MEMORIES OF 1870.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3296, 15 August 1911, Page 5

MEMORIES OF 1870.

THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR

HOW GERMANY WAS PREPARED.

SPEEDY MOBILISATION AND EARLY VICTORY

Brief as it was, the Franco-German War- was, writes the “Sydney Sun,” probably the most—if not the most—terrible conflict of modern times. In the remote country districts of France the peasant people speak of it even today with bated breath, and the fair land of Gaul can hardly be said to have ever really recovered from the blow that fell from the well-trained German soldiery, devastating the land, stopping its trade and commerce, and killing off thousands of its finest sons. It was an unfortunate war. It was a war that has never been forgotten. It was a war that rankles, in the heart of Frenchmen wherever they be, even though when it happened they were yet unborn They have hoard their fathers and the grandfathers talk of it, and the horrors of that six months’ tragedy will probably live for generations. It was Napoleon’s war pure and simple. Many historians and many others have written of it, some of them fairly, some of them with bias. But there are few who do not agree that Napoleon 111. forced Germany to fight. Almost at the end of his tether in the inglorious Second Empire, the ill-fated monarch—who died in obscurity at- Cliislehurst, in England, two years after the war ended —had to adopt some expedient bv which to. bolster up his waning greatness. In 1869 he had offered to adopt a constitutional government, and to make some concessions in regard to the freedom of the press—a much-desir-ed reform—but it was soon found that the responsibility of the Ministry that he called into power was fictitious, and that he was only using liis Ministers- as a protection for his own acts of personal tyranny. The result of the appeal made to the French nation in 1870, on the plea of securing the. people’s sanction for his policy, was disastrous, and when the monarch found that 50,000 dissentient votes had come from the troops whom he had always expected to stand by him, an unexpected source of danger was revealed to him. But confident in the efficiency of the arm- and anxious to rekindle its ardor he availed himself of a pretext to declare war against Prussia. GERMANY’S STRENGTH. The result astonished Europe, and revealed at once the solidity of Prussian strength and the hollowness of the ir. perial power in France. War was declared on July 15, and it had been the intention of the French Emperor to cross the Rhine at- Maxau and push his armies between the North and South German States, so as to force the latter into neutrality. Action of this kind required superiority in numbers and mobility at the very outset, besides good generalship. These advantages were soon found to be actually all on the side of the Germans, whose perfect organisation enabled them to have every detail of mobilisation complete by July 30. Their troops, 518,000 men. with IoS4 guns, were then formed into three armies, the first under General Steinmetz, the second under Prince Frederick Charles, and the third under the Crown Prince’s baton.

By the beginning of August the French had with difficulty got together .270,000 men, with 925 guns, and this force was deficient in transport and poor in equipment. Napoleon himself achieved the chief command, and had 128,000 of his soldiers between Metz and the frontier of Saarbruek, with 47,000 under Marshal MacMahon on the eastern slopes of the Vosges Mountains and 35,000 in reserve at Chalons. The first engagement took place on August 2. General Frossard’s corps drove out the weak German detachment in Saarbruck. but did not push its success, and the Germans took the offensive next day On August 4 the Crown Prince’s a liny, 130,000 strong, smashed up General Douay’.s advanced brigade of 5000 men . near Weissenberg, and then pressed on to Worth, where MacMahon had takem up a strong position with 45,000 of his troops. It was here that the really serious part of the con diet began. ' The battle fought on August 6 was disastrous to the French, who (led in confusion through the 1 osgos Mountains. On the same day Fross.vdk; corps, now 32,000 strong, also had to retire before 67,000 men of the first. German Army.' The battle was fought at Spiclieren, and Frossard’s men did better than MacMahon’s in that they retired in orderly fashion.

THE RETIREMENT ON METZ. As a result of these disasters the Emperor found it necessary to retire oui Metz, and after the fierce and undecided rearguard action at Bornv onAugust 14 entered the fortress on the following day with 176,000 men and 540 guns. There Napoleon abandoned the chief command to Marshal Bazaine. Meanwhile the second German Army had readied the River Moselle, and was threatening with its advanced troops the main roads to Paris. This was unknown to Bazaine, although he had a large force of cavalry for recoilnoitrino- duty, which should have kept him informed of the enemy’s movements. Ho ordered the retreat westward to continue, and his staff made tlic great error of the war when they directed the bulk of the troops, to use only one, and that the southernmost, of the two broad routes available. At least three days "would have been necessary to complete the withdrawal of the whole of the troops from Metz under these circumstances, and the Germans had already placed some cavalry across the toad near Mars-la-Tour. On August 16 this advance guard was vigorously supported—as way invariably the case throughout the campaign—by other troops, and succeeded in stopping the westward march of the Frenchmen.

Next day the latter concentrated at Gravelotte, on a field of battle 11 miles in extent, and on the 18th the pitched battle of Gravelotte was fiercely fought, and the French driven back on Metz. Here they were surrounded, and after several gallant but unsuccessful attempts to break out, surrendered on Octobed 27.

Thus within a month the regular armies of France had been rendered powerless to oppose the German advance. But in the meantime the Gardes Mobiles- had been called out, and, with the remains of MacMahon’s army, formed at Chalons a. force of 120,000 men, with 324 gums. True, they were a disorganised force, almpstojcntirely without discipline, but-thpy farmed, sort of barrier against the victorious advance of the ‘hated Teutons. They attempted to join hands with Bazaine by means of a northerly march, which was commenced on August 21, without intelligence reaching the Germans, part of whose second army was again in motion on the way to Paris. GERMAN LUCK. On the 25tb the Germans learned — it Is said through a' telegram in a foveignj newspaper^ —of MacMahon’s movements and at once changed the direction of their march so as to intercept him. The effect of want of discipline, and contradictory orders, had delayed the progress 'of MacMahon’s rabble of an army, and he was much harassed by the enemy, till finally, on August 30, the sth Corps, under Do Failly, having encamped near Bc-aumont without taking the precaution of putting out outposts, though it had been engaged, the previous day, was surprised, and driven northward on Sedan. Here MacMahon collected his dispirited followers, but only to find that the Germans had surrounded him, and, by vigorous forward movement, had captured the bridges over the Meuse, nd the commanding positions around the town A fierce contest comeneed early on September 1 by the attack on Bazailks, a village that was captured by the Bavarians, then recaptured bv the French, and ultimately burned. By noon MacMalion had been wounded, and General Wimpffe'n, as next senior officer, had taken comand. But every resistance was hopeless. Some of the finest incidents of the whole campaign were the brilliant cavalry charges under General Marguerite, who fell at their head, and there were many other instances of notable bravery at'Sedan. But nearly 500 guns were concentratd upon the French who were crowded into the town and under its walls, and at 5 p.m. the white flag was hoisted on the citadel. Next day the Emperor, who was with his army, surrendered with 83.000 men. By September 4 the scene of interest had been shifted to Paris. The city itself was in rebellion, the Senate had dissolved, the Empress-Regent was a fugitive on her way to England, and France proclaimed a republic, amid tumultuous excitement. THE LAST HOPES. Before the close of the month Strasburg. one of the last hopes of France, had capitulated, and Paris was completely invested" by German troops. On October 5 the Prussian King took up his headquarters at Versailles. Gigantic efforts were made to raise armies in the provinces for the relief of the city. Gambetta, escaping from Paris in a balloon, joined the Government at Tours, and by his energy and personal magnetism got together many thousands of armed men. These, under the successive command of Generals D’Aurelles de g’aladine. Chanzy and Bourba'ki, fought sullenly along the Loire valley, and with some success, threatening at one time to cut the line of German communications, and at another to raise the seige of Belfort. But the surrender of Metz by Bazaine, and the consequent reinforcement of the Prussian legions around Paris, frustrated the first-named attempt, and the masterly tactics of General von We melon the'Lisaine not only prevented the second but drove the French troops into Switzerland, where they were disarmed and interned. Whilst these events were occurring in the south and south-east the German hordes were over-ruinning the north as far as Dieppe, and had fought, a drawn battle with the French levies under General Faidlierbe, who. perhaps, displayed more talent than any other French leader during the war. From Paris, where almost- every able-bodied man was enrolled in the ranks, frequent sorties were made, and. bloody battles were fought, in the villages to the east and south, Le Bourget. Ckampigny. Le Hay, Bongival. Rainey, and the others, several of which were taken and re-taken again and again. The city itself also underwent a bombardment for several days, from which, however, it suffered but little damage, and it was not until compelled by hunger, in January, 871, after a four months investment, thut .nepotist-ions were opened with the enemy at Versailles. An armistice followed. Paris, which till then had been entire!v out off from the outer world except by balloons aim pigeon post, and finally threatened by famine, was invested by a portion oi the invading arm’- and the disastrous war came to an end.