Battle of Bazeilles

Battle of Bazeilles

The Battle of Bazeilles was one of the first occasions of modern urban warfare.

During the 1870 Franco-Prussian war, Bazeilles, a small village in the French Ardennes department near Sedan was the theater of an ambush on Bavarians, allies of the Prussians, by a small detachment from the "Blue Division" of Troupes de marine, under the command of general De Vassoigne. Hiding in houses along with local Franc tireurs, the "marsouins", the snipers shot with their new quick-firing Chassepot breechloading rifles at the Bavarian unit that outnumbered them by ten to one.

They held the village until Napoleon III gave order to withdraw, which a small group under commander Lambert remaining in the last house on the road to Sedan, the Auberge Bougerie, fighting to the last bullet to cover the retreat. The house is now a museum, showing e.g. a clock hit at 11:35 by a bullet, stopping it.

After 7 hours of urban warfare, the Bavarians were able to take the village. Considering them unlawful combatants, the Franc tireur partisans and other civilians were executed.

Soon, the Battle of Sedan was a crushing defeat of France, with Napoleon III getting captured with his army. Soon, another French army was trapped at Metz, basically ending the war and Napoleon's Empire. Yet, the French, now as a republic, decided to continue for months with partisan warfare.

Having few else to be proud of, General de Vassoigne said about these soldiers: "The troupes de marine fought beyond the extreme limits of duty". The anniversary of the Battle of Bazeilles is now celebrated by the Troupes de marine, as their equivalent to Camerone for the Legionaires.

References

* Arte French-German TV, as of 16 March 2008 broadcast [http://www.arte.tv/de/woche/244,broadcastingNum=859649,day=1,week=12,year=2008.html Die großen Schlachten: 1870 - Die Entscheidung von Sedan - (Deutschland, 2005, 52min)]
* [http://www.troupesdemarine.org/traditions/histoire/hist001.htm Site non officiel: Troupes De Marine. Bataile du Bazeilles] . (retrieved 2008-06-30)
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=PmkPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA608&dq=bazeilles+l%27Isle&as_brr=3 N. Hardoin. Francis & allemands: histoire anecdotique de la guerre de 1870-1871. Garnier frères (1888)] , pp. 275, 448, 524-531, 606-610.
* [http://books.google.com/books?q=bazeilles&as_brr=3 Google Book search: Bazeilles]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bazeilles — French commune nomcommune=Bazeilles région=Champagne Ardenne département=Ardennes arrondissement=Sedan canton=Sedan Est insee=08053 cp=08140 maire=Pierre Sulfourt mandat=2001 2008 intercomm= longitude=4.97722222222 latitude=49.6780555556 alt… …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Sedan — Infobox Military Conflict caption= partof=the Franco Prussian War conflict=Battle of Sedan date=1 September 1870 place=Sedan, France result=Decisive German victory; End of the Second French Empire combatant1=flagicon|Prussia|1803 Kingdom of… …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Paper Bridge — The Battle of Paper Bridge, fought on 19 May 1883, was one of the numerous clashes during the Tonkin campaign (1883–86) between the French and the Black Flags. A small French force under the command of capitaine de vaisseau Henri Rivière… …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Palan — The Battle of Palan (1 September 1883) was one of several engagements between the Tonkin Expeditionary Corps and Liu Yongfu s Black Flag Army during the Tonkin campaign (1883–1886). The battle took place during the period of increasing tension… …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Phu Hoai — The Battle of Phu Hoai (15 August 1883) was one of several engagements between the Tonkin Expeditionary Corps and Liu Yongfu s Black Flag Army during the Tonkin campaign (1883–1886). The battle took place during the period of increasing tension… …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Gia Cuc — The Battle of Gia Cuc, fought on 27 and 28 March 1883, was a battle in the Tonkin campaign between the French and Vietnamese, during the period of undeclared hostilities that preceded the Sino French War (August 1884–April 1885). Background The… …   Wikipedia

  • Troupes de marine — See also: Troupes de la marine Troupes de la marine Troupes de Marine logo Active 1622 Present Country …   Wikipedia

  • Louis Brière de l'Isle — Infobox Military Person name=Louis Alexandre Esprit Gaston Brière de l Isle caption=General Briere de l Isle, with the Rosette of a Grand Officier de la Légion d honneur on his chest. born=24 June 1827 died=19 June 1896 placeofbirth=Martinique… …   Wikipedia

  • Henri Rivière — Henri Laurent Rivière (1827–83) was a French naval officer and a writer, chiefly remembered today for his role in advancing the French conquest of Tonkin (northern Vietnam) in the 1880s. Rivière s seizure of the citadel of Hanoi in April 1882… …   Wikipedia

  • Sino-French War — Infobox Military Conflict conflict=Sino French War 中法戰争 Guerre franco chinoise Chiến tranh Pháp Thanh partof= caption=Operations of the Sino French war (1884 1885). date=1884 1885 place=Southeast China, Taiwan, Northern Vietnam casus=… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”