On 4 August 1870 German forces under the Crown Prince Frederick William won the first major battle of the Franco-Prussian War at Wissembourg, on the French border. The French general Abel Douay was killed in the late morning.
A border battle
The German Third Army crossed the frontier early on 4 August and fell on a French detachment under Abel Douay near Wissembourg. The 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica gives the Germans over 25,000 men with 90 guns, brought into action against a French force of under 4,000. The next day the Third Army resumed its advance into Alsace.1
After six hours of fighting, in which the Germans lost some 1,500 men, the French withdrew in good order despite the death of their commander. Britannica adds that the Germans did not send cavalry in pursuit and so lost touch with the retreating French.2
Wörth
On 6 August the Third Army attacked Marshal MacMahon's corps on the Sauer and defeated it at Wörth.3
Also on this day
1265: Battle of Evesham. Near Evesham in Worcestershire, the royal army led by Prince Edward, the future Edward I, met the rebel barons of Simon de Montfort in the Second Barons' War.
Frequently asked questions
When and where was the Battle of Wissembourg?
It was fought on 4 August 1870 at Wissembourg, on the French side of the border with Germany, at the start of the Franco-Prussian War.
Who won the Battle of Wissembourg?
The German army, under the Crown Prince Frederick William, won.
What happened to Douay?
General Abel Douay was killed in the late morning, when an ammunition caisson of the divisional mitrailleuse battery exploded near him.
Notes
A number in the text points to a note; each note names the works that paragraph draws on, listed in full under Sources.
Based on your country, which we do not store · why? ·
Relive the great battles
Echoes of Battle brings the great battles of history to life, scene by scene on the real map. Enlist below and we will send word to your inbox the day it launches.
