GRAVELOTTE 1870

The Franco-Prussian War is largely remembered for its political impact rather than the military campaign that occurred during 1870-71. Nevertheless, the war was a short but bloody event that resulted in the deaths of over 180,000 soldiers, the vast majority of whom were French. Although Napoleon III’s capture at the Battle of Sedan became the most famous engagement it was actually a hotly contested clash at Gravelotte a few weeks before that was the most bloody. Described by historian Philipp Elliot-Wright as “the hardest-fought of all the battles of the Franco-Prussian War”, Gravelotte is little-known today but it demonstrated the fighting determination of the French and almost sent the North