Background
After the Battle of Worth, Crown Prince Frederick detached General von Werder to move south against the fortress of Strasbourg. At the time, Strasbourg (along with Metz) was considered to be one of the strongest fortresses in France. Werder's force was made up of 40,000 troops from Württemberg and Baden, which lay just across the Rhine River from Strasbourg. The French garrison of 17,000 was under the command of the 68-year-old General Uhrich.
Read more about this topic: Siege Of Strasbourg
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