On the morning of 2 December 1870, the French troops launched an assault on the Prussian positions. Despite their valour, the French fighters were pushed back. On the evening of the battle, nearly 9,000 French and Prussian soldiers were killed or wounded on the battlefield.
Battle of Loigny
On the morning of 2 December 1870, Loigny was occupied by a part of the French troops, but very quickly the Germans took the village back. The battlefield was churned up under a powerful artillery.
After the failure of the 51st regiment of foot soldiers, the Army of the Loire was under threat. In the face of this danger, General de Sonis led a charge by 800 men (including 300 pontifical Zouaves) towards Loigny. Deployed under the banner of the Sacred Heart, General de Sonis’s men showed heroic courage.
The enemy troops temporarily withdrew before reorganising and taking back the initiative. The French fell back in retreat, and the village and battle of Loigny were definitively lost.
Humiliation
After Loigny, Orléans is taken over by German troops. In all the country, the armies are defeated. On 21 January 1871, the German Empire is proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
7 days later, the armistice is signed. Alsace and Moselle were annexed and France had to pay a fine of 5 billion gold francs. In France, the loss of Alsace-Lorraine and the frustration of defeat gave rise to a deep anti-German sentiment. Without doubt, the defeat of 1870 carried the seeds of the two world conflicts of the 20th century.
The museum
In this modern and interactive museum, images, objects, built and digital heritage complement each other to tell the story of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. Helmets, uniforms, rifles, edged weapons, shells… retrace the events of the 1870 war and bear witness to the harshness of the fighting.
To complete
Visitors can also discover the church of Loigny which is fully integrated into the tour. In the ossuary, the remains of 1260 French and German soldiers remind everyone of the true meaning of war and give a taste of peace.
The visit can be continued with a virtual reality tour of the battlefield where it is possible to relive the clashes between the French, Prussians and Bavarians directly on the battlefield.
A memorial path, made up of 10 desks, allows visitors to discover the emblematic places of the battle as well as the main funeral and commemorative monuments. An orientation table has also been installed in order to understand the importance of the fighting on 2 December 1870.
The Historic Beauce, a 27 km signposted itinerary, allows you to discover by bike places steeped in history, witnesses of the 1870 battle of Loigny. For this purpose, the Maison du Tourisme hires out mountain bikes (adults and children), electric bikes, a carriage and a baby seat.
