36th Line Regiment, 2nd Zouaves, 8th Rifle Battalion
2nd Brigade: General Lefebvre
48th Line Regiment, 2nd Algerian Sharpshooters
4th Division: General de Lartigue (w. 1.9.70)
1st Brigade: General Fraboulet de Kerléadec (w. 1.9.70)
56th Line Regiment, 3rd Zouaves, 1st Rifle Battalion
2nd Brigade: General Carrey de Bellemare
3rd Algerian Sharpshooters
Cavalry Division: General Michel
1st Brigade: General de Septeuil
3rd Hussars, 11th Chasseurs
2nd Brigade: General de Nansouty
2nd & 6th Lancers
3rd Brigade: Colonel Perrot
10th Dragoons, 8th Cuirassiers
Effective strength of 1 Corps: 28,185 officers and men.
(48 infantry battalions, 26 cavalry squadrons, 19 artillery batteries,1 6½ engineer companies)
5 Corps
General de Failly
(de Wimpffen from 31.8.70)
1st Division: General Goze
1st Brigade: General Saurin
11th & 46th Line Regiments, 4th Rifle Battalion
2nd Brigade: General Nicolas
61st & 86th Line Regiments
2nd Division: General L’Abadie
2nd Brigade: General de Maussion
49th & 88th Line Regiments, 14th Rifle Battalion
3rd Division: General Guyot de Lespart (mw. 1.9.70)
1st Brigade: General Abbatucci
27th & 30th Line Regiments, 19th Rifle Battalion
2nd Brigade: General de Fontanges (w. 1.9.70)
17th & 68th Line Regiments
Cavalry Division: General Brahaut
1st Brigade: General de Bernis
5th Hussars, 12th Chasseurs
2nd Brigade: General Simon de la Mortière
5th Lancers
Effective strength of 5 Corps: 21,434 officers and men.
(31 infantry battalions, 12 cavalry squadrons, 14 artillery batteries, 5 engineer companies)
7 Corps
General F. Douay
1st Division: General Conseil-Dumesnil
1st Brigade: General Le Normand de Bretteville (w. 30.8.70)
3rd & 21st Line Regiments, 17th Rifle Battalion
2nd Brigade: General Chagrin de Saint-Hilaire (w. 1.9.70)
47th & 99th Line Regiments
2nd Division: General Liébert
1st Brigade: General Guiomar (w. 1.9.70)
5th & 37th Line Regiments, 6th Rifle Battalion
2nd Brigade: General de la Bastide
53rd & 89th Line Regiments
3rd Division: General Dumont (w. 1.9.70)
1st Brigade: General Bordas
52nd & 72nd Line Regiments
2nd Brigade: General Bittard des Portes (w. 1.9.70)
82nd & 83rd Line Regiments
Cavalry Division: General Ameil
1st Brigade: General Cambriel
4th Hussars, 4th & 8th Lancers
Effective strength of 7 Corps: 26,375 officers and men.
(38 infantry battalions, 13 cavalry squadrons, 15 artillery batteries, 5 engineer companies)
12 Corps
General Lebrun (w. 1.9.70)
1st Division: General Grandchamp (w. 30.8.70)
1st Brigade: General Cambriels (w. 1.9.70)
22nd & 34th Line Regiments, 2 companies from 1st & 2nd Rifle Battalions
2nd Brigade: General de Villeneuve
58th & 79th Line Regiments
2nd Division: General Lacretelle
1st Brigade: General Morand (mw. 30.8.70)
1st & 2nd Régiments de marche, 2 Rifle companies
2nd Brigade: General Marquisan
3rd & 4th Régiments de marche
3rd Brigade: General Louvent (w. 1.9.70)
14th, 20th & 31st Line Regiments
3rd Division: General de Vassoigne
1st Brigade: General Reboul
1st & 4th Marines
2nd Brigade: General Martin des Pallières (w. 31.8.70)
2nd & 3rd Marines
1st Cavalry Division: General de Salignac-Fénelon (w. 1.9.70)
1st Brigade: General Savaresse
1st & 7th Lancers
2nd Brigade: General de Béville
5th & 6th Cuirassiers
2nd Cavalry Division: General Lichtlin
Brigade: General Leforestier de Vendeuvre
7th & 8th Chasseurs
Effective strength of 12 Corps: 38,672 officers and men.
(45 infantry battalions, 26 cavalry squadrons, 26 artillery batteries, 6 engineer companies)
Cavalry Reserve
1st Division: General Margueritte (mw. 1.9.70)
1st Brigade: Colonel (General from 30.8.70) de Gallifet
1st, 3rd & 4th Chasseurs d’Afrique
2nd Brigade: General Tilliard (k. 1.9.70)
1st Hussars, 6th Chasseurs
2nd Division: General de Bonnemains
1st Brigade: General Girard (k. 1.9.70)
1st & 4th Cuirassiers
2nd Brigade: General de Brauer
2nd & 3rd Cuirassiers
Total effectives of Cavalry Reserve: 5,211.
(31 squadrons, 1 battery)
Total effectives of the Army of Châlons: 119,877 officers and men.
(162 infantry battalions, 108 cavalry squadrons, 75 artillery batteries, 22½ engineer companies)
Ration strength 21 August 1870 (including non-combatant personnel): 130,566.
Part Two: German
Note: strengths shown are for 22.8.70.
Third Army
Commander-in-Chief: Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia
Chief of Staff: General von Blumenthal
Commanding Artillery: General Herkt
V Corps
General von Kirchbach
9th Division: General von Sandrart
17th Brigade: Colonel Flöckher
58th & 59th (Posen) Regiments
18th Brigade: General von Voigts-Rhetz
7th King’s Grenadiers, 47th (Lower Silesian) Regiment
4th (Silesian) Dragoons, 5th Rifle Battalion
10th Division: General von Schmidt
19th Brigade: Colonel Henning auf Schönhoff
6th (West Prussian) Grenadiers, 46th (Lower Silesian) Regiment
20th Brigade: General Walther von Montbary
37th (Westphalian) Fusiliers, 50th (Lower Silesian) Regiment
14th Dragoons
Effective strength of V Corps: 18,574 infantry (25 battalions), 2,110 cavalry (8 squadrons), 84 guns (14 batteries), 3 pioneer companies.
VI Corps
(Operating to west of main army on 1.9.70)
General von Tümpling
11th Division: General von Gordon
21st brigade: General von Malachowski
10th (Silesian) Grenadiers, 18th (Posen) Regiment
22nd Brigade: General von Eckartsberg
38th (Silesian) Fusiliers, 51st (Lower Silesian) Regiment
8th (Silesian) Dragoons, 6th (Silesian) Rifle Battalion
12th Division: General von Hoffmann
23rd Brigade: General Gündell
22nd & 62nd (Lower Silesian) Regiments
24th Brigade: General von Fabeck
23rd & 63rd (Lower Silesian) Regiments
15th (Silesian) Dragoons
Effective strength of VI Corps: 23,953 infantry (25 battalions), 1,278 cavalry (8 squadrons), 84 guns (14 batteries), 3 pioneer companies.
XI Corps
General von Gersdorff (k. 1.9.70)
21st Division: General von Schachtmeyer
41st Brigade: Colonel Grolmann (w. 1.9.70)
80th (Hessian) Fusiliers, 87th (Nassau) Regiment
42nd Brigade: General von Thile
82nd (Hessian) Regiment, 88th (Nassau) Regiment
11th (Hessian) Rifle Battalion, 14th (Hessian) Hussars
22nd Division: General von Schkopp
43rd Brigade: Colonel von Kontzki
32nd & 95th (Thuringian) Regiments
44th Brigade: Colonel von Bieberstein
83rd (Hessian) Regiment, 94th (Thuringian) Regiment
13th (Hessian) Hussars
Effective strength of XI Corps: 20,638 infantry (25 battalions), 1,239 cavalry (8 squadrons), 83 guns (14 batteries), 3 pioneer companies.
I Bavarian Corps
General von der Tann
1st Division: General von Stephan
1st Brigade: General Dietl
Lifeguard Regiment, 1st King’s Own Regiment, 2nd Rifle Battalion
2nd Brigade: General von Orff
2nd (Crown Prince’s) Regiment, 11th Regiment, 4th Rifle Battalion
9th Rifle Battalion, 3rd Light Horse
2nd Division: General Schumacher
3rd Brigade: Colonel Heyl
3rd (Prince Karl) Regiment, 12th Regiment, 1st Rifle Battalion
4th Brigade: General von der Tann
10th (Prince Ludwig) Regiment, 13th Regiment, 7th Rifle Battalion
4th Light Horse
Cuirassier Brigade: General von Tausch
1st (Prince Karl) Cuirassiers, 2nd (Prince Adalbert) Cuirassiers, 6th Light Horse
Effective strength of I Bavarian Corps: 20,817 infantry (25 battalions), 2,369 cavalry (20 squadrons), 96 guns (16 batteries), 3 pioneer companies.
II Bavarian Corps
General von Hartmann
3rd Division: General von Walther
5th Brigade: General von Schleich
6th & 7th Regiments, 8th Rifle Battalion
6th Brigade: Colonel von Wissell
14th & 15th Regiments, 3rd Rifle Battalion
1st Light Horse
4th Division: General von Bothmer
7th Brigade:2 General von Thiereck
5th & 9th Regiments, 6th Rifle Battalion
8th Brigade: General Maillinger
3rd Battalions of 1st, 5th, 11th, & 14th Regiments, 1st Battalion of 7th Regiment, 5th Rifle Battalion
10th Rifle Battalion, 2nd Light Horse3
Lancer Brigade: General von Mulzer
1st & 2nd Lancers, 5th Light Horse
Effective strength of II Bavarian Corps: 20,783 infantry (25 battalions), 3,985 cavalry (20 squadrons), 96 guns (16 batteries), 3 pioneer companies.
Württemberg Division
General von Obernitz
1st Brigade: General von Reitzenstein
1st (Queen Olga) Regiment, 7th Regiment, 2nd Rifle Battalion
2nd Brigade: General von Starkloff
2nd Regiment, 5th (King Karl) Regiment, 3rd Rifle Battalion
3rd Brigade: General von Hügel
3rd & 8th Regiments, 1st Rifle Battalion
Cavalry Brigade: General von Scheler
1st, 3rd & 4th Cavalry Regiments
Effective strength of Württemberg Division: 13,322 infantry (15 battalions), 1,527 cavalry (10 squadrons), 58 guns (9 batteries), 2 pioneer companies.
Baden Division
(Besieging Strasbourg on 1.9.70)
General von Beyer
2nd Cavalry Division
General Stolberg-Wernigerode
3rd Brigade: General von Colomb
1st (Silesian) Cuirassiers, 2nd (Silesian) Lancers
4th Brigade: General von Barnekow
1st & 5th Hussars
5th Brigade: General von Baumbach
4th & 6th Hussars
Effective strength of 2nd Cavalry Division: 3,624 cavalry (24 squadrons), 8 infantry, 12 guns (2 batteries).
4th Cavalry Division
Prince Albrecht of Prussia
8th Brigade: General von Hontheim
5th (West Prussian) Lancers, 10th (Posen) Lancers
9th Brigade: General von Bernhardi
1st (West Prussian) Lancers, 6th (Thuringian) Lancers
10th Brigade: General von Krosigk
2nd Hussars, 5th (Rhenish) Dragoons
Effective strength of 4th Cavalry Division: 3,435 cavalry (24 squadrons), 12 guns (2 batteries).
Totals for Third Army: 118,095 infantry (140 battalions), 19,567 cavalry (122 squadrons), 525 guns (87 batteries).
Fourth Army (Army of the Meuse)
Commander-in-Chief: Crown Prince Albert of Saxony
Chief of Staff: General von Schlotheim
Guard Corps
Prince August of Württemberg
1st Division: General von Pape
1st Brigade: General von Kessel
1st & 3rd Foot Guards
2nd Brigade: General von Medem
2nd & 4th Foot Guards, Fusilier Guards
Guard Rifle Battalion, Guard Hussars
2nd Division: General von Budritzki
3rd Brigade: Colonel von Linsingen
1st & 3rd Grenadier Guards
4th Brigade: General von Berger
2nd & 4th Grenadier Guards
Guard Sharpshooters Battalion, 2nd Guard Lancers
Cavalry Division: General von der Goltz
1st Brigade: General von Brandenburg
Life Guard Regiment, Guard Cuirassiers Regiment
2nd Brigade: Prince Albert of Prussia
1st & 3rd Guard Lancers
3rd Brigade: General von Brandenburg
1st & 2nd Guard Dragoons
Effective strength of Guard Corps: 20,027 infantry (29 battalions), 4,215 cavalry (32 squadrons), 90 guns (15 batteries), 3 pioneer companies.
IV Corps
General Gustav von Alvensleben
7th Division: General von Schwarzhoff
13th Brigade: General von Borries (w. 30.8.70)
26th & 66th (Magdeburg) Regiments
14th Brigade: General von Zychlinski
27th (Magdeburg) Regiment, 93rd (Anhalt) Regiment
4th (Magdeburg) Rifle Battalion, 7th (Westphalian) Dragoons
8th Division: General von Schöler
15th Brigade: General von Kessler
31st & 71st (Thuringian) Regiments
16th Brigade: Colonel von Scheffler
86th (Schleswig-Holstein) Fusiliers, 96th (Thuringian) Regiment
12th (Thuringian) Hussars
Effective total of IV Corps: 24,916 infantry (25 battalions), 2,157 cavalry (8 squadrons), 84 guns (14 batteries).
XII (Saxon) Corps
Prince George of Saxony
23rd Division: General von Montbé
45th Brigade: Colonel Garten
100th & 101st Grenadiers, 108th Fusiliers
46th Brigade: Colonel von Seydlitz
102nd & 103rd Regiments
1st Cavalry Regiment
24th Division: General von Holderberg
47th Brigade: Colonel von Elterlein
104th & 105th Regiments, 12th Rifle Battalion
48th Brigade: General von Schulz (w. 1.9.70)
106th & 107th Regiments, 13th Rifle Battalion
2nd Cavalry Regiment
12th Cavalry Division: General zur Lippe
23rd Brigade: General Krug von Nidda
Guard Cavalry Regiment, 17th Lancers
24th Brigade: General Senfft von Pilsach
3rd Cavalry Regiment, 18th Lancers
Effective total of XII Corps: 25,085 infantry (29 battalions), 3,570 cavalry (24 squadrons), 96 guns (16 batteries), 3 pioneer companies.
5th Cavalry Division
General von Rheinbaben
11th Brigade: General von Barby
4th (Westphalian) Cuirassiers, 13th (Hanoverian) Lancers
19th (Oldenburg) Dragoons
12th Brigade: General von Bredow
7th (Magdeburg) Cuirassiers, 16th (Altmark) Lancers
13th (Schleswig-Holstein) Dragoons
13th Brigade: General von Redern
10th (Magdeburg) Hussars, 11th (Westphalian) Hussars
17th (Brunswick) Hussars
Effective total of 5th Cavalry Division: 4,147 cavalry (36 squadrons), 12 guns (2 batteries).
6th Cavalry Division
D
uke Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
14th Brigade: Colonel von Schmidt
6th (Brandenburg) Cuirassiers, 3rd (Brandenburg) Lancers
15th Brigade: Colonel von Alvensleben
15th (Schleswig-Holstein) Lancers, 16th (Schleswig-Holstein) Hussars
Effective total of 6th Cavalry Division: 2,158 cavalry (16 squadrons), 6 guns (1 battery).
Totals for Fourth Army: 70,028 infantry (83 battalions), 16,247 cavalry (116 squadrons), 288 guns (48 batteries).
Grand Total for Third and Fourth Armies: 188,123 infantry (223 battalions), 35,814 cavalry (238 squadrons), 813 guns (135 batteries).
Detached besieging Toul: 4,200 infantry, 450 cavalry, 12 guns.
German troops engaged at Sedan: 128,246 infantry (186 battalions), 20,110 cavalry (177 squadrons).
Notes
Preface
1. Emperor to Empress, 3 September 1870, ‘Lettres à l’Impératrice Eugénie (1870–1871)’, Revue des Deux Mondes, 1 September 1930, p. 7.
Chapter 1
1. Chenu, De la mortalité, p. 325.
2. Emperor to Marshal Randon, 26 May 1859, Randon, vol. 2, p. 11.
Chapter 2
1. Bismarck, Die Gesammelten Werke (hereafter GW), vol. 10, no. 94, p. 140.
2. Pflanze, p. 237 and fn.
3. Bismarck to Manteuffel, 26 April 1856, GW, vol. 2, no. 152, p. 142.
4. Bismarck to Gustav von Alvensleben, 5 May 1859, GW, vol. 14 (1), no. 724, p. 517.
5. Quoted in La Gorce, vol. 4, p. 630.
6. Ibid., pp. 601–2.
7. Du Barail, vol. 3, p. 64.
8. La Gorce, vol. 5, p. 12.
Chapter 3
1. Randon, vol. 2, p. 145.
2. Quoted in Case, p. 216.
3. Pierre Magne to Napoleon, 20 July 1866, [France] Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, Les Origines diplomatiques de la Guerre de 1870–1871 (hereafter OD), vol. XI, no. 3064, pp. 123–5.
4. Cowley to Clarendon, 3 July 1866, quoted in Pottinger, p. 155.
5. La Valette Circular, OD, vol. XII, no. 3598, pp. 301–6.
6. Franz von Roggenbach, quoted by Lerman, p. 129.
7. Goncourt, vol. 2, p. 26, entry for 2 July 1866.
8. Benedetti to Drouyn de Lhuys, 8 August 1866, OD, vol. XII, no. 3377, p. 24.
9. Meding, pp. 44–5.
10. La Gorce, vol. 5, p. 206.
11. Du Barail, vol. 3, p. 108.
12. La Gorce, vol. 5, p. 331.
13. Véron, vol. 1, pp. 72–3.
14. Chuquet, p. 2.
15. Moltke’s Military Correspondence, p. 34, no. 20.
16. Stoffel, Rapports, pp. 302, 338.
17. Caro, p. 95.
18. Gordon, p. 20.
19. Du Camp, La Croix Rouge de France, pp. 103–5.
20. La Gorce, vol. 6, p. 130.
21. Napoleon to Niel, 19 February 1869, OD, vol. XXIII, no. 7249, pp. 280–1.
22. Lerman, p. 138.
23. Carr, Origins, p. 171.
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