Battle of Sedan (1870) - Conclusion and Aftermath

Conclusion and Aftermath

"We are in the chamber pot and about to be shat upon."

By the end of the day, with no hope of breaking out, Napoleon III called off the attacks. The French lost over 17,000 men killed and wounded with 21,000 captured. The Prussians reported their losses at 2,320 killed, 5,980 wounded and 700 captured or missing.

By the next day, on 2 September, Napoleon III ordered the white flag to be run up and surrendered himself and the entire Army of Châlons to Moltke and the Prussian King. The capture of the French emperor left the Prussians without an opposing government willing to make a quick peace. Indeed, two days after news hit Paris of Emperor Napoleon's III capture, the French Second Empire collapsed in a bloodless revolution, leading to the creation of a new provisional government which would carry on the war for five more months, sparing no effort to try to change France's fortunes.

However, the defeat at Sedan and the capture of Napoleon III sealed the doom of France and thus decided the outcome of the war in Prussia's favor. With the Second Empire overthrown, Napoleon III was permitted to leave Prussian custody for exile in England, while, within a fortnight, the Prussian Meuse Army and the Third Army went on to besiege Paris.

The debacle at Sedan was to haunt Napoleon III for the rest of his life. In 1873, Napoleon III's last words were addressed to his friend, doctor Henri Conneau:

"Henri, were you there at Sedan?" (Henri, etiez-vous à Sedan?)

"Yes, Majesty" (Oui, Sire)

"We were not cowards at Sedan, were we?" (N'est-ce pas que nous n'avons pas été des lâches à Sedan?)

And he died shortly after.

In recognition of the role this battle played in German Unification, many Germans celebrated Sedantag (Day of Sedan) on each 2 September until 1919. The Kaiser himself refused to declare 2 September as an official holiday; instead, it became an unofficial day of celebration.