The Franco-Prussian War marked the downfall of Napoleon III and the rise of a unified Germany. These studies draw on French and German staff reports, battlefield illustrations, detailed period cartography, and first-hand exploration of the pivotal battlefields to explore the rapid campaigns, sieges, and key engagements that changed European politics and warfare.
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At the tactical level, Prussia’s victory over Austria at the Battle of Königgrätz can be attributed to: a weapons revolution, a command philosophy revolution, and innovative tactics. Together, they formed a tactical innovation with profound implications for the future of warfare. As recently as 1859, the Austrian shock tactic doctrine had been the dominant tactical system in Europe. .
Mars-la-Tour was fought for a single operational prize: the road to Verdun. After the frontier defeats of early August 1870, Marshal Bazaine sought to withdraw the French Army of the Rhine from Metz toward Verdun to reestablish contact with the French field armies.
German reconnaissance and aggressive marching collided with this movement near Mars-la-Tour and Vionville, producing a meeting engagement in which a relatively small Prussian force fixed a much larger French army in place.
For the French Marines, Bazeilles is their sacred ground. Like the Alamo to Americans or ANZAC Cove to Australians. The French Army of Chalons under Marshal MacMahon, accompanied by Emperor Napoleon III, was attempting to relieve another French army besieged at Metz. The Prussian Army moved rapidly and now also threatened to encircle the Army of Chalons. The village of Bazeilles was critical to preventing the encirclement .