Key Facts
- Dates
- 29 January – 2 February 1871
- Duration
- 5 days
- Role in war
- Final military operation of the Franco-Prussian War
- Key consequence
- French Eastern Army interned in neutral Switzerland
- Political effect
- Forced Léon Gambetta to end French resistance
Strategic Narrative Overview
Following the hard-fought Battle of the Lisaine, where General August von Werder's German forces halted the Eastern Army's advance, Lieutenant General Edwin von Manteuffel's German Army of the South pursued the weakened French forces under General Justin Clinchant toward Pontarlier and La Cluse-et-Mijoux. Engagements from 29 January to 2 February 1871 progressively compressed the French force against the Swiss border, cutting off retreat routes into French territory.
01 / The Origins
The Franco-Prussian War (1870–71) erupted from tensions between a rising German confederation under Prussian leadership and the French Empire of Napoleon III. After French defeats and Napoleon's capture at Sedan, a new French Republic continued resistance. The Eastern Army, formed to relieve besieged forces and threaten southern Germany, represented the last significant French offensive hope as a ceasefire was being negotiated.
03 / The Outcome
Defeated and surrounded, the French Eastern Army was driven across the frontier into neutral Switzerland, where it was interned. Large numbers of French soldiers were taken prisoner. The collapse of the Eastern Army's campaign eliminated the last viable French military resistance, compelling Interior Minister Léon Gambetta to abandon further opposition to Germany. The battle effectively concluded hostilities in the Franco-Prussian War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Edwin von Manteuffel, August von Werder.
Side B
1 belligerent
Justin Clinchant.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.