This month's Iconic Image is...
The Battle of Sedan
Intro:
This photograph was taken on September 1, 1870. It depicts soldiers standing in a line and firing their weapons in the direction of the camera. Behind them, are other soldiers advancing through a small town. Some of them have are lying on the ground either dead or wounded. This long forgotten image was the very first photograph to depict soldiers in combat.
Part I
In July of 1870, all of Europe's eyes were on the countries of France and Germany. This was due to the Northern Kingdom of Prussia annexing all of the kingdoms of Southern Germany into one country. These included the kingdoms of Saxony, Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden, and Hesse. When these kingdoms were annexed into Prussia, the German army swelled to more than triple its original size. French fears were further stoked when Germany attempted to forge an alliance with the country of Spain.
On July 19, the French Emperor Napoleon III declared war on Germany (at the time called: the Northern German Confederation). Since the bulk of the German leadership came from the Kingdom of Prussia, this conflict would be forever known as, the Franco-Prussian War. It would become one of the most pivotal and brutal wars in the latter half of the 19th century.
Part II
Things quickly took a very bad turn for the French Army. They found themselves both severely outnumbered and outgunned by their foes. The German/Prussian armies were able to win swift and devastating victories in Northern and Eastern France. On August 19, the German Army laid siege to the French city of Metz.
Emperor Napoleon III decided to personally lead a relief force of 120,000 soldiers (the Army of Châlons) to relieve the besieged garrison at Metz. When a detachment under the command of General Patrice MacMahon arrived at the commune of Beaumont-en-Argonne, they were ambushed by Bavarian soldiers and driven back with heavy losses. General MacMahon then pulled his army back to the town of Sedan with the intention of resting and resupplying. Unfortunately, this gave the German Army the perfect opportunity to corner them in an obsolete fortress that could not be defended against a prolonged attack.
On September 1, the German Army under General Helmuth von Moltke advanced on Sedan. The Army of Châlons engaged the Germans at the village of La Moncelle but were forced back with heavy casualties. The German Army then counterattacked and drove the French all the way back to Sedan. Simultaneously, the Royal Bavarian Corps attacked the French right flank at the town of Bazeilles. Although the French garrison (made up of marines and local towns people) inflicted heavy losses on the attackers they too were eventually forced to retreat (the Bavarians later burnt the town in retaliation for their high casualties).
At 11 AM, the German artillery began to relentlessly bombard the French defenses at Sedan. One by one, each French defense was obliterated by the German guns. The few defenders who survived were then easily picked off by the advancing German infantry. Within the hour, the Army of Châlons was surrounded in the Sedan fortress. Any attempt to breakout of the encirclement by the French was beaten back with heavy casualties. By the end of the day, Napoleon III called off any further attacks and hoisted a white flag on the fortress walls of Sedan. The next day, the French surrendered.
Part III
The photograph of the battle of Sedan was taken from a hill overlooking the French village of La Moncelle. It depicts a line of soldiers advancing on the enemy position where the photographer happened to be standing. Some of them are lying on the ground (dead or wounded) and many are still on their feet with their rifles raised. The identity of the photographer is unknown.
Historians and researchers have debated as to wether the soldiers in the foreground are attacking Prussians of the German Army or counter-attacking French soldiers of the Army of Châlons. Many of them believe that it's the latter. According to the angles of the shadows on the house in the corner, the photograph was snapped around 15:00 (3 PM). This was when the Army of Châlons attempted to breakout of the encirclement through the communes/villages of La Moncelle, Baizelles, and Balan. Since the German attack is reported to have happened in the late morning/midday, it seems highly probable that the soldiers depicted are French and that the photograph was taken from the German position at La Moncelle.
Incredibly, a second image was successfully taken just minutes later. This one seems to depict the attackers retreating under a withering fire. The defending soldiers are now visible to the viewer (though the viewer still cannot quite make out their identities). It is likely that the photographer moved his/her camera further back in order to avoid getting caught in the crossfire of the battle (it's also possibly from a second photographer). Considering the fact that the French breakout attempts were all beaten back, it becomes much more probable that the soldiers depicted in the first image are French and not German.
Epilogue
For the French, the battle of Sedan was the beginning of the end. At the end of the battle, nearly the entire Army of Châlons was either killed or forced to surrender (120,000 soldiers). Among those captured, was Napoleon III and three high ranking generals of the French Army. The Germans had only suffered 1,310 killed, 6,443 wounded, and 2,107 missing. It is considered today to be one of France's most devastating military defeats.
Napoleon III's capture caused the government of the Second French Empire to collapse and reform under the Third French Republic. Fifteen days later, the German Army reached the city of Paris and laid siege it. Four months later, Paris surrendered and the Franco-Prussian War was over. France was forced to cede it's easternmost region (Alsace-Lorraine) to Germany. However, lasting animosity between the two countries eventually culminated in a far more devastating conflict (World War I). And at the end of this war, the Alsace-Lorraine region was returned to France.
In the aftermath of the battle, the photograph was printed in newspapers and reprinted on postcards. Sadly (like so many other images before and after), it has largely faded into obscurity and very few people know of its historical significance. However, this photograph still represents a significant development in the history of battlefield photography. It was the very first photograph that successfully captured soldiers in combat. And it would not be the last.
https://www.napoleon.org/en/history-of-the-two-empires/articles/the-battle-of-sedan/
https://www.artstor.org/2016/11/11/seeing-is-believing-early-war-photography/
https://www.thoughtco.com/franco-prussian-war-battle-of-sedan-2360809
https://i.imgur.com/GQgAtod.png
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