The German headquarters were established at Versailles. A portion of the French government of national defence remained in the capital; a portion, in order to be in communication with the provinces, was established at Tours; among the latter was Gambetta, who exercised the functions of minister of war at the same time that he led in the government of the interior, thus combining in his hands most of the executive power of the governing body. The siege of the capital, which now began, will be found described in the article Paris. Almost simultaneous with its beginning was the fall of Stras-burg, which capitulated in the night of Sept. 27-28. Toul had surrendered on the 23d. Sois-sons and Schlettstadt, among the chief places besides Metz which still resisted, capitulated respectively on Oct. 16 and 24, and on the 27th Metz itself also yielded, Bazaine surrendering 173,000 men. (See Metz.) The chief attention was now concentrated upon Paris. All the attempted sorties of the besieged proved useless, while great discontent and suffering prevailed within the city. The members of the government in the capital had the greatest difficulty in repressing popular tumults and disorder.

The military situation in the rest of France was of such a character as to give little hope of rescue by those French troops still in the field. After the fall of Metz, Prince Frederick Charles had marched the greater part of his command southward, to engage the enemy's army of the Loire," now increased, in part by the addition of small bodies from the defeated troops of other corps, to about 150,-000 men. This army, under Gen. Aurelle de Paladines, had at first won some successes, defeating Gen. von der Tann, the German commander who held Orleans, and retaking that city (Nov. 8, 9, 10). The latter, retreating, massed his troops on the Eure; but Aurelle de Paladines did not follow up his advantage, and the Germans soon took the offensive. Several minor engagements occurred, and now Aurelle attempted to march almost his entire force toward Paris; but meeting and attacking the 10th division of Frederick Charles's army, he was defeated near Beaune-la-Rolande (Nov. 28) and forced to withdraw again to Orleans, near which city he took up a position for battle.

A series of battles followed, ending with a decisive defeat of the French on Dec. 4, the Germans capturing the town and many prisoners, while the remainder of Aurelle's troops retreated in confusion. (See Orleans.) From the remains of this defeated force were now organized two new armies, under Bourbaki and Chanzy. The Germans made a corresponding division, Frederick Charles leading a part of his command against Bourbaki, who took up a position near Bourges, while the remainder, with other troops, under the command of the grand duke of Mecklenburg, advanced against Chanzy, whom they defeated at Beaugency, Dec. 8, and followed in his subsequent retreat to Blois (13th), Vendome (16th), and thence (dividing into two detachments) toward Le Mans and Tours. On the 31st Chanzy made an attempt to recover his ground, but was again defeated in the neighborhood of Vendome. Still continuing his efforts at advance, the forces of the enemy were now concentrated against him, and he was gradually forced back, in a long series of minor engagements (Jan. 6 to 11). Finally he was overwhelmingly defeated and his army fairly broken up and put to flight, in severe combats at Corneille, Ste. Croix, and Le Mans (Jan. 12). With these German victories the war in this portion of France may be said to have ended.

In the north, the newly organized army under Gen. Faidherbe, seeking to advance to the relief of Paris from that direction, had been opposed by the Germans (a part of the first army) under Gen. Manteuffel. Massed at first chiefly at Amiens and Rouen, the French were defeated at the former place on Nov. 27, the town being occupied on the 28th; from the latter place they retreated, and it was occupied without resistance on Dec. 6. From Lille and Arras Faidherbe again tried to advance toward Paris by passing behind the Germans; but Manteuffel again checked him in an engagement at Pont Noyelles, near Amiens, Dec. 23; and when he again assumed the offensive, a few days later, defeated him once more at Bapaume, Jan. 2 and 3, 1871. Manteuffel, transferred to the south, was now succeeded by Von Goeben, who put an end to Faidherbe's fourth attempt by inflicting upon him an overwhelming defeat at St. Quentin, Jan. 19, leaving his army completely disorganized, and bringing to a conclusion all serious operations in this quarter.

The few fortresses and cities that had still held out after the fall of Metz had also surrendered one by one before this time (Thionville, Nov. 24; La Fere, Nov. 27; Mezieres, Jan. 2; Rocroy, Jan. 5); and only in the south did any really serious opposition to the German arms remain in the field. Here, where Gen. Cambriels had been forced back during the month of October, 1870, by the Germans under Von Werder, until he had retreated to Besancon, the aspect of affairs was somewhat different from that presented in the north. Von Werder, whose force was too small to take Besancon, had taken Dijon (Oct. CO); but Ricciotti Garibaldi, who commanded a body of French troops, Lad, by successive advantages gained over outlying detachments of German troops, approached the place during November, and on the 26th he began an attack. This was only repulsed after a fierce struggle; and the French were pursued, but without important results. On Dec. 18 Von Werder again defeated the French near Nuits; but on the 27th he was compelled to abandon Dijon on account of the advance of an army under Bourbaki, who had left his position on the Loire, and was marching to the relief of the fortress of Belfort, which had been besieged by the Germans since Nov. 3. Von Werder, withdrawing from Dijon to Vesoul, and thence to Villersexel (where he had a short engagement with the enemy's left wing), finally took up a position near Hericourt, where, with his small force, he awaited the attack of Bourbaki's army of 150,000. In a three days' fight which followed (Jan. 15-17, 1871) he so completely repulsed it that the French were finally driven into full retreat.