Atlas of Battles

siege, notable, nineteenth century

Siege of Belfort

Siege of Belfort was a siege conducted on 3 November 1870 at Belfort, in what is now France; it lasted 4 months. It was part of the Franco-Prussian War, which ran from 1870 to 1871. The recorded result: Inconclusive; Germany fails to capture Belfort; France fails to break the encirclement. Recorded strength: 26,000 against 18,000 (only 6,000 regulars).

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The Lion of Belfort. Belfort, France.
The Lion of Belfort. Belfort, France.. Nicolas Sanchez (photograph) of sculpture by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (died 1904), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought3 November 1870lasted 4 months
WhereBelfort, France47.638N, 6.863E
OutcomeInconclusive; Germany fails to capture Belfort; France fails to break the encirclement
BelligerentsNorth German Confederation; Prussia; Baden; Württemberg; German EmpireagainstFrench Third Republic
Casualties and losses2,200 killed or woundedand4,800 killed or wounded
Part ofFranco-Prussian War1870 to 1871

Where it sits in the Franco-Prussian War

Siege of Metz, 1870Second Battle of Orléans, 1870Siege of Thionville, 1870Lichtenberg Siege, 1870Siege of Marsal, 1870Battle of Saarbrücken, 1870Battle of Wissembourg, 1870Battle of Spicheren, 1870Battle of Wörth, 1870Siege of Bitche, 1870Siege of Phalsbourg, 1870Battle of Borny-Colombey, 1870Battle of Mars-la-Tour, 1870Siege of Strasbourg, 1870Siege of Toul, 1870Battle of Gravelotte, 1870Battle of Buzancy, 1870Battle of Nouart, 1870Battle of Beaumont, 1870Battle of Noisseville, 1870Battle of Bazeilles, 1870Battle of Sedan, 1870Siege of Montmédy, 1870Battle of Montmesly, 1870Siege of Paris, 1870First Battle of Châtillon, 1870Battle of Sceaux, 1870Battle of Chevilly, 1870Battle of Nompatelize, 1870Battle of Saint-Quentin, 1870Battle of Artenay, 1870Siege of Verdun, 1870Battle of Châtillon, 1870Siege of Neu-Breisach, 1870Battle of Bellevue, 1870Battle of Châteaudun, 1870Battle of Buzenval, 1870Battle of Dijon, 1870Battle of Le Bourget, 1870Siege of Belfort, 1870Siege of La Fère, 1870Battle of Coulmiers, 1870Battle of Havana, 1870Siege of Mézières, 1870Battle of Amiens, 1870Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande, 1870Battle of Villiers, 1870Battle of Choisy-le-Roi, 1870Battle of Villepion, 1870Battle of Loigny-Poupry, 1870Battle of Beaugency, 1870Battle of Longeau, 1870Battle of Nuits, 1870Second Battle of Le Bourget, 1870Battle of Hallue, 1870Siege of Péronne, 1870Battle of Pontarlier, 1871Battle of Bapaume, 1871Battle of Villersexel, 1871Battle of Le Mans, 1871Battle of the Lisaine, 1871Battle of Saint-Jean-sur-Erve, 1871Battle of Saint-Melaine, 1871Battle of St. Quentin, 1871Battle of Buzenval, 187118701871Siege of Belfort, 1870
65 placed engagements of the Franco-Prussian War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date3 November 1870
to 18 February 1871
PlaceBelfort, France
47.638N, 6.863E
KindSiege, nineteenth century
Territorial changeBelfort is excluded from the French territorial concessions to Germany
Strength26,00018,000 (only 6,000 regulars)
Casualties and losses2,200 killed or wounded4,800 killed or wounded
Commanders
  • Pierre Philippe Denfert-Rochereau
Siege of BelfortSiege of BelfortBattle of HéricourtSkirmish at JonchereyBattle of the LisaineSiege of LureCapture of PorrentruySiege of LureCapture of PorrentruyBernStuttgartStrasbourgNancyLausanneFreiburgLuzernDijon100 km47.638N, 6.863E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1870

Combat data (CDB90)

Attacker: FR ARMY OF THE EASTDefender: GER ARMY OF THE SOUTH
Strength110,00040,000
Casualties8,000 (7.3%)2,000 (5.0%)
Mission accomplishment, 1 to 1038
Outcomedefender won
Duration2 days
Front width7.5 km15 km
Attacker advanced0 km

From the US Army Concepts Analysis Agency Database of Battles (CDB90, battle 229), public domain, in the CC0 tidy edition by Jeffrey B. Arnold. Figures are the database's estimates, compiled in 1990 from published histories, and may differ from the Wikipedia infobox above.

Siege of Belfort is one of 3,507 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 1,383 in present-day France.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q472982, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Belfort, revision 1370739387, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.