von Beyer
November 3, 1870 – February 18, 1871
Siege of Belfort Inconclusive; Germany fails to capture Belfort Siege of Belfort August von Werder, Pierre Philippe Denfert-Rochereau
November 9, 1870
Battle of Coulmiers French victory Battle of Coulmiers Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen, Louis d'Aurelle de Paladines
November 9, 1870
Battle of Havana (1870) Indecisive Havana
November 27, 1870
Battle of Amiens (1870) German victory Battle of Amiens (1870) August Karl von Goeben, Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel, Jean-Joseph Farre
November 28, 1870
Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande Prussian victory Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande Frederick Francis II, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, Konstantin Bernhard von Voigts-Rhetz
November 29 – December 3, 1870
Battle of Villiers German victory Villiers-sur-Marne Albert I of Saxony, Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot
December 1, 1870
Battle of Villepion French victory Terminiers Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen, Antoine Chanzy
December 2, 1870
Battle of Loigny–Poupry German victory Battle of Loigny–Poupry Frederick Francis II, Antoine Chanzy
December 3–4, 1870
Battle of Orléans (December 1870) German victory Orléans Frederick Francis II, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen
December 8–10, 1870
Battle of Beaugency (1870) Prussian victory Battle of Beaugency (1870) Frederick Francis II, Antoine Chanzy
December 23–24, 1870
Battle of Hallue Inconclusive Battle of Hallue Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel, Louis Faidherbe
January 3, 1871
Battle of Bapaume (1871) French victory Battle of Bapaume (1871) Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel, Louis Faidherbe
January 9, 1871
Battle of Villersexel French victory Battle of Villersexel August von Werder, Charles Denis Bourbaki
January 10–12, 1871
Battle of Le Mans German victory Battle of Le Mans Frederick Francis II, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, Antoine Chanzy
January 15–17, 1871
Battle of the Lisaine German victory Battle of the Lisaine August von Werder, Charles Denis Bourbaki
January 19, 1871
Battle of St. Quentin (1871) Prussian victory Battle of St. Quentin (1871) August Karl von Goeben, Louis Faidherbe
January 19, 1871
Battle of Buzenval (1871) German victory Rueil-Malmaison Frederick III, German Emperor, Louis-Jules Trochu

Key commanders

Germany 20

Otto von Bismarck Wilhelm I King of Prussia, Proclaimed German Emperor at Versailles Frederick III, German Emperor belligerent leader Helmuth von Moltke the Elder Chief of the Prussian General Staff, Planned and led the German campaign Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia military commander Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz military commander Frederick Francis II military commander Albert I of Saxony military commander Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen military commander Hugo von Kirchbach military commander Jakob von Hartmann military commander August von Werder military commander Gustav von Alvensleben military commander Georg I of Saxony military commander August Karl von Goeben military commander Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel military commander Konstantin Bernhard von Voigts-Rhetz military commander Gustav Friedrich von Beyer military commander Wilhelm von Tümpling military commander Ferdinand von Kummer military commander

France 18

Napoleon III Emperor of the French, Declared war; captured at Sedan Patrice de MacMahon military commander Giuseppe Garibaldi belligerent leader François Achille Bazaine Marshal, Commanded the Army of the Rhine; surrendered at Metz Louis-Jules Trochu belligerent leader François Certain de Canrobert military commander Abel Douay military commander Charles Auguste Frossard military commander Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot military commander Joseph Vinoy military commander Jean-Jacques Uhrich military commander Pierre Louis Charles de Failly military commander Pierre Philippe Denfert-Rochereau military commander Louis d'Aurelle de Paladines military commander Jean-Joseph Farre military commander Antoine Chanzy military commander Louis Faidherbe military commander Charles Denis Bourbaki military commander