Battle of Artenay
Part of Franco-Prussian War

Map of the Battle Plans
DateOctober 10, 1870[1][2]
Location
Artenay, Loiret, France
Result German Victory[3][4][5][6]
Belligerents
 French Republic

 North German Confederation

 Bavaria
Commanders and leaders
Joseph Édouard de la Motte-Rouge[8][9] Ludwig von Tann-Rathsamhausen[8][10][11]
Units involved
Garde Mobile XI Corps
I Corps
Strength
20,000 men[12] 30,000 men[12]
Casualties and losses
700 killed or wounded
1,800 captured[12]		 1,000 killed or wounded[12]

The Battle of Artenay'[13] also known as the Battle of Arthenay,[7] is a battle in the Franco-Prussian War,[3] was held on October 10, 1870,[14] in Artenay[4] a small town located on the road from Orléans to Paris, France which was about 10 miles north of the city of Orléans.[7] In this fierce battle,[6] with superior strength compared to the opponent,[2] The I Corps of the Kingdom of Bavaria, under the command of Lieutenant General Ludwig von der Tann-Rathsamhausen, in collaboration with the 22nd Division of the XI Corps of the Kingdom of Prussia and the two cavalry divisions of the Prussian army attacked and penetrated the defense system of the army of the Loire[7] of the young French Republic, under the control of general Joseph Edouard de la Motterouge,[8] causing heavy losses for the French military of which many people were taken prisoner.[6] The winning conditions Artenay were favorable enough for Von der Tann to strike Orléans,[15] while the forces of France knocked back on Orléans forest in an agitated state.[9][16] Despite this, Nièvre's Garde Mobiles and the Pontifical Legion in the French army were noted for their strong resistance,[17] while a monk in Prussian Cavalry under the command of Prince Albrecht demonstrated his prowess in the battle at Artenay.[15]

The Battle

When General von der Tann was ordered to launch an offensive campaign against Orléans, he marched on October 9, 1870, to the vicinity of St. Péravy and encountered no significant resistance (instead it was flimsy and languid resistance[9]), and on the 10th of October, he marched on Artenay. The Prussian 4th Cavalry Division covered the right flank, while the 2nd Cavalry Division under Lieutenant General Count zu Stolberg remained close to Pithivier.[16][13] Meanwhile, General de la Motto-Rouge, informed of the German advance, drew a small force to Artenay.[3] As a result, the vanguard forces of both sides clashed not far north of their common objective.[13] The French Chasseurs de Vincennes were taken by surprise, and they held out until the Prussian cavalry was reinforced by infantry and formed a strong front forcing the French to retreat to Bas-le-Roy.[7] General Regau commanded a French division that responded, increasing the number of French troops.[14][17] The Prussians at that time were already in a favorable defensive position, and the French made several massive attacks on this position several times. But the guns of the Germans demonstrated their power and the French were driven back to the Trinay plain. The Prussian Armored Cavalry pursued the enemy, but had to retreat as the French regrouped. There was fierce artillery fire between Regau's battery and the Prussian artillery in the middle of St. Germain-le-Gramal and Trinay, and later the French were reinforced. They again attempted to attack the Prussian lines, but failed.[7] Soon, while the Germans attacked fiercely with firepower that terrified the French,[5][9][18] a strong German cavalry force encircled the French right flank[7] with La Motto-Rouge's legion disintegrated,[9] and had to flee. The German cavalry also obtained a number of artillery pieces.[13]

The railway station was destroyed by Prussian artillery.[7] Following the Prussian-Bavarian victory at Artenay, the First Battle of Orléans broke out the next day on October 11, 1870.[11] By mid-day, Von der Tann's army had smashed the French defenders and captured Orléans. Léon Gambetta demanded that La Motto-Rouge be brought before a military tribunal, but this was denied,[19] General Louis d'Aurelle de Paladines was appointed commander of the Legion of Loire.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Wars of the century and the development of military science"
  2. 1 2 "The Franco-Prussian war: its causes, incidents, and consequences"
  3. 1 2 3 "The German-French war of 1870 and its consequences upon future civilization"
  4. 1 2 Jean-Denis G. G. Lepage, The French Foreign Legion: An Illustrated History, Page 57
  5. 1 2 "Forty years after: the story of the Franco-German war, 1870"
  6. 1 2 3 Henry Allnutt, Historical diary of the war between France and Germany, 1870-1, Page 135
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Edmund Ollier, Cassell's history of the war between France and Germany, 1870-1871, Pages 383-384.
  8. 1 2 3 Tony Jaques, Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8,500 Battles from Antiquity Through the Twenty-First Century, Volume 1, Page 72
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Geoffrey Wawro, The Franco-Prussian War: The German Conquest of France in 1870-1871, Section "The Battle of Orléans, 10–11 October 1870.
  10. ↑ William O'Connor Morris, The Campaign of 1870-1. Republished from quot The Times quot, Pages 185-186.
  11. 1 2 Frederick Ernest Whitton, Moltke, Page 285
  12. 1 2 3 4 Bodart 1908, p. 559.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "The Franco-German War of 1870—71" (written by Marshal Helmuth Von Moltke)
  14. 1 2 3 "The War for the Rhine Frontier, 1870: Its Political and Military History"
  15. 1 2 Frederick III, German Emperor, The war diary of the Emperor Frederick III, 1870-1871, Page 152
  16. 1 2 "The "people's War" in France, 1870-1871"
  17. 1 2 "The War of 1870: Events and Incidents of the Battle-fields"
  18. ↑ Melville De Lancey Landon, The Franco-Prussian war in a nutshell: A daily diary of diplomacy, battles, and war literature. With 18 portraits and 14 maps from official French and Prussian field surveys, Pages 366-368.
  19. ↑ Michael Howard, The Franco-Prussian War: The German Invasion of France, 1870-1871, Pages 288
  • Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905) (in German). Vienna and Leipzig: C. W. Stern. Retrieved 31 August 2023.

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