Vionville Mars-la-Tour, Battle of

During the Franco-Prussian War, Prussian victory over the French 18 August 1870, in the area of the French villages of Vionville and Mars-la-Tour about 24 km/15 mi west of Metz. The battle is mainly remembered for a heroic but near-suicidal Prussian cavalry charge against the French artillery.

The last successful cavalry charge ever seen in Europe, it became known as ‘von Bredow's Death Ride’ after the Prussian officer who led it. He succeeded in scattering the French artillery to allow sufficient time for Prussian reinforcements to arrive, but at a cost of nearly half the 800 cavalry.

Troop movements before battle The French army under Marshal François Bazaine was retiring from Metz to Verdun, with the entire force of 140,000 troops, their transport, and artillery all compressed on to one road. The Prussian army extending west to the south of the French was ordered by Count Helmuth von Moltke to press north and force Bazaine either to fight for his route or be pushed away from Paris. In the event the Prussian left went far ahead of the other Germans in the army before moving north, leaving the right wing to encounter the French and commence the battle.

Battle Battle was eventually joined in the evening; the Prussian attack the following morning, by General Rheinbaben, was not pressed with much vigour and was therefore beaten off by the French. The French were now alert to the danger, so that they were ready for a second Prussian force, under General Constantin von Alvensleben. The Prussians thought they had caught up with the French rearguard, but they had actually marched straight into the middle of the entire army. Reinforcements were on their way to the Prussians, but the situation was grave, and as a last resort von Alvensleben called on his cavalry to charge the French artillery, the principal threat to the Prussians.

Two divisions of cavalry led by Baron von Bredow were able to approach to within 600 m/650 yd of the French under cover of a ravine. Their charge succeeded in scattering the French guns and gunners, but at the cost of 380 of the 800 troops who set out. This bought sufficient time to allow Prussian reserves to arrive and strengthen the battle line, while at the same time the extended left flank turned north and curled round the front of the French to cut their escape route. After further severe fighting, the French began to retreat in disorder, falling back toward Metz, and the battle died away. Prussian losses came to 15,780; the French lost 13,761 troops.