Editing Sedan, Ardennes (section)

==History==
Sedan was founded in 1424. In the 16th century Sédan was an asylum for [[Huguenot|Protestant]] refugees from the [[French Wars of Religion|Wars of Religion]].

Until 1651, the [[Principality of Sedan]] belonged to the [[La Tour d'Auvergne]] family. It was at that time a sovereign principality. Their representative, [[Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne|Marshal Turenne]], was born at Sedan on 11 September 1611. With help from the [[Holy Roman Empire]], it defeated France at the [[Battle of La Marfée]]. Immediately after its victory, Sedan was besieged and its prince, [[Frédéric Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne, duc de Bouillon]], submitted to France. It was annexed to France in return for sparing the prince's life after he became involved in a conspiracy against France.

Sedan was the birthplace of [[Jacques MacDonald]], a general who served in the Napoleonic Wars.

In the 1840s, American composer-pianist [[Louis Moreau Gottschalk]] got his start in Europe with a successful concert in Sedan, including the original piece "Souvenir des Ardennes."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Souvenir_des_Ardennes_(Gottschalk%2C_Louis_Moreau) |title=Souvenir des Ardennes |access-date=2023-02-03}}</ref>

During the [[Franco-Prussian War]], on 2 September 1870, French emperor [[Napoleon III of France|Napoleon III]] was taken prisoner with 100,000 of his soldiers at the [[Battle of Sedan (1870)|First Battle of Sedan]]. Due to this victory, which made the [[unification of Germany]] possible, 2 September was declared Sedan Day (''[[Sedantag]]'') and a national German holiday in 1871. It remained a holiday until 1919.

Sedan was occupied by the Germans for four years during [[World War I]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wir-rheinlaender.lvr.de/engl_version/firstworldwar/sedanasasymbol.htm |title=First World War |publisher=Wir-rheinlaender.lvr.de |access-date=2012-12-13}}</ref> On 13 November 1917, the German [[Wilhelm, German Crown Prince|Crown Prince]] paraded the [[13th Division (German Empire)|13th Infantry Division]] over the course of "[[Alsace-Lorraine|d'Alsace-Lorraine]]".

From May 12 to 15, 1940, during [[World War II]], German troops [[Battle of Belgium|invaded]] neutral [[Belgium]] and crossed the river [[Meuse]] by winning the [[Battle of Sedan (1940)|Second Battle of Sedan]]. The battle allowed them to win the [[Battle of France]] by bypassing the [[Maginot Line]], which was the French fortification system, and entrapping the Allied Forces that were advancing east into Belgium, as part of the Allied [[Dyle Plan]] strategy.