[16] At the same time, the defeat of the Eastern Army finally forced the French Interior Minister Léon Gambetta to end resistance to the Germans.

[7] At December 1870, the French minister Charles-Denis Bourbaki was commanding the Eastern Army and march to Belfort to relieve the fortress.

However, the German general August von Werder thwarted Bourbaki's attack at the Battle of the Lisaine in early 1871.

[14] That same day, in their swift eastward march, Manteuffel's forces crossed the Doubs and captured the canyons of the Swiss border to close the siege with Werder.

[14] That day, information about the armistice agreement between the two countries on January 28 enabled Clinchant to enter the negotiation phase, but Manteuffel did not accept.

The retreat was made after the agreement was finalized,[14] and in the afternoon, a brigade commanded by Du Trossel of the 2nd North German Army successfully attacked the town.