# Battle of Sedan (1870)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1870-battle-of-sedan
Location: Sedan
Categories: battle, main-event

Napoleon III was captured with his army, causing the collapse of the Second Empire. Within the broader Third Republic period, The Third Republic survived war, the Commune, constitutional crises and fierce ideological conflict. It expanded mass schooling and empire, faced the Dreyfus Affair, fought World War I and entered the troubled interwar era. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Napoleon III (Emperor of the French). Battle of Sedan mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Battle of Sedan mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Government of National Defence](https://history-france.com/rulers/government-of-national-defence)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Battle of Sedan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Battle+of+Sedan&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Sedan](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Sedan)
- [Vie-publique — French institutions and history](https://www.vie-publique.fr/)