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Battle of Châteaudun

Coordinates: 48°4′12″N 1°20′24″E / 48.07000°N 1.34000°E / 48.07000; 1.34000
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Battle of Châteaudun
Part of Franco-Prussian War
Date18 October 1870[1]
Location
Châteaudun, Eure-et-Loir, France[2]
48°4′12″N 1°20′24″E / 48.07000°N 1.34000°E / 48.07000; 1.34000
Result German victory[3]
Belligerents
 French Republic

 North German Confederation

Commanders and leaders
Ernest de Lipowski[4] Ludwig von Wittich[5]
Strength
1,200 – 4,000 Infantry[6] 12,000 Infantry, 24 artillery pieces,[7] 2 howitzers[8]
Casualties and losses
150 Captured[9][10] "High" Casualties[9]
Battle of Châteaudun is located in Centre-Val de Loire
Battle of Châteaudun
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Location within Centre-Val de Loire
Battle of Châteaudun is located in France
Battle of Châteaudun
Battle of Châteaudun (France)

The Battle of Châteaudun took place in northwestern France during the Franco-Prussian War, which took place on 18 October 1870.[2][4] In this battle, the Imperial German Army led by General Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig von Wittich attacked the city of Châteaudun and captured the city. During the nine-hour battle[2] the attackers defeated forces that included Francs-tireurs led by Ernest de Lipowski who was of Polish origin.[3][11][12] Although it ended in defeat,[8] the resistance of the French army at Châteaudun is recorded by one document as legendary.[13] The fighting at Châteaudun was immortalized by a painting by Philippoteaux (the original of which is now located in the Châteaudun mayor's office).[8]

The Battle

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Obeying orders, General Wittich, commander of the German 22nd Division[10] advanced from Orléans to the northwest, and attacked Châteaudun on the Loire which was defended by Lipowski's irregular forces.[4] Wittich's forces had the overwhelming advantage in numbers,[1] and each French soldier fought 10 Prussians, while enduring heavy and fierce fire of the Prussian artillery.[7] At around 6 p.m., the French obstacle course Rue Galante (Rue de Civry) was isolated and had to be given up. The advance of the Prussian army could not be repelled. French snipers retreated into the center of town even though it was dark. The Prussians were determined to capture the market place at Châteaudun,[8] and they attacked in droves.[7] A terrible battle broke out in the night,[8] in which the two sides fought hand-to-hand.[7] The Prussians were forced to capture each house one by one.[10] Three times the French repelled the Prussians at Rues de Chartres (Rue Jean Moulin) and d'Orléans (Rue de la République), and dead bodies were piled up on the battlefield.[8] Finally, the German army claimed victory,[5] partly due to the strength of their artillery.[9] Faced with a hopeless situation,[8] Châteaudun was bombarded by the Germans and burned to ashes.[9] The French irregulars holding Châteaudun then conducted a retreat, leaving behind a number of prisoners in the hands of the German army.[1][10]

In retaliation for the resistance of the Franc-tireurs guerrillas and the French National Guard at Châteaudun, General Wittich bombarded Châteaudun and neighboring villages.[1] Many houses were destroyed and some non-combatants, including women, were massacred.[6] On 21 October 1870 Wittich's division attacked Chartres, where their batteries repelled a French advancement,[10] and Chartres surrendered to the Germans.[4] As one of the fiercest generals in the Prussian army, Wittich was nicknamed "The Butcher of Châteaudun".[14] The French retook Châteaudun on 6 November 1870.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "My days of adventure: the fall of France, 1870-71"
  2. ^ a b c d "A military dictionary and gazetteer. Comprising ancient and modern military technical terms, historical accounts of all North American Indians, as well as ancient warlike tribes; also notices of battles from the earliest period to the present time, with a concise explanation of terms used in heraldry and the offices thereof. The work also gives valuable geographical information"
  3. ^ a b "The German-French war of 1870 and its consequences upon future civilization"
  4. ^ a b c d Tony Jaques, Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A-E, Page 230
  5. ^ a b "Forty years after: the story of the Franco-German war, 1870"
  6. ^ a b "Republican France, 1870-1912, her presidents, statesmen, policy vicissitudes and social life"
  7. ^ a b c d "The Historians' History of the World: A Comprehensive Narrative of the Rise and Development of..."
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Châteaudun
  9. ^ a b c d Edmund Ollier, Cassell's history of the war between France and Germany, 1870-1871, Page 394
  10. ^ a b c d e "The Franco-German war of 1870-71"
  11. ^ Robert Gildea, Children of the Revolution: The French, 1799-1914, Page 232
  12. ^ Oscar Browning, A history of the modern world, 1815-1910, Page 676
  13. ^ Michael Howard, Franco-Prussian War: The German Invasion of France 1870-1871, Revised Edition, Page 252
  14. ^ Emma Maria Pearson, Louisa Elisabeth McLaughlin, Our adventures during the War of 1870, Episode 2, Page 355
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