Key Facts
- Start date
- November 17, 1870
- End date
- January 2, 1871
- Duration
- Approximately 46 days
- French commander
- Colonel Vernet
- German commander
- Major General Wilhelm von Woyna
Strategic Narrative Overview
German forces besieged the fortified town of Mézières, situated on the right bank of the Meuse, from November 17, 1870. German artillery subjected the garrison and civilian population to heavy bombardment, inflicting significant losses on both. French defenders under Colonel Vernet were unable to withstand the sustained shelling, and after just over a day of intense artillery fire the garrison's capacity to resist was broken.
01 / The Origins
The Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 arose from Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's ambition to unify the German states under Prussian leadership and France's determination to resist rising German power. The conflict began with a French declaration of war in July 1870, following a dispute over the Hohenzollern candidacy for the Spanish throne, and rapidly turned against France after early Prussian victories shattered French field armies.
03 / The Outcome
Colonel Vernet surrendered the garrison to Major General Wilhelm von Woyna on January 2, 1871. The Germans captured numerous French officers, soldiers, cannons, and supplies. The fall of Mézières gave Germany uncontested control of the northern railway corridor running from Metz through Mézières to Paris, further isolating the French capital and contributing to France's ultimate capitulation weeks later.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Major General Wilhelm von Woyna.
Side B
1 belligerent
Colonel Vernet.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.