Chapter 141
July-August, 1874
Northern France
As the German forces marched through northeastern France, the weaknesses of the French military system proved apparent. Even if the French had not been warring with one another, the likely result would be chaos.
The French General Staff, whether Republican or Imperial, had never matched the preparations of the Prussian-inspired German system. The entirely of the French strategy over the past decade involved trench-style combat using the inherent advantages of the new weapons of war, not the least being the exquisite Chassepot. The French had studied the effect of the rapid-firing repeaters in America and realized that the old massed infantry formations would swiftly be thing of the past. War was expected to be more defensive.
When the Germans reached open ground southwest of Luxembourg, the modest French preparations for battle against Germany were thrown out the window.
Worse, the French reserves system, though planned out quite well in years past by Field Marshall Niel, had never been implemented to any real degree. The organization of the call-up system was deeply flawed to non-existent. Proper arms and leadership were not in abundance nor a plan how to house and feed the reserves. Given that most French reservists were being called up by both sides of the Civil War, the majority simply stayed home.
The Guard Mobile, essentially a National Guard, was similarly poorly trained and organized and often wasn't worth the trouble of calling up.
The French Army was professional but the Republican forces lacked high-ranking leaders and the Imperial Generals often were forced to defer to the mercurial Napoleon III.
Thus neither side adequately prepared for the German attack.
The Germans, on the other hand, had adapted the Prussian reserves system in which men served a fixed term in the army and then went with their entire regiment into the reserves. Thus, when these men were called up, the organization was already in place with well-situated munition dumps, familiar officers and the same men who the reserves had trained with. This effectively allowed the German to dispatch the majority of their army across the border and have reserves called up within weeks...or sometimes even days to garrison Germany.
The new Mausers and Werder Rifles had largely replaced the old Dreyse Needle Guns and were a reasonable match for the Chassepot. The new Krupp 6-pounder was the standard for German artillery and was a magnificent weapon. The French La Hitte's and older model Krupps were a significant step down.
The Germans had, like the French, realized that wide formations of advancing infantry was a thing of the past. However, rather than assuming defensive trench warfare, the German strategy trended towards smaller units moving quickly and autonomously to avoid the murderous fire of modern weapons.
This would haunt the French Imperials as the Emperor's forces marching from Lyon were intercepted by the German Army near Dijan. The Emperor commanded his army to form a traditional line on some higher ground only to find that the Germans were executing a pincer movement as their artillery bombarded the French. Striking entirely at the flanks, the Germans moved far quicker than the French thought possible and managed to take the French by surprise.
The French flanks collapsed and soon much of the army was caught in a pocket, with only a narrow lane of escape to the south. Believing that the Germans were vulnerable to a direct attack, Napoleon III would order his troops FORWARD, instead of back, their light infantry and cavalry sweeping forward upon the massed German Artillery. This would prove deadly as thousands were killed by the rapid-firing, accurate and long-ranged weapons.
By this time, the Germans were pushing from the west and east into the "pocket" which began to collapse in the middle, forming two "bulges". The southern "bulge" would retreat southwards back toward Lyon in confusion. The northern would remain tightly packed and completely surrounded. It was this "bulge" which contained the Emperor and his two top Generals.
Running low on supplies, the French attempted several breakouts but each failed to free more than a few regiments. MacMahan managed to escape in one of these while Bazaine led another on a daring northern route which took the Germans by surprise. . However, the Emperor's attempt to flee with some cavalry was intercepted by a brigade of Uhlans and the Emperor captured after his horse was shot out from under him.
MacMahan would managed to escape south to reorganize the remnant of his army in Lyon.
Bazaine's wild flight northward would end with him fleeing to the Metz fortress only to be arrested by the new commander. The previous commander had been an affirmed Imperialist but had gotten his head blown off the previous week while inspecting some fortifications. HIs second in command had Republican sympathy and would seize Bazaine and the few hundred cavalry who had accompanied him.
The Republican defense of Paris was even more botched as the poorly led army failed to dig adequate defenses from the eastern side despite weeks of warning.
Only 40,000 of the primary Republican Army based in Paris were positioned to face the Germans when the initial attack arrived. The German commander effectively feinted with an attack on the French right flank, with German cavalry sweeping along the right. As the French moved their forces to intercept, the primary German thrust struck the French left. In less than a day, the French army had been routed, leaving 5000 Dead and 15,000 prisoners.
The bulk of the remaining Republican Army was actually SOUTH of Paris still guarding against an Imperial attack despite the evidence that the Emperor had his own problems in Dijan.
This left the Germans a near open road to the Capital. The advance German columns would encounter the Guard in the streets and easily brushed the amateurs aside. The remaining French army of 50,000, plus about 10,000 of the previous defenders which had been gathered from the fiasco to the east of Paris, would trod into the city until the Republican Leader Gambetta effectively ordered them back. The last thing he wanted was to turn Paris into a street-fighting nightmare.
Instead, the Republicans pulled back into the countryside and prepared for a siege. This would prove unnecessary as the Germans had no intention of wasting time in the City of Light. The same German army marched steadfastly through the city and into the southwestern countryside.
The French, urged on by the Republican politicians, would make the mistake of arranging their forces into massed formations which would have made Napoleon I proud but were obviously outdated. Given that the aged General in command of the Republican forces had actually KNOWN Napoleon I in his youth said it all.
After yet another massive bloodbath, the outnumbered Germans again repulsed the French Republicans. Indeed, the French were lucky that the Germans didn't have time for another envelopment maneuver. Instead, the French suffered 15,000 dead or wounded in one day while leaving 10,000 prisoners and a large amount of war material behind.
Had Napoleon I been present to see this French shame, he probably would have vomited in rage.
Northern France
As the German forces marched through northeastern France, the weaknesses of the French military system proved apparent. Even if the French had not been warring with one another, the likely result would be chaos.
The French General Staff, whether Republican or Imperial, had never matched the preparations of the Prussian-inspired German system. The entirely of the French strategy over the past decade involved trench-style combat using the inherent advantages of the new weapons of war, not the least being the exquisite Chassepot. The French had studied the effect of the rapid-firing repeaters in America and realized that the old massed infantry formations would swiftly be thing of the past. War was expected to be more defensive.
When the Germans reached open ground southwest of Luxembourg, the modest French preparations for battle against Germany were thrown out the window.
Worse, the French reserves system, though planned out quite well in years past by Field Marshall Niel, had never been implemented to any real degree. The organization of the call-up system was deeply flawed to non-existent. Proper arms and leadership were not in abundance nor a plan how to house and feed the reserves. Given that most French reservists were being called up by both sides of the Civil War, the majority simply stayed home.
The Guard Mobile, essentially a National Guard, was similarly poorly trained and organized and often wasn't worth the trouble of calling up.
The French Army was professional but the Republican forces lacked high-ranking leaders and the Imperial Generals often were forced to defer to the mercurial Napoleon III.
Thus neither side adequately prepared for the German attack.
The Germans, on the other hand, had adapted the Prussian reserves system in which men served a fixed term in the army and then went with their entire regiment into the reserves. Thus, when these men were called up, the organization was already in place with well-situated munition dumps, familiar officers and the same men who the reserves had trained with. This effectively allowed the German to dispatch the majority of their army across the border and have reserves called up within weeks...or sometimes even days to garrison Germany.
The new Mausers and Werder Rifles had largely replaced the old Dreyse Needle Guns and were a reasonable match for the Chassepot. The new Krupp 6-pounder was the standard for German artillery and was a magnificent weapon. The French La Hitte's and older model Krupps were a significant step down.
The Germans had, like the French, realized that wide formations of advancing infantry was a thing of the past. However, rather than assuming defensive trench warfare, the German strategy trended towards smaller units moving quickly and autonomously to avoid the murderous fire of modern weapons.
This would haunt the French Imperials as the Emperor's forces marching from Lyon were intercepted by the German Army near Dijan. The Emperor commanded his army to form a traditional line on some higher ground only to find that the Germans were executing a pincer movement as their artillery bombarded the French. Striking entirely at the flanks, the Germans moved far quicker than the French thought possible and managed to take the French by surprise.
The French flanks collapsed and soon much of the army was caught in a pocket, with only a narrow lane of escape to the south. Believing that the Germans were vulnerable to a direct attack, Napoleon III would order his troops FORWARD, instead of back, their light infantry and cavalry sweeping forward upon the massed German Artillery. This would prove deadly as thousands were killed by the rapid-firing, accurate and long-ranged weapons.
By this time, the Germans were pushing from the west and east into the "pocket" which began to collapse in the middle, forming two "bulges". The southern "bulge" would retreat southwards back toward Lyon in confusion. The northern would remain tightly packed and completely surrounded. It was this "bulge" which contained the Emperor and his two top Generals.
Running low on supplies, the French attempted several breakouts but each failed to free more than a few regiments. MacMahan managed to escape in one of these while Bazaine led another on a daring northern route which took the Germans by surprise. . However, the Emperor's attempt to flee with some cavalry was intercepted by a brigade of Uhlans and the Emperor captured after his horse was shot out from under him.
MacMahan would managed to escape south to reorganize the remnant of his army in Lyon.
Bazaine's wild flight northward would end with him fleeing to the Metz fortress only to be arrested by the new commander. The previous commander had been an affirmed Imperialist but had gotten his head blown off the previous week while inspecting some fortifications. HIs second in command had Republican sympathy and would seize Bazaine and the few hundred cavalry who had accompanied him.
The Republican defense of Paris was even more botched as the poorly led army failed to dig adequate defenses from the eastern side despite weeks of warning.
Only 40,000 of the primary Republican Army based in Paris were positioned to face the Germans when the initial attack arrived. The German commander effectively feinted with an attack on the French right flank, with German cavalry sweeping along the right. As the French moved their forces to intercept, the primary German thrust struck the French left. In less than a day, the French army had been routed, leaving 5000 Dead and 15,000 prisoners.
The bulk of the remaining Republican Army was actually SOUTH of Paris still guarding against an Imperial attack despite the evidence that the Emperor had his own problems in Dijan.
This left the Germans a near open road to the Capital. The advance German columns would encounter the Guard in the streets and easily brushed the amateurs aside. The remaining French army of 50,000, plus about 10,000 of the previous defenders which had been gathered from the fiasco to the east of Paris, would trod into the city until the Republican Leader Gambetta effectively ordered them back. The last thing he wanted was to turn Paris into a street-fighting nightmare.
Instead, the Republicans pulled back into the countryside and prepared for a siege. This would prove unnecessary as the Germans had no intention of wasting time in the City of Light. The same German army marched steadfastly through the city and into the southwestern countryside.
The French, urged on by the Republican politicians, would make the mistake of arranging their forces into massed formations which would have made Napoleon I proud but were obviously outdated. Given that the aged General in command of the Republican forces had actually KNOWN Napoleon I in his youth said it all.
After yet another massive bloodbath, the outnumbered Germans again repulsed the French Republicans. Indeed, the French were lucky that the Germans didn't have time for another envelopment maneuver. Instead, the French suffered 15,000 dead or wounded in one day while leaving 10,000 prisoners and a large amount of war material behind.
Had Napoleon I been present to see this French shame, he probably would have vomited in rage.