Battle of Wörth

Overview

The Battle of Wörth, also known as the Battle of Reichshoffen or as the Battle of Frœschwiller, refers to the second battle of Wörth, which took place on 6 August 1870 in the opening stages of the Franco-Prussian War. In the second battle, troops from Germany commanded by Crown Prince Frederick William and directed by his chief of staff, General Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal, defeated the French under Marshal MacMahon near the village of Wœrth in Alsace, on the Sauer River, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Haguenau.

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

Significance

The Battle of Wörth was fought in the opening stages of the Franco-Prussian War and resulted in a decisive German victory over the French forces of Marshal MacMahon in Alsace. The North German Confederation committed roughly 125,000 troops against a French force of approximately 46,500, achieving a significant numerical advantage. French casualties of over 15,000 against German losses of around 10,500 underscored the lopsided outcome despite the cost to the victors. The defeat of MacMahon's army near the Sauer River represented an early and damaging blow to French defensive capacity in the east, exposing Alsace and opening the way for deeper German advances into French territory in the weeks that followed.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)