The Siege of La FèreAdolph Goetze, ''The Campaign of 1870-71, tr. by G. Graham'', Page 204-209. took place during the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

from 15 November until 26 November 1870, at the fortress of

La Fère La Fère () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in France. It was once famous for its military school (1720), one the oldest commissioned for instructing ordnance officers. History During World War II, Nazi Germany operat ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. French troops stationed at La Fère under the command of Captain Jacques Ferdinand Planche resisted the siege from the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...

, but surrendered the fort after eleven days on 26 November 1870, which resulted in a German victory. During the siege, the German army captured thousands of prisoners, most of whom were

Garde Mobile The ''Garde mobile'' ("Mobile Guard"; also called ''Garde nationale mobile'' though it had nothing to do with the '' Garde nationale'') was intended to be a reserve force of all able-bodied men previously not drafted (such as single men and child ...

soldiers, and took control of many French weapons. The German shelling of La Fère took place over the course of two days and severely damaged the town. After the Germans captured La Fère, they used cannons to arm the stronghold of

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

. Although La Fère was a small fortress, it still posed a threat to the rear of the German armies advancing upon

. The Brigade Infantry No. 4 of the Corps of Prussia, under the command of Major General von Zhilinsky, was tasked with besieging La Fère. On 15 November, 1870, after a long journey from

Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...

, the Germans reached La Fère to blockade the fortress. The French garrison attempted strong assaults on the German army to no avail. One example of a failed assault took place on 20 November, when six French companies attacked the enemy at Mennessis on the right bank of the

Oise Oise ( ; ; ) is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise. Inhabitants of the department are called ''Oisiens'' () or ''Isariens'', after the Latin name for the river, Isara. It had a population of 829,419 in 2019.< ...

river but were crushed by a German battalion. The commanding officer of La Fère decided to send all artillery materials to

Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...

but locals opposed the idea. On the night of 24 November, the German siege army arrived from

Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...

and installed 32 heavy guns and seven batteries on the heights to the east of the fortress. The next day on 25 November, German shelling began. Facing the tremendous destructive power of the German barrage, the French garrison resisted fiercely, but German artillery (including 6 mortars) destroyed their opposing artillery and set the town ablaze. Under siege by the German 1st Army,Adolf von Schell, ''Campaign 1870-1871: The operations of the First Army under General von Goeben; compiled from the official war documents of headquarters of the First Army'', Page 2 La Fère was in a very difficult situation, and Captain Planche capitulated. On 26 November, the French garrison surrendered, leaving the German artillery unscathed. German troops entered La Fère on 27 November.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:La Fère siege 1870 in France Conflicts in 1870

November 1870