Page 47 - History of War - Issue 29-16

SEDAN

Moltke carved a new army out of the
oversized Prussian Second Army at Metz, French cannon could not
handing command of the newly established stand up to the new, more-
Army of the Meuse, the core of which was advanced Prussian artillery
three infantry corps, to Crown Prince Albert of
Saxony. Moltke then ordered the Army of the
Meuse and the Third Army to march east in
pursuit of MacMahon’s army. On 30 August,
French and Prussians clashed brie y at
Beaumont-en-Argonne on the left bank of the
Meuse, and MacMahon retreated northeast to
Sedan to consolidate his forces.
Moltke was delighted when informed on
31 August of the French army’s location. “We
have them in a mousetrap!” he said. Moltke
ordered Crown Prince Albert to march to Sedan
on the right bank, and for Prince Frederick
William’s Third Army to advance on Metz via
the left bank. The wily chief of staff planned
to surround MacMahon’s army and force them
to ght a signature kesselschlacht. Once the
enemy was surrounded, the Prussians would present at Sedan, he left direction of the battle deploying further north on a high plateau, but
launch converging infantry attacks supported by to MacMahon. The French commander failed the French commander ignored his advice.
massed artillery. to destroy the bridges above and below the city MacMahon arranged his four infantry corps
Sedan may have been a good place to to retard the deployment of the Prussian Third in a triangle and sent General Barthélémy
regroup before resuming the march to Metz, but Army on the right bank. Lebrun’s XII Corps east of the city where it
the Prussians refused to allow the French to Should his army be forced to retreat towards deployed behind the narrow Givonne River from
do so. With two Prussian armies nearly on top the city, it would be caught on low ground under the villages of Bazeilles to Daigny. He ordered
of him, MacMahon positioned his four infantry the mercy of Prussian guns on the surrounding Ducrot’s I Corps to deploy on its left ank
corps for battle on a series of ridges north of hills. General Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot, from Daigny to the village of Givonne. To guard
Sedan, which was situated on the right bank commanding the French I Corps, suggested to against an attack from the west, MacMahon
MacMahon that the army would be better off
of the Meuse River. Although Napoleon III was MacMahon that the army would be better off sent General Félix Douay’s VII Corps, supported
sent General Félix Douay’s VII Corps, supported
The Prussian victory at the Battle of “BISMARCK INTENDED THE WARS WITH PRUSSIA’S
Gravelotte allowed the French garrison
at Metz to be surrounded, signalling the
beginning of the end for Napoleon III EUROPEAN RIVALS AS A WAY TO UNIFY GERMANY UNDER
THE HOHENZOLLERN DYNASTY BY SHOWING THAT THEY BEST

REPRESENTED THE INTERESTS OF THE LESSER GERMAN STATES”

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