The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 was regarded as the first war in which modern combat methods, weapons and tactics were used. THE sedan battle it was the main combat of the war and its outcome sealed the fate of both countries. Furthermore, several other events were triggered against the backdrop of this conflict.
It was the Prussian victory that made German Unification and the strengthening of German imperialism possible. The French defeat also resulted in a feeling of resignation and revenge with the Germans, thus being one of the reasons for the outbreak of the First World War.
On the other hand, the fall of the government of Napoleon III and the situation in which the capital Paris found itself during the war led to the outbreak of the Commune of Paris, the first moment in contemporary history in which workers began to exercise political and economic power through bodies created by them same.
The Battle of Sedan began in September 1870 and saw an overwhelming Prussian force defeat French troops in one day. In the city of Sedan, close to the Belgian border, there was a fortification strategically built to contain invasions into French territory. The Meuse River was another barrier for the advance of enemy troops next to the fortress. Furthermore, the French were aware that if they were defeated there, the path to Paris would be smoothed.
The importance of the conflict was such that both Emperor Napoleon III and Kaiser Wilhelm I met at the site. The latter was also accompanied by US, Russian and British authorities, as well as Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, to watch the conflict unfold. Prussian troops were stationed in the hills around the fort from which the attacks had started. Led by General Helmuth von Moltke, the disciplined and well-armed Prussian army proceeded to bomb Sedan. Despite the resistance of the French troops and the attempts to overcome the siege by the cavalry of their cavalry, the Prussian military structure prevailed.
Since the previous decades, Bismarck's policy aimed to form a strong army to succeed in unifying the various German states. With the obligation to provide military service, the Prussians began to train an immense number of young people. Prussian industrial development also made possible the development of new weapons, such as rifles and cannons with greater firepower. There was also the development of war tactics more focused on troop mobility, in addition to the creation of lines of infantry dams. The French army still adopted the tactic of compact formations of soldiers and cavalry charges in attacking enemies. Against this backdrop, the Prussian victory was overwhelming.
Defeated, Napoleon III asked William I to surrender and was taken as a prisoner to Prussia, without humiliating passing through French territory. With the fall of the Emperor, the French organized themselves politically as a Republic and began to fight the Prussians through some guerrillas, in which the franc tireurs fought, who despite having resisted more intensely than the army, were also unable to resist the enemies. On January 18, 1871, the authorities in Paris fell under Prussian rule. The Treaty of Frankfurt was signed in March and ended the Franco-Prussian War. But the Paris workers did not accept this result and resisted for two months against the troops Prussians and French, who acted together for the overthrow of the Paris Commune, which took place on May 28, 1871.
As a result of the conflict, the French Empire of Napoleon III fell and the German Empire, commanded by William I, emerged. The French revanchism against the Germans resulting from this war and the imperialist disputes would be some of the reasons for the outbreak of the two World Wars in the following century.
By Tales Pinto
Graduated in History
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/batalha-sedan-rivalidade-franco-prussiana.htm