The Battle of LeMans was a Prussian victory during the Battle of Gravelotte Main article: Battle of Gravelotte Battle of Sedan Main article: Battle of Sedan The French were soundly defeated in several battles owing to the military superiority of the Prussian forces and their commanders. ...Franco_Prussian War which ended French resistance in western France.

Background

After the victory at the battle of Orleans, Prince Friedrich Karl Nicholas of Prussia (20 March 1828_15 June 1885) was the son of Karl of Prussia (1801_1883) and his wife Marie Louise of Saxe_Weimar (1808_1877). ...Prince Friedrich Karl marched his army further to the west towards Le Mans is a city in France, located at the Sarthe River. ...Le Mans. Antoine Eugene Alfred Chanzy had under his command about 150,000 soldiers stationed in Le Mans. The bulk of the pre_war professional French army had either been captured at the Battle of Sedan Conflict Franco_Prussian War Date September 2, 1870 Place Sedan, France Result Decisive German victory The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco_Prussian War on September 1_2, 1870. ...battle of Sedan and the Siege of Metz Conflict Franco_Prussian War Date September 3 – October 23, 1870 Place Metz, France Result Decisive Prussian victory The Siege of Metz lasting from September 3 – October 23, 1870 was a crushing defeat for the French during the Franco_Prussian War. ...siege of Metz or were bottled up in the Siege of Paris Conflict Franco_Prussian War Date September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871 Place Paris, France Result German victory The Siege of Paris lasting from September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871 was the final defeat of the French Army during the Franco_Prussian War. ...siege of Paris. Thus Chanzy's "army" consisted mainly of reservists and hastily conscripted civilians armed with a variety of obsolete civilian rifles or old military muzzle_loaders. Greatly outnumbering the Prussian army, the French conscripts were nonetheless no match for the battle_seasoned Prussians and Friedrich Karl did not hesitate to attack.

The Battle

The French army was greatly demoralized and ill_equipped. Much of the French ammunition had been soaked in the rain and snow but Chanzy still ordered his forces into trenches prepared before LeMans. The Prussians hit the French left flank guarded by the Huisne River. The flank was turned and a complete route of the defenders was prevented by the French cavalry posted to the rear to prevent the French from retreting any further. Artillery and a counterattack halted the Prussian attack. A bold Prussian attack was launched on the French right flank and only because the French defenderes fled so quickly did it succeed. Corps commander Jean Bernard Jauréguiberry (26 August 1815 _ 21 October 1887) was a French admiral and statesman. ...Jean Bernard Jauréguiberry attempted to rally the broken troops to mount a counterattack but failed to do so. The whole French defense simply dissolved and the stragglers fled back into Le Mans.

Results

The battle had completely ended French resistance in the west. Friedrich Karl's supply lines were stretched thin and his army also was exhausted from it's campaign along the The Loire is wide; here in Orléans, half of it is shown, up to a dividing half_flooded island. ...Loire River that he did not pursue Chanzy. However, Chanzy's army was so demoralized and fatigued after the battle that it ceased to be an effective force and the fighting around the The Loire is wide; here in Orléans, half of it is shown, up to a dividing half_flooded island. ...Loire came to an end.

Sources

• Howard, Michael The Franco_Prussian War: German Invasion of France MacMillan 1962
• History of the Franco_Prussian War (http://www.geocities.com/fpwar1870/history.html)