Siege of Belfort

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Siege of Belfort

Date	3 November 1870-18 February 1871
Location	Belfort, France
Result	German victory

Combatants

Baden
Württemberg

France

Commanders

Carl Wilhelm von Werder

Pierre Philippe Denfert-Rochereau

Strength

17,700

Casualties

2,000 total

4,700 killed and wounded
13,000 surrendered
336 civilian

Franco-Prussian War
Wissembourg – Spicheren – Wœrth – Borny-Colombey – Strasbourg – Mars-La-Tour – Gravelotte – Metz – Beaumont – Noiseville – Sedan – Bellevue – Coulmiers –Amiens – Beaune-La-Rolande – Hallue – Bapaume – Le Mans – Lisaine – St. Quentin – Paris – Belfort

The Siege of Belfort was a lengthy siege during the Franco-Prussian War. The garrison held out until the armistice between France and the German Empire.

The fall of Strasbourg on September 28 allowed the German army under Carl Wilhelm von Werder to move south against the city Belfort. Upon hearing of the approaching German army, Pierre Philippe Denfert-Rochereau, commander of Belfort, began constructing fortifications around the city. Werder's forces reached Belfort and invested the city on November 3. The French offered stubborn resistance and the Germans could not complete an effective encirclement of the city.

General Charles Denis Bourbaki assembled an army intending to relieve Belfort. On January 15, 1871 Bourbaki attacked Werder along the Lisaine River and after a three day battle was repulsed and his army retreated into Switzerland. German forces grew impatient with the length of the siege and on January 27 General von Tresckow launched an attack on the city which was repulsed and the siege operations resumed.

On February 15 an armistice had been signed between France and Germany. Louis Adolphe Thiers, president of the Government of National Defense sent an urgent message to Denfert-Rochereau ordering him to surrender the fortress. On February 18 the Belfort garrison marched out of the city and surrendered to the Germans.