Battle of Épinal, June 1861
French Forces took no time to mobilize their armies and surge to re-take the Republic of Alsace-Lorraine. Several of the French divisions guarding that area, along with a Corps of Prussian Infantry, moved into the Republic and merged to form the Army of the Rhine and the Army of Elass. The French Army, 300,000 strong, charged into the new-born Republic and faced no resistance until marching into the city of Épinal, the capital of the Vosges Department. On the outskirts of the city, Prussian cavalry noticed the slowly advancing French Army, and sprung into action, harassing their lines and causing a general disturbance. Aggravated, The French Commander ordered the city of Épinal leveled to the ground, as it was the base for the attacks. As the French Army moved into Épinal, the Army of the Rhine and the Army of Elass emerged from behind the mountains and quickly encircled the French. Employing a tactic mastered my Napoleon himself, the Army of the Rhine split the French Army in two, and the Army of Elass systematically destroyed the remnants of the right side of the split army. The battle reached it's climax when Prussian Cavalry charged the French lines, head on, and captured two corps work of supplies and artillery.
1. Prussian Cavalry assaulting the French Line.
The day ended with the French Army taking a huge beating, and withdrawing out of the Republic of Alsace-Lorraine, licking its wounds, with 25,000 Regulars lost to combat or disease. However, the Army of the Rhine lost 14,000 men, and the Army of Elass lost a whopping 23,000 men. While a technical Prussian victory, this show of skill by the French troops shocked the Prussians, and both sides used this battle as a rallying cry to quickly end the war.
[+45,000 Conscripts to France. +35,000 Conscripts to Prussia.]
