1-154-347 - Art Media-Private Collection/Heritage Images

Fort du Mont Valerien, Siege of Paris, 1870-1871. After the disastrous defeat of the French at Sedan and the capture of Napoleon III, the Prussians surrounded Paris on 9 September 1870. The French commander, General Trochu, initially opted to rely on a static defence based on the city's fortifications rather than trying to break through the Prussian encirclement. The Prussians, meanwhile, had no intention of invading the city, relying on a blockade to compel its capitulation. Eventually the French made several attempts to break out, but all were unsuccessful. The city held out despite famine and great hardship until a bombardment with heavy siege guns led to its surrender on 28 January 1871. From a private collection.