RAILWAYS AND WAR before 1918. FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR 1870-71

RAILWAYS AND WAR before 1918. FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR 1870-71

Destruction of communications.
A Prussian troop train blown up when crossing a bridge at Mezieres.

The next serious use of railways came about during the rapid and decisive Franco-Prussian War of 1870, which highlighted many lessons that badly needed learning. The Prussian Army, while not entirely prepared, did have an embryo railway operating organisation and several sections of railway troops (Eisenbahntruppen). These were trained railwaymen (engineers, signalmen, etc.) and trained soldiers, carrying rifles as well as their railway tools. The Prussian railways themselves were efficiently organised to move troops and equipment and their engineers were able to lay strictly military railways, which they did on several occasions. But they had not realised the serious shortage of rolling-stock that would be caused when operating extended lines of communication if an enemy had managed to withdraw in good order; their use of French railways for supply was seriously hampered by this. Nor had the Prussians a really efficient organisation for repairing extensive damage caused by a retreating enemy.

The French, on the other hand, while they had a railway system basically capable of meeting their military requirements, had virtually no military organisation for operating it efficiently. As a result there was total chaos, whole units becoming 'lost' while stores piled up in huge botdenecks at the receiving stations of Metz and Strasbourg. There was little or no co-operation between the military and the railway authorities and the blame must fall almost entirely on the military.

At the same time, even without an organisation, the French did show what could be done to deny use of railways to an advancing foe. The destruction of bridges, tunnels and trackwork was far vaster than in the American War and, although more might have been done with better organisation—lack of orders saved a number of structures—the Prussians were still greatly impeded. Several Prussian troop and supply trains were even blown up by 'Franc-Tireurs' (irregulars) along with the track or bridge they were traversing. The plate shows a double-headed train which came to grief in this way. The importance of vital junctions was also realised, considerable fighting taking place on the railway for their possession.

The war ended badly for France, but its transport lessons were learnt by both parties. The German empire, as Prussians and her allies became, pressed on with the organisation of an efficient military railway department and the provision of equipment. The French started to put their house in order on the Prussian pattern, creating organisational links between the military and civil authorities, and building strategic railways to fill gaps in their system. The British took an interested note of all the goings-on; they even read learned papers to the Corps of Royal Engineers on the lessons to be learnt. It was certainly the mistakes of this war that laid the basis for sound military use of civilian railways in future major wars; but the next developments were overseas, in the colonies being set up by the major European powers.