Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 554 Surrender
More than 700 Krupp cannons opened fire on Sedan, and shells rained down on the city.

Sedan was transformed into a fiery inferno almost instantly. The flames of the explosion engulfed the entire city, and countless French soldiers were blown into the air by the shockwave. Their limbs were severed, and sharp shell fragments tore open their stomachs, spilling their intestines onto the ground, but none of them could save them!

"Fear no casualties, let our cannons fire!"

Boom boom boom... More than 600 cannons inside Sedan opened fire on the Prussian army outside the city, and a swarm of black shadows like locusts flew out of the sky.

Despite the intense bombardment, the Prussian army suffered absolutely no losses! This was because almost all of the French artillery shells exploded within a range of 1,500 to 2,000 meters of Sedan. Meanwhile, almost all of the Krupp artillery was positioned more than 3,000 meters from the city.

Suddenly, the world fell silent. The frenzied shelling abruptly stopped. The soldiers on the battlefield were no longer used to such quiet; their ears were ringing and even itching from the vibrations.

But then came the piercing sound of bugle calls to charge, and the encirclement stretching for dozens of miles sounded the charge at the same time.

"Kill! Charge into Sedan! Capture the Dharma King alive!" The first wave of 80,000 attackers crashed into Sedan like a roaring tidal wave!

Almost simultaneously, countless heads suddenly appeared on the walls of Sedan Fortress, and the French troops who had just been hiding from the bombing suddenly emerged again.

"Fire! Keep firing! Bomb these Prussians to death!"

The sky was filled with the whistling of French artillery shells, and massive explosions created gaping wounds in the Prussian ranks. But these gaps were quickly filled by fearless soldiers, and the advancing tide surged forward!

Napoleon III ordered Field Marshal McMahon to break the Prussian encirclement, but it seemed the only possible breakthrough point was control of the town of Na Monsall, which was protected by fortifications on its flank. However, the Prussians also chose Na Monsall as a point to break through the French defenses, and the two sides fought there for more than five hours.

Initially, the French First Army had constructed defensive fortifications in the streets of Bazeille and had the support of the townspeople. The fighting continued to extend to the south of the town, and soldiers from several brigades of the French First, Fifth, and Twelfth Armies also arrived to fight.

As the battle intensified, the wounded Field Marshal McMahon received the battle report and decided to take command personally. This allowed the French army to temporarily regroup, reassembling their artillery near the village of Nathan Montsall and advancing on the Saxon and Bavarian armies. Unfortunately, with the Prussian army capturing Bazeyer, more Prussian troops joined the battle in droves, and the offensive began to crumble.

As more Prussian troops arrived on the battlefield, Prussian artillery inflicted casualties on the French. Under intense Prussian artillery bombardment, attacks from the northwest and east, and Bavarian attacks from the southwest, the French were forced to retreat.

Napoleon III, too, longed to die on the battlefield. He traveled from one battlefield to another, hoping to be hit by a Prussian cannonball. Most recently, he narrowly escaped a shell, which killed his adjutant. He himself sustained minor injuries.

Perhaps because he had personally brushed with death, Napoleon III suddenly didn't want to die. He felt that his family would one day make a comeback, and he had plenty of time to prepare.

这天战斗结束的时候，法军17000人伤亡、21000人被俘。普军报称阵亡2320人，5980人受伤、700人被俘或失踪。

After the day ended, knowing there was no chance of breaking out, Napoleon III ordered a ceasefire. The following day, Napoleon III ordered the white flag to be raised and personally surrendered at the Prussian camp.

The meeting between the French Emperor and Bismarck took place at a mill five kilometers north of Sedan. This hilly area outside Sedan offered a good vantage point for panoramic views, and the hills were covered with ancient trees, many of which were over a hundred years old.

On the way out of Sedan Fortress, Napoleon III was deeply saddened. Outside the city walls lay farmland and forests, and the roadsides were littered with the corpses of the fallen. Since only one night had passed since the bloody battle, neither side had had time to thoroughly clean up the battlefield. The Prussians simply collected the remains of their own casualties, while the bodies of the French soldiers were completely ignored.

Looking into those pairs of unseeing eyes, the Hierophant felt a profound sense of self-doubt for the first time; his past arrogance had vanished completely.

The Prussian soldiers neither made a fuss nor mocked; they simply watched the carriage pass by in silence, witnessing history firsthand!

After rounding a large tree, the French Emperor finally saw Bismarck riding a warhorse!

Today, Bismarck is dressed in full military uniform, his knee-high riding boots are polished to a shine, and on his head is a standard Prussian pointed metal helmet from wartime, with extremely intricate patterns!

Upon seeing the French Emperor's carriage appear, Bismarck immediately stepped forward to the Emperor's side, dismounted, and saluted him.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! May you have a good day!"

There must still be a hierarchy, and even a defeated emperor is still an emperor in a class society, which is not something to be humiliated.

"Alright, enough of that. Please hand this sword to the King of Prussia! I have lost this war..."

Napoleon III held the family sword high with both hands, and Bismarck, not daring to be negligent, quickly took it with both hands. At this moment, his adjutant, who was not far away, ran up and down, carrying a wooden box covered with velvet.

The Prime Minister respectfully placed the French King's sword in the wooden box. "Deliver it to His Majesty by fast horse, go..."

"Yes..." The adjutant turned and left, and soon a squad of Imperial Guard cavalry escorted him as they ran northeast!

"Your Majesty, please sit down..." As they walked to the entrance of the mill, basking in the warm sunlight, Bismarck and the French Emperor sat side by side on two chairs, the French Emperor squinting slightly as he looked at the scene of freedom before him.

"You can rest assured that you will enjoy a certain degree of freedom there, and we will provide you with the best living conditions. You can even use the telegraph and postal systems..."

"Of course, I believe you won't stay there for too long. After the war ends, you will naturally reunite with the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince!"

This was already the best possible outcome. The French emperor couldn't say anything because he had surrendered unconditionally with a white flag raised, and at this moment he could only let the Prussians do as they pleased.

"Oh God, forgive me!" Napoleon III prayed silently.

On June 2, 1868, the Battle of Sedan ended after only one day. Napoleon III led an army of 6 to surrender to Prussia, marking the final stage of the Franco-Prussian War.

(End of this chapter)