Battle of Sedan

The Battle of Sedan was fought on 1 September 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. Prussian-led forces surrounded a French army and captured Emperor Napoleon III, precipitating the collapse of the Second French Empire.

Battle of Beaumont: A French defeat by German forces on 30 August 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. Its defeat weakened the French army that withdrew toward Sedan.
Ems Dispatch: An edited account of a meeting between King Wilhelm I and French ambassador Vincent Benedetti, published in 1870. Its publication inflamed tensions that helped trigger the Franco-Prussian War.
Napoleon III: Emperor of the French from 1852 until 1870 and nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. He was captured at Sedan, a blow that ended his rule.
Proclamation of the French Third Republic: The establishment of the French Republic on 4 September 1870 after the fall of Napoleon III's empire. News of Napoleon III's capture helped prompt the republic's proclamation in Paris.
Siege of Metz: The 1870 siege in which German forces trapped a large French army at Metz until its surrender in October. Metz was another major French surrender, but its army capitulated weeks after Sedan.
Meuse River: A major European river flowing through France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The river and its crossings shaped French movement and the German encirclement around Sedan.
Spanish throne candidacy of Leopold of Hohenzollern: A proposed candidacy of Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen for the vacant Spanish throne in 1870. The candidacy set off the diplomatic crisis preceding the war that led to Sedan.
Patrice de MacMahon: A French general and later president of France who commanded forces at Sedan. He was wounded during the battle while leading the French army.
Siege of Paris (1870–1871): The German siege of Paris from September 1870 to January 1871 during the Franco-Prussian War. After Sedan, German forces advanced to besiege the French capital.
Battle of Gravelotte: A major battle fought near Metz on 18 August 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. Its French defeat helped drive the Army of the Rhine into the fortress at Metz rather than Sedan.

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