Siege of Verdun (1870)
{{Short description|1870 in France during the Franco-Prussian War}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Siege of Verdun
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| partof = Franco-Prussian War
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| date = 13 October{{Cite book|last=Ollier|first=Edmund|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=CKyt_4DqFW8C}}|title=Cassell's history of the war between France and Germany, 1870–1871|date=1871|language=en}} – 8 November 1870{{Cite book|last=Badsey|first=Stephen|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=Z5uHCwAAQBA|page=64}}|page=64|title=The Franco-Prussian War 1870–1871|date=2014-06-06|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-4728-1016-8|language=en}}
| place = Verdun, Meuse, France{{Cite book|last=Simonds|first=Frank H.|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=4_X2DwAAQBAJ&pg=PP|page=34}}|pages=35|title=They Shall Not Pass|date=2020-08-12|publisher=BoD – Books on Demand|isbn=978-3-7524-2417-1|language=en}}
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| result = German victory{{Cite book|last=Neiberg|first=Michael S.|date=2003-12-04|title=Warfare and Society in Europe|url=|doi=10.4324/9780203643525|page=42|isbn=9780429234576}}
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| combatants_header =
| combatant1 = {{flag|French Third Republic|name=French Republic}}
| combatant2 = {{flag|North German Confederation}}
- {{flag|Prussia|1803}}{{Cite book|last=Shackleton|first=Kevin R.|url=|title=Second to None: the Fighting 58th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force|date=2017|publisher=READHOWYOUWANT COM LTD|isbn=978-1-5252-5831-2|oclc=1004761482}}
- {{flag|Kingdom of Saxony|name=Saxony}}
| combatant3 =
| commander1 = {{flagdeco|France|1794}} Guérin de Waldersbach
{{flagdeco|France|1794}} General Marnier{{Cite book|last=Roberts|first=Sir Randal Howland|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=uv8_AQAAMAA|page=298}}|page=298-300|title=Modern War, or, The Campaigns of the First Prussian Army, 1870–71|date=1871|publisher=Chapman and Hall|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/francogermanwaro00molt|title=The Franco-German war of 1870–71|first=Helmuth|last=Moltke|date=November 2, 1901|location=New York |publisher= Harper|via=Internet Archive}}
| commander2 = Unknown
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| strength1 = 1,500 regulars (including 50 artillerymen), 2,000 Infantry part of the Garde Mobile and 1,400 National Guardsmen, 20 mortars, 2 mortars and 90 cannonsAnonymous, The Battle of Verdun 1914 to 1918, Kessinger Publishing Company
| strength2 = 15,000 Infantry and 140 artillery pieces
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| casualties1 = French garrison (except national guard), captured
| casualties2 = Unknown
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| campaignbox = {{campaignbox Franco-Prussian War}}
}}
The siege of Verdun was a battle fought in France during the Franco-Prussian War{{Cite book|first=Spencer
|last=Tucker|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=2oWwswEACAAJ|page=1218}}|page=1218|title=World War I: A–D|date=2005|publisher=ABC-CLIO|language=en}} from 13 October until 8 November 1870.
The siege was launched by the Legion of Saxony. After fierce resistance by the French army at the fortress of Verdun (longer resistance than any other French fortress), the siege ended with Verdun taking the lead with German Army goods.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/newyorktimescurr07newyuoft|title=The New York times current history: the European war|date=1917–1920|location=New York |work= New York Times}}{{Cite book|first=Charles|last=Sowerwine|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/636277454|title=France since 1870: Culture, Society and the Making of the Republic|date=2009|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-230-57338-3|oclc=636277454|page=105}} Verdun then became a fortress on the Franco-German border but surrendered to the German army in the Franco-Prussian War.Hindenburg, Page 14{{full citation needed|date=November 2021}} The French artillery was noted to be effective during the siege.
Background
During the War of the First Coalition, Verdun was invaded by the Prussian Army in 1792 leading to the original Siege of Verdun, before the French victory in the Battle of Valmy forced the Prussians to retreat. In 1870, Verdun offered fiercer resistance, but when the Saxon forces emerged from the east, Verdun had only a small garrison. For a time, the Germans just kept Verdun under surveillance, but on August 24, a German offensive was directed. The French conducted several breakouts after the prisoners escaped after the Battle of Sedan reinforcements.
Siege
In late September, German forces (including the Landwehr militia ) assembled under the command of {{ILL|General Von Gayl|de|Wilhelm von Gayl (General)}} on the eastern front. Although the blockade of Verdun began on 25 October, on 7 October, two German Artillery crews were made to create conditions for the infantry and advanced a few hundred steps and established its positions The Germans then cleared all obstacles. On 13 October Verdun was officially locked down. The German artillery attacks failed, although the citadel of Verdun was severely damaged. General Marnier, commanding the French garrison, launched strong raids that were initially victorious. Meanwhile, the German generals were preoccupied with the Siege of Metz, so they lacked enough forces to also besiege Verdun.
After the fall of Metz, the German First Army reinforced the army besieging Verdun. The French army at Verdun was at a disadvantage. Faced with that situation, after a truce, Verdun surrendered under rare favorable conditions. The French garrison was taken prisoner, with the exception of the French National Guard. The French officers were paroled, and materials, weapons, cannons, etc. of the city of Verdun were agreed to be restored once peace was restored. Not long after Verdun surrendered, the German army defeated the French fortress of Neuf-Brisach.
References
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{{Coord missing|France}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verdun 1870}}
Category:Sieges of the Franco-Prussian War
Category:Sieges involving Saxony
Category:Military history of Verdun