Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande

Overview

The Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande on 28 November 1870 took place during the Franco-Prussian War, which was won by Prussia. In an attempt to relieve the Siege of Paris, French General Crouzat's XX Corps launched an attack against three Prussian brigades resting in Beaune-la-Rolande. These brigades were from the Prussian X Corps which was detailed to guard the flanks and rear of the force besieging Paris and provide early warning of any French counter-attacks. The French committed a force of 60,000 men, largely conscripts of the Garde Mobile, and 140 guns against the Prussians' 9,000 men and 70 guns, mostly drawn from regular troops, although military historian Gaston Bodart estimated their strength at 40,000 men and 174 guns. Despite the superiority of numbers the French attack failed to take the village and was ultimately forced to retreat by Prussian reinforcements.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande was part of France's broader effort to break the Siege of Paris following the fall of the imperial government. General Crouzat's XX Corps, fielding a force estimated between 31,000 and 60,000 men with 140 guns, attacked three Prussian brigades of the X Corps posted at Beaune-la-Rolande to guard the flanks and rear of the besieging force. Despite the substantial numerical advantage over the Prussians' roughly 9,000 men and 70 guns, the French attack failed to dislodge the defenders and was ultimately repelled by the arrival of Prussian reinforcements. The result demonstrated the operational limits of France's Garde Mobile formations — largely conscript forces — when committed to offensive action against regular Prussian troops. The failed relief effort left the Siege of Paris intact, reinforcing Prussian strategic control of the investment and further narrowing French options for breaking the encirclement. French casualties of 4,000 to 8,000 against roughly 1,000 Prussian losses reflected the disparity in combat effectiveness between the two forces at this stage of the war.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)