Franco-Prussian War

Franco-Prussian War

 sites of major actions in the Franco-Prussian War

The Frenco-Prussian War was waged between France and Prussia and the German states from July 15, 1870 to Feb. 1, 1871 . Napoleon I had smashed through the German states with ease during the Napoleonic wars . Now a generation later, the roles would be reversed .Even though the war was a short duration, it dramatically changed European history .The rapid and overwhelming victory of the German states under the leadership of Prussia in this conflict made possible the creation of a unified German Empire and brought the fall of the French empire of Napoleon III which was replaced by the Third Republic. Prussian would first fight and destroy the armies of the emperor Napoleon, then the newly raised armies of the Third republic . The waralso marked the final step in Germany's rise to the position of a major continental power . As part of the settlement, the territory of Alsace-Lorraine was taken by Germany, which would retain it until after World War I.

                                              Causes of the Franco-Prussian War

 Bismarck policies brought about 3 European wars which led to the unification of Germany. As a university student, he acquired a reputation for fighting and was a member ofHannovera, a famous dueling corps. More cosmopolitan than the average junker and spoke English fluently. Famous for his Sept 29,1862 speech " The great questions of the day will not be decided by speeches...that was the blunder of 1848...but by blood and iron.' Made Chancellor in 1871 and became known as the 'Iron Chancellor' and Germany consolidated economically and politically. The young Kaiser, William II, was too ambitious to have a strong leader like Bismarck and had him retire. No other German statesman was able to maintain Bismarck's complicated international act and Germany blundered into WWI.

From 1868 on, Bismarck ( Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck - April 1, 1815? July 30, 1898 ) Chancellor of the North German Confederation , prepared to accomplish the unification of the German Protestant  states of the north and the German Catholic south through a provoked war with France . Such a war would unite the German states quickly rather than the years or decades it might otherwise take . The Germans were divided culturally and politically, but they were united in their hatred for France since the Napoleonic Wars, when France had looted the German states and pressed an estimated 250,000 Germans into the French armies . Most countries had kept up citizen militias, usually separate from the regular forces. But the Prussians began to build up large trained reserves which were integrated into the army.

The proclamation of King William I as emperor at Versailles, by Anton von Werner

On Jan 18, 1871 at Versailles ( which was made the German military headquarters ) William I was proclaimed The German emperor ( Kaiser ) .The creation of a unified German Empire destroyed the balance of power that had been created with the Congress of Vienna after the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

German victory parade in Paris. The Parisians were defiant in the face of defeat and were prepared to fight if the entry of the German army into the city . Before the Germans entered Paris, National Guards removed large numbers of cannons away from the Germans' path and store them in "safe" districts. This was to be one of the factors leading to the Paris Commune .The Germans entered Paris briefly and left again without incident

Germany quickly established itself as the main power in Europe with one of the most powerful and professional armies in the world . In France, anger at the Germans over the loss of Alsace and Lorraine and the large indemnity would led to a permanent state of crises between the two states and their seeking revenge with a large indemnity against Germany after their defeat in World War I and trigger events which would lead to World War II . The war also influenced Italian history and its struggle for unification. With the outbreak of war, Napoleon withdrew his garrison from Rome. With this garrison gone, the Italian national army was able to take the Papal State of Rome in 1870.

Victorious German troops march through the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on June 16, 1871. Ever since this day it was traditional for German troops to march through the gate on their return from war .