Battle of Sedan
Sedan, France
What happened
German armies under Helmuth von Moltke, with King Wilhelm I of Prussia and Otto von Bismarck present, fought the French army of Marshal Patrice MacMahon, accompanied by Emperor Napoleon III. During the Franco-Prussian War a French army was trying to lift the siege of Metz. The German armies caught it near Sedan, surrounded it, and bombarded it from the hills. MacMahon was wounded, breakout attempts failed, and on 2 September Napoleon III surrendered with his army.
Why it matters
Result: German victory Capture of Napoleon III Fall of the Second French Empire. Leaders: Wilhelm I / Otto von Bismarck against Napoleon III / Patrice MacMahon. Why it matters: The capture of the French emperor and his army was a stunning victory for Germany. It ended Napoleon III's rule.
What came next
German armies began the siege of Paris on 19 September 1870. Napoleon III was dethroned and later went into exile in England, where he died in 1873.
Did you know?
Napoleon III was received by Queen Victoria in England, where he lived in exile at Chislehurst, Kent.
Timeline
- 1852Louis-Napoléon becomes Emperor Napoleon III.
- 1-2 September 1870German armies surround and defeat the French at Sedan.
- 19 September 1870German armies begin the siege of Paris.
- 1873Napoleon III dies in exile.