The Battle of Wissembourg or Weissenburg was the first battle of the Franco-Prussian War. The French defeat allowed the Prussian army to move into France. The Franco-Prussian War (July 19, 1870 – May 10, 1871) was fought between France and Prussia (backed by the North German Confederation) allied with the south German states of Baden, Bavaria and Württemberg. ... August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Wissembourg (German: Weißenburg) is a small town and commune situated on the border between France and Germany, in the Alsace région, approximately 60 km north of Strasbourg. ... The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 The word Prussia (German: Preußen or Preussen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian: PrÅ«sai, Latin: Borussia) has had various (often contradictory) meanings: The land of the Baltic Prussians (in what is now parts of southern Lithuania, the Kaliningrad exclave of... Baden is a historical state in the southwest of Germany. ... With an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ... Württemberg (often spelled Wurttemberg in English) refers to an area and a former state in Swabia, a region in south-western Germany. ... Friedrich III of Germany. ... The Franco-Prussian War (July 19, 1870 – May 10, 1871) was fought between France and Prussia (backed by the North German Confederation) allied with the south German states of Baden, Bavaria and Württemberg. ... Battle of Spicheren Conflict Franco-Prussian War Date August 6, 1870 Place near Saarbrucken, France Result German victory The Battle of Spicheren, also known as the Battle of Forbach, was a battle during the Franco-Prussian War. ... Battle of Wörth/Fröschwiller Conflict Franco-Prussian War Date August 6, 1870 Place Fröschwiller, Wörth, France Result Decisive German victory The Battle of Wörth, also known as the Battle of Reichshoffen or as the Battle of Fröschwiller, occurred on 6 August 1870 in the opening stages of the Franco-Prussian... Battle of Mars-La-Tour Conflict Franco-Prussian War Date August 16, 1870 Place Mars-La-Tour, France Result Prussian victory The Battle of Mars-La-Tour was fought on 16 August 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War near the town of Mars-La-Tour in north-east France. ... Battle of Gravelotte Conflict Franco-Prussian War Date August 18, 1870 Place Gravelotte, France Result French tactical victory Prussian strategic victory The Battle of Gravelotte (August 18, 1870), was named after a village of Lorraine between Metz and the French frontier. ... 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. ... The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War on September 1, 1870. ... Battle of St. ... 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. ... The Franco-Prussian War (July 19, 1870 – May 10, 1871) was fought between France and Prussia (backed by the North German Confederation) allied with the south German states of Baden, Bavaria and Württemberg. ... The national name Prussia (in Prussian: Prusa, German: Preußen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian Prusai, Latin: Prussia or Borussia) was used by a wide variety of political factions during the 2nd millennium. ...

Background

In June, 1870 Napoleon III had moved the French army into Lorraine and occupied Saarbrucken. Napoleon wished to win a significant battle on German soil and ordered Marshal Patrice MacMahon to bring up the French I and V Corps. MacMahon's objective was to reach Wissembourg where he already had one division stationed under Abel Douay. Once there he would concentrate his forces for a strike into Germany. The German III Army under Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, was already moving towards Wissembourg. Neither side was fully aware of the other's movements. June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (April 20, 1808 - January 9, 1873) was the son of King Louis Bonaparte and Queen Hortense de Beauharnais; both monarchs of the French puppet state, the Kingdom of Holland. ... Capital Metz Area 23,547 km² Regional President Jean-Pierre Masseret Population  - 2005 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density 2,310,376 98/km² Arrondissements 19 Cantons 157 Communes 2,337 Départements Meurthe-et-Moselle Meuse Moselle Vosges You may also want: Lorraine, Quebec Lorraine, Ontario Lorraine (German: Lothringen) is a... Map of Germany showing Saarbrücken Saarbrücken [ˈzaːɐ̯ˈbrʏkn̩] is the capital of the Saarland Bundesland in Germany. ... Patrice MacMahon, duc de Magenta President of France, 1873-1879 Marie Edmé Patrice Maurice MacMahon, duc de Magenta, Marshal of France (July 13, 1808 - October 16, 1893) was a Frenchman of Irish descent. ... Friedrich III of Germany. ...

The Battle

The forces of the Crown Prince were to reach Wissembourg before MacMahon could, thanks to the organisational genius of his Chief of Staff, General von Blumenthal. At 8:00 on August 6 the 2nd Bavarian Corps arrived and began to shell the town. Douay posted a garrison in the town and possitioned his reserves on a hill outside the town. The Germans attacked and within a couple hours entered the town. German reinforcements were brought up to outflank the French reserves. The Bavarians attacked the west side of town while the Prussian XI Corps and artillery assaulted the east. French reinforcements from MacMahon began to arrive on the field. With the arrival of the French V Corps the Bavarian Corps retired behind the protection of their artillery. The French attacked and were so heavily repulsed that they ceased to be of effective use for the rest of the battle. The Prussian V Corps which had been making slow progress on the east side of town finally made an attack on the center of the French lines and carried the possition. A last ditch counterattack allowed the French to retreat intact and the German forces took the town. Friedrich III of Germany. ... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ...

Results

The battle had been a victory for the Germans and allowed them invade France. Shortly after the battle the German III Army was on the move towards Worth where they ran into the main body of MacMahon's army. Worth is the name of several places in the United States: Worth in Illinois Worth Township in Cook County, Illinois Worth Township in Woordford County, Illinois Worth Township in Indiana Worth Township in Michigan Worth in Missouri Worth County in Missouri Worth in New York Worth Township in Butler County...

Sources

• Compton's Home Library: Battles of the World CD-ROM
• http://www.staineswargamers.org.uk/wiss.htm
• http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/mcnelly/vb/scenarios/wissembourg.htm