| 667 | 668 | 669 | 670 | 671 |
| 1 | 171 | 343 | 514 | 685 |
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the roll of the thunder is continuous, a dismal pulverization of 90,000
men! Never before has anything equal to this been seen; never before has
an army been overwhelmed beneath such a downpour of lead and iron! At
one o'clock all is lost. The regiments fly helter-skelter into Sedan.
But Sedan begins to burn; Dijonval burns, the ambulances burn, there is
nothing now possible but to cut their way out. Wimpfen, brave and
resolute, proposes this to the Emperor. The 3d Zouaves, desperate, have
set the example. Cut off from the rest of the army, they have forced a
passage, and have reached Belgium. A flight of lions!
Suddenly, above the disaster, above the huge pile of dead and dying,
above all this unfortunate heroism, appears disgrace. The white flag is
hoisted.
Turenne and Vauban were both present, one in his statue, the other in
his citadel.
The statue and the citadel witnessed the awe-striking capitulation.
These two virgins, one of bronze, the other of granite, felt themselves
prostituted. O noble face of our country! Oh, eternal blushes!
[
38] The Franco-German War of 1870-71. Report of the Prussian Staff,
669
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