Editing Franco-Prussian War (section)

===Loire campaign===
[[File:Bapaume-tableau-Faidherbe.jpg|thumb|The [[Battle of Bapaume (1871)|Battle of Bapaume]], which took place from 2–3 January 1871]]

Dispatched from Paris as the republican government emissary, Léon Gambetta flew over the German lines in a balloon inflated with coal gas from the city's gasworks and organized the recruitment of the [[Armée de la Loire]]. Rumors about an alleged German "extermination" plan infuriated the French and strengthened their support of the new regime. Within a few weeks, five new armies totalling more than 500,000 troops were recruited.{{sfn|Foley|2007|pp=19–20}}

The Germans dispatched some of their troops to the French provinces to detect, attack and disperse the new French armies before they could become a menace. The Germans were not prepared for an occupation of the whole of France.

On 10 October, hostilities began between German and French republican forces near [[Orléans]]. At first, the Germans were victorious but the French drew reinforcements and defeated a Bavarian force at the [[Battle of Coulmiers]] on 9 November. After the surrender of [[Siege of Metz (1870)|Metz]], more than 100,000 well-trained and experienced German troops joined the German 'Southern Army'. The French were forced to [[Second Battle of Orléans (1870)|abandon Orléans]] on 4 December, and were finally defeated at the [[Battle of Le Mans]] {{nowrap|(10–12 January)}}. A second French army which operated north of Paris was turned back at the [[Battle of Amiens (1870)|Battle of Amiens]] (27 November), the [[Battle of Bapaume (1871)|Battle of Bapaume]] (3 January 1871) and the [[Battle of St. Quentin (1871)|Battle of St. Quentin]] (13 January).{{sfn| Shann | Delperier |1991|p=4}}