 Nyorai kuenderera mberi kwechikamu chino - Pakutanga kweHondo yeFrance nePrussian, Muchinda akapiwa kutungamira kweChipiri Hondo, uye akakunda Hondo yeFrance yeRhine muHondo yeMars-la-Tour musi wa16 Nyamavhuvhu 1870, achicheka nzira yayo yekutiza kumadokero. Hondo iyi yakateverwa neimwe kukunda paGravelotte-St.Privat musi wa18 Nyamavhuvhu uye kukomberedzwa nekuparadzwa kweHondo yeRhine paKukombwa kweMetz. Pashure pokuwa kweMetz musi wa 27 October, uto rake rakatumirwa kuLoire kunotsvaira nharaunda yakapoteredza Orléans, uko mauto eFrance, kutanga pasi paAurelle de Paladines, ipapo pasi paChanzy, akanga achiedza kufamba kuchamhembe kunobvisa Paris. Akakunda hondo paOrléanspana 2 December uye Le Mans kubva 10 kusvika 12 January 1871. Nokuda kwemabasa ake akakwidziridzwa kuva Generalfeldmarschall. Pashure pehondo, Muchinda wacho akaitwa Inspector-General uye akapiwa chinzvimbo cheMukuru Mukuru weRussia naAlexander II weRussia. 