 The Battle of Sedan was a total disaster for the French—the army surrendered to the Prussians and Napoleon himself was made a prisoner of war.MacMahon arrived at Sedan with one hundred thousand soldiers, not knowing that two German armies were closing in on the city (one from the west and one from the east), blocking any escape.The Germans arrived on 31 August, and by 1 September, occupied the heights around Sedan, placed batteries of artillery, and began to shell the French positions below.