The Battle of Mulhouse (or Mülhausen) (also called the Battle of Alsace (French: Bataille d'Alsace)), which began on August 9, 1914, was the opening attack of World War I by the French army against Germany. The battle was part of a French attempt to recover the province of Alsace, which the French had been forced to cede to the newly formed German Empire following France's defeat by Prussia and other independent German states in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. It had been a goal of France to recover Alsace and Lorraine ever since. The assault ended in failure, with a full withdrawal on August 10 toward Belfort led by General Bonneau.