Battle at Villersexel

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Battle at Villersexel
Bataille de Villersexel - 01.jpg
date January 9, 1871
place Villersexel , Haute-Saone department, France
output tactical French victory
Parties to the conflict

North German ConfederationNorth German Confederation North German Confederation Baden
to bathe

Second empireSecond empire France

Commander

North German ConfederationNorth German Confederation August from Werder

Second empireSecond empire Charles Bourbaki

Troop strength
approx. 15,000
losses

533 men and 26 officers

Battles and Sieges of the
Franco-German War (1870–1871)

The meeting at Villersexel on January 9, 1871 between the French Eastern Army under General Bourbaki and the German XIV Corps under General August Graf von Werder was a battle of the Franco-German War .

In January 1871, the French attempted a coordinated offensive, on the one hand to lift the German siege of Paris and at the same time to cut off the siege units from supplies. Several attacks should be carried out at the same time. This was a major failure of the Paris garrison at Buzenval , an attack from the southwest by the Loire Army , which was prevented in the Battle of Le Mans . An attack from the north was intended to bind German troops and was repulsed at the Battle of Saint-Quentin . The attack in the south towards Belfort by the Eastern Army led to the Battle of the Lisaine .

After the fall of Metz , the German units had advanced as far as Dijon , which was conquered on October 31, 1870 after brief fighting. The main objective of the German troops was the siege of the fortress of Belfort, but the capture of the fortress was not yet possible.

The French Eastern Army was set up in the Besançon area. This prompted the Germans to evacuate Dijon on December 27, 1870 and to move the troops towards Belfort.

The Germans had the advantage of being able to move east before the French. During this move it came to the battle of Villersexel on January 9th. The German troops, through the reinforced Goltz Brigade of the 13th Division and the 4th Reserve Division, carried out an attack against the left flank of Bourbaki's army marching on Belfort [VIII., XX. and XXIV. Corps] at Villersexel near Lure. After the site and the castle of Les Grammont had been taken by around 1 p.m. , a French counterattack began in the late afternoon under the personal direction of General Bourbaki. Against the numerically outnumbered French associations a success could not be achieved in the long run and the Prussians had to withdraw around 3 o'clock on January 10th in order not to be included. The French captured the castle in close combat.

The outnumbered French were able to achieve a tactical victory because the German troops had to withdraw, but lost time when they had to rally after the success. The aim of the German leadership was to bring a distance between the units marching in the same direction and to stop the French army in order to be able to reach and expand a secure line of defense in front of Belfort. This goal could be achieved. The advance of the French did not continue until January 13, 1871.

With the advantage gained here, a line of defense could be built on the Lisaine and held in the subsequent battle on the Lisaine .

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