Le Saint-Michel

SEDAN – TRAGEDY STRIKES TWICE

by mtncorg

Sedan is home to one of the larger fortified castles remaining in Europe today. The city of some 20,000 did not become a part of France until 1642. The most famous person to hail from here was Marshal Turenne – Louis XIV’s best general and buried in Les Invalides in Paris – though tennis aficionados might vote for Yannick Noah. Sedan is also the site where two of the largest French military catastrophes have taken place, one in 1870 and the other in 1940. For a fictional account of the 1870 battle, you can read the 1892 novel by Emilie Zola,La Debacle online for more on the campaign here and the rest of the 1870-71 war between France and what became Germany.

After his defeat at Woerth, Marshal MacMahon was given command of the 130,000 strong Army of Chalons, which set out 21 August 1870 to try and rescue the 154,000 men who under Marshal Bazaine were besieged in the fortress city of Metz. That the French could produce this new army is a testament to their ability to improvise. The new army was made up of regular Army units that were exhausted from their travails at Woerth and the long ensuing retreat, but also fresh troops were brought north from the Spanish border and a division of French marines was added when it was decided not to launch an amphibious attack on the North Sea or Baltic coastlines. Many of the troops were, however, raw recruits who could hardly march let alone load or fire their weapons.

The Army of Chalons never really understood what its purpose was supposed to be – cover Paris or rescue Bazaine. Demoralized, ill-prepared and ill-supplied, MacMahon’s force lumbered slowly north pushed onwards be remonstrations from Empress Eugenie who feared that if the force came to Paris – where they probably should have gone – the Imperial government would be overthrown. The Prussians hounded the French as they headed northwards, not believing their luck at seeing such a large French force moving towards a trap the Prussians would spring. One of MacMahon’s corps was mauled at the Battle of Beaumont on 30 August and it was decided to get the whole army north to Sedan to rest it for a day before seeing where next to. That day of indecision was fatal. The quicker moving 250,000 strong Prussian – actually German – Army of the Meuse commanded by the Crown Prince of Saxony – though guided by the ever-present Prussian General Staff Chief Helmut von Moltke – managed to surround the French who were now down to about 120,000.

Throughout the day of 1 September, the Germans attacked the French positions around Sedan which were in the shape of a triangle. Occupying higher ground, the German artillery pounded the French throughout the day and the French began to melt away. In a last attempt at opening an escape passage through which the men along the French left could escape, General Maurgeritte was ordered at 1 pm to launch his cavalry. Maurgeritte was promptly killed before even the first wave of his grand assault faltered upon Prussian artillery and rifle fire. The surviving commander, General de Gallifet was asked if he could attack again and he replied, “As often as you like mon general, so long as there is one of us left.” The second attack was crushed, as well. Prussian king Wilhelm I observed the scene and exclaimed the words carved onto the memorial at Floing: “Ah! Les braves gens!”

Finally, about 3 pm, came a third and final try which was bloodily repulsed as the others had been. One legend has Gallifet and a few followers reaching within a few feet of a Prussian infantry regiment’s line. They ceased fire and with the officers saluting allowed the few surviving Frenchmen to ride away unharmed. The rest of the French army was not so lucky. They suffered casualties of some 9,000 that day – the Prussians also had about 9,000 casualties – but another 21,000 surrendered. Which was nothing compared to the next day when Napoleon III - who had come along for the campaign – surrendered himself and his whole remaining 83,000 strong army.

In May 1940, the Germany army would again smash the French here at Sedan. The French would be defending on the left bank of the Meuse this time – you can still see some of their blockhouses along the road – but German panzers would roll over the French opening up a huge hole in the Allied line which would eventually lead to the Fall of France in late June.