A failed French sortie during the siege of Paris that confirmed Prussian control of the western approaches to the capital.
Key Facts
- Date
- 21 October 1870
- French losses
- More than 400 men
- German casualties
- Unknown
- French commander
- General Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot
- Prussian forces engaged
- V Corps, IV Corps, Guard Corps detachments
- Outcome
- German victory; encirclement of Paris maintained
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the collapse of French field armies and the encirclement of Paris in the Franco-Prussian War, Governor Louis-Jules Trochu sought to probe Prussian defensive positions west of the capital. He authorised a limited sortie to test enemy strength around Rueil and the Château of Malmaison, areas held by elements of the Prussian V Corps, IV Corps, and Guard Corps detachments.
General Ducrot advanced multiple French columns with a strong reserve, preceded by an extended artillery bombardment. French infantry pushed through the park at Malmaison, crossed the ravine of Saint-Cucufa, and reached the slopes of La Jonchère and the outskirts of Buzenval. However, Prussian fire from fortified houses and woodland positions halted further progress, and afternoon counterattacks forced Ducrot to order a withdrawal.
The sortie failed to disrupt the Prussian encirclement of Paris and ended as a clear German victory. French casualties exceeded four hundred men while German losses remained unrecorded. The result demonstrated that the western defensive perimeter was firmly held, leaving Paris no closer to relief.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
General Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot, Governor Louis-Jules Trochu.
Side B
1 belligerent