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The Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870 after years of growing tensions between France and Prussia, worsened by the Luxembourg Crisis and finally by the Ems Dispatch. Napoleon III knew that France was weakened and that the Prussian army was superior, but pressure from Parliament and an increasingly furious French public pushed him to declare war. His health was also severely deteriorating, while France was facing a growing political crisis.

After several French defeats, Napoleon III moved with his army toward Sedan, where they became surrounded by Prussian forces and their allies from the German states. During the Battle of Sedan on September 1, 1870, the emperor, suffering from severe pain due to his poor health, even had difficulty mounting his horse. Nevertheless, he remained near his troops and continued encouraging them as the French attempted to break through the encirclement. For hours, fierce fighting continued, with repeated attempts to escape the trap, but the Prussian forces gradually tightened the encirclement and subjected the French army to heavy artillery fire.

Realizing that continuing the fight would only lead to more unnecessary deaths with little chance of escape, Napoleon III decided to surrender. The following day, September 2, he surrendered his sword to King Wilhelm I and was taken prisoner along with much of his army. The defeat at Sedan soon led to the fall of the Second French Empire.

Napoleon III encouraging his troops at the Battle of Sedan – work by Giuseppe Rava