Even in the first four weeks eight battles were fought, under which the French Empire crumbled, and the French Army was swept from the field.
Fresh forces, numerous but incompetent, equalized the original numerical superiority of the Germans, and twelve more battles needed to be fought, to safeguard the decisive siege of the enemy's capital.
Twenty fortified places were taken, and not a single day passed on which there was not fighting somewhere, on a larger or smaller scale.
The war cost the Germans heavy sacrifice; they lost 6247 officers, 123,453 men, 1 colour, 6 guns.
The total losses of the French were incalculable; in prisoners only they amounted to:—
| In Germany | 11,860 | officers, | 371,981 | men. |
| In Paris | 7,456 | " | 241,686 | " |
| Disarmed in Switzerland. | 2,192 | " | 88,381 | " |
| ——— | ——— | |||
| 21,508 | officers, | 702,048 | men. |
There were captured 107 colours and eagles, 1915 field-guns, 5526 fortress guns.
Strasburg and Metz, which had been alienated from the Fatherland in a time of weakness, were recovered, and the German Empire had risen anew.
THE END.