Sedan 1870: The Eclipse of France

by Douglas Fermer

The Franco-Prussian War was a turning point in the history of nineteenth-century Europe, and the Battle of Sedan was the pivotal event in that war. For the Germans their overwhelming victory symbolized the birth of their nation, forged in steel and tempered in the blood of the common enemy. For the French it was a defeat more complete and humiliating than Waterloo. Douglas Fermer’s fresh study of this traumatic moment in European history reconsiders how the mutual fear and insecurity of two rival nations tempted their governments to seek a solution to domestic tensions by waging war against each other. His compelling narrative shows how war came about, and how the dramatic campaign of summer 1870 culminated in a momentous clash of arms at Sedan. He gives fascinating insights into the personalities and aims of the politicians and generals involved, but focuses too on the experiences of ordinary soldiers and civilians.

Genres: History, Military History, European History

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

Reviews

[Dimitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let us wipe away hatreds, but preserve the memory of events

The inscription above the citadel gate was as apt in the 1890s as after WWII, for the savage destruction & wanton killing of civilians that underlie the clockwork victory upon the Imperial Army left a mental scar which hurt for a generation - as wars are want to.

Fermer leaves me wanting more & wanting less at the same time. We start off with 55 years of European history in 37 pages, enough space to squeeze in a World Expo in Paris besides Solferino & Sadowa before the field is emptied to make space for the crusty regulars of the Armée d'Afrique. The usual needle gun vs. Chassepotte rifle & Mitrailleuse vs. Krupp steel breech-loader pass, before the first individual notes are played over an overly familiar tune.

The imperfections of German mobilisation are mirrored by miracles of Débrouillez-vous by the French railways. If some particularly unlucky reservists traversed the country to ship off to Algeria & back, there was an overall geographical logic to the order of battle: northern regiments north, non-northern regiments center & the colonial units south.

The mitrailleuse was vulnerable to counter-battery fire, but at 1000m a careless Bavarian might cough up blood after a hidden Chassepotte "pill" silently pierced his lungs. Marshall Margueritte equally voiceless waved on his cavalry while blood streamed for his pierced cheeks and tongue over his beard. These charges by ces braves gens didn't always end in glorious folly; at least once mist & hilly grounds camouflaged the Currassiers until their sabres were upon the German gunners. Somehow the French escaped over the Meuse, away from numerous heights whose flanks were not as invulnerable as they seemed, straight into a triangular "chamber pot" where massed artillery hailed shells in near-WWI intensity. A young Paul von Hindenburg can tell you that, once he marches down from Gravelotte.

There was mercy. A blinded man, carried by his panicked horse, was the sole one to reach the German line; it held its fire to allow a friendly pursuer to grab the reins and lead him to safety. One of the defenders to les dernières cartouches at a farm in Bazeilles was saved from instant retaliation by one of the officers he'd wounded. The spirit of the Red Cross led medical services on both sides to operate indiscriminately. Volunteer ambulances, such as one Confederate veteran which had crossed the Atlantic in the wake of general Sherman.

There was savagery. Villages burned & smoke scourged the lungs in the midst of battle, fought house to house & floor to floor. Bayonets, knives and even strangulation with bare hands came into play. Shots by the French rearguard birthed the paranoia of the franc-tireur and the first swift lessons applied to hapless non-combattants: sabred in cellars, shot in a sickbed, bound & bayonetted ... by the time Napoleon III capitulated his dynasty & his army, the French people had a certain motivation to fight on.

Fermer has made plenty of interesting anecdotes accessible to the English-language reader, from a time when the beauty of an army in blue & red in the dissolving morning mists, the rising sun glinting on thousands of bayonets, coulndn't yet be captured in photographs. Just like its generals couldn't captured the truth when a local peasant woman, sniped at by a German sentry, rode down to warn them about the close position of the enemy; "Ma bonne femme, il est impossible .

So yes, I want more than 180 pages of Franco-Prussian war. Or 180 pages of only Sedan. Beef this one up & you have a good companion to Michael's classic invasion, or the acidic prose of Geoffrey's conquest.

The Franco-Prussian War: The German Invasion of France, 1870-1871 by Michael Eliot Howard
The Franco-Prussian War: The German Conquest of France in 1870-1871Geoffrey Wawro

[Blake Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Sedan, 1870 to get a better idea of the battle that doomed the Second Empire. There's a lot of background that went into the Franco-Prussian War. All the major characters are spelled out. I like the level of detail Douglas Fermer paid attention to the actual battles. I felt like I was there....

Recommended.

[GuyBanff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Gem

Another gem for the amateur history enthusiast from Osprey Publishing. This is a narrative and reflection on the Battle of Sedan, a battle which may have set the shape of future conflicts between France and a newly born Germany lasting into the disaster of the 20th century.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the key points in history was the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 - the war played a significant role in the unification of Germany - and the pivotal battle was the battle of Sedan. Fermer has put together a nice history of that key battle. Fermer provides context for the war and the campaign, which was particularly useful to me, someone with a limited knowledge of the war.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

The best book I have read on this war. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in European history of this era.