Second, Bismark was very prescient about the coming of WW1. Victorious German troops march through the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on June 16, 1871. Colton, Joel, Lloyd Kramer, and Palmer, R.R. Superior numbers, organization, and mobility contributed to the German victory. Bismarck reworded the telegram as to arouse a war fever in France and the Germanic states .

Even in his own home he couldn’t escape the call for action as his wife was a virulent anti-Prussian. Bismarck was away on holiday, and King Wilhelm, afraid of risking war, complied . To the conservatives he offered sound economic policies and support for the military and to the liberals he offered social reforms and public works projects to improve French infrastructure and provide jobs. On July 2, 1870, the Spanish informed the French ambassador of their choice . New Advent.

William II was determined to make Germany not only into a great European power, but a naval and colonial one as well. 2000. The Hohenzollern prince's candidacy was withdrawn under French diplomatic pressure, but Otto von Bismarck goaded the French into declaring war by altering a telegram sent by William I. Napoleon's new prime minister, Emile Ollivier, declared that France had done all that it could humanly and honorably do to prevent the war, and that he accepted the responsibility "with a light heart." [13]  He immediately began to attack Bismarck in the press and dispatched the French ambassador to Prussia to see King William I to persuade him to renounce Leopold’s claim and coax him to step down.

When Austria and Prussia met in May 1866, Bismarck honored the agreement made in Biarritz the previous year and refused to allow Austria to have Venetia.

The causes of the Franco-Prussian War are deeply rooted in the events surrounding the unification of Germany. He reworked the telegram to make it appear the King Wilhelm had rebuffed the French ambassador ( Count Benedetti ), and the ambassador had insulted the king . As for myself, I have a history blog, too, check it out: http://www.threekeywords.com/tkwblog. Another consequence of the war was the effect it would have on future German generals. When word reached France of the deal the hawks were outraged. The confederation was in large part an effort to contain France after the Napoleonic Wars, but it was marked by a rivalry between Prussia and Austria as to which would be the dominant German power. '”[25]   France’s phoenix-like rise served to keep tensions between the two rivals at a high level for the next several decades. , Interesting, well phrased and informative. Aftermath: The quick German victory over the French stunned neutral observers, many of whom had expected a French victory and most of whom had expected a long war. Made Chancellor in 1871 and became known as the 'Iron Chancellor' and Germany consolidated economically and politically. Wawro, Geoffrey. Both Napoleon III and Bismarck needed a war for political reasons . Napoleon III announced in a newspaper interview that any future Hohenzollern (German) candidature for the Spanish throne would be a cause for war . Causes of the Franco Prussian War & A brief history of the Franco Prussian War. As a result, the French Chamber on July 19, 1870 declared war on Prussia and rejected Britain's offer to mediate. Gramont informed the French ambassador that he insisted the King Wilhelm renounce the offer . It is worth noting here Craig’s warning that “it is always dangerous to speak with too great assurance of Bismarck’s intentions” and his caution to assume that Bismarck “was seeking war with France from the beginning of the Spanish question.”[19]  While it is true that Bismarck did not much concern himself with the matter at first, this can be explained by the fact that Leopold had initially declined the Spanish invitation.
But this frontier carries with it the mastery of Central Europe. “Napoleon III.”, [4] New Advent, “Napoleon III,” Catholic Encyclopedia, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10699a.htm. Bismarck saw the Spanish offer as another way to possibly provoke war with France if he could place Prince Leopold on the Spanish throne. However, the prince and the king were not much interested in the offer . The stone thrown for the unification of one nation sent ripples far out into the future that would make, shape, and destroy countless other nations the world over, causing catastrophes not thought possible by human beings and ushering in a new era of world order. About [1] Geoffrey Wawro, The Franco-Prussian War:  The German Conquest of France in 1870-1871 (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 6. I suggest reading Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of WW1 by Robert K. Massie, which I think argues very persuasively the reasons for the trajectory of Europe into world war.
2007. In Prussia, some officials considered a war against France both inevitable and necessary to arouse German nationalism in those states that would allow the unification of a great German empire. Bismarck, confident neither Britain nor Russia would become involved in the matter, prepared for war . Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 January 1871, the conflict was caused primarily by France's determination to restore its dominant position in continental Europe, which it had lost following Prussia's crushing victory over Austria in 1866. The most obvious of these effects being the emergence of the German Empire as one of the most, if not the, most powerful nation on the Continent. But it’s a skill that should not be abused .". War of the Government of National Defence, Outline of the Franco-Prussian War (1870 to 1871), Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

Poor harvests all over Europe and the lack of real political freedom had spurred the people to action against the entrenched ruling classes and shrewd political opportunists used the uprisings for their own gain. Germany quickly established itself as the main power in Europe with one of the most powerful and professional armies in the world . Clausewitz vs. Sun Tzu Round II: The High Seas, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10699a.htm, The Franco-Prussian War: Causes & Effects. Franco-German War (July 19, 1870–May 10, 1871), war in which a coalition of German states led by Prussia defeated France. All Rights Reserved.

Contrary to popular belief, the spike was never meant to be a weapon. Even Napoleon’s wife Eugénie de Montijo encouraged a confrontation with Prussia. His brash approach to these endeavors, particularly a naval arms race with Great Britain, would have dire consequences. This aim was epitomized by Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's later statement: "I did not doubt that a Franco-German war must take place before the construction of a United Germany could be realised." With the outbreak of war, Napoleon withdrew his garrison from Rome. Sturmer goes on, “[Bismarck] started a sweeping campaign for an all-German parliament.

In addition to the war costs themselves was a reparations bill of five billion francs to be paid to Germany. It didn't because Napoleon III wanted more time to complete army reforms and Bismarck need time to gather southern German support for a unified Germany .

Bismarck also knew that France should be the aggressor in the conflict to bring the southern German states to side with Prussia, hence giving Germans numerical superiority. As previously mentioned a desire for German empire, especially by Bismarck, played a leading role but the conditions for such an adventure had to be present…and they were. In 1868 Queen Isabella II of Spain had been deposed and the Spanish provisional government offered the throne to Leopold von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, who happened to be the nephew of Prussian King William I.   Unenthusiastic at the prospect, Leopold declined the invitation. Since the defeat of 1815, France had become a subordinate power in Europe . All Rights Reserved. Please feel free to contact us! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A brief history of the Franco Prussian War. Made of leather with a metal front piece and spike, became popular in many armies, including the U.S. after the German victory in the war. Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. 1977.

Even after this brash maneuver, he still maintained popularity. [24] Wawro, The Franco-Prussian War, 312.

When the European crisis of 1914 came, many Europeans felt the coming war would be brief as the Franco Prussian War had been. The war that started in 1870 could have started anytime after the Prussian victory against Austria in 1866 . As Koch cited The Times of London, “How she became an empire history tells us, why she remains so, no one can tell.”[5]  While Prussia did gradually increase in power and influence starting about the 18th century, her larger ambition was held in check for much of this time by the balance of power system of Europe.

The Franco-Prussian War would have an enormous effect on the immediate and distant fate of Europe.

The young Kaiser, William II, was too ambitious to have a strong leader like Bismarck and had him retire. [4]  To that end, when Prussia went to war first with Denmark over Schleswig-Holstein and then with Austria over the same region, France remained on the sidelines, further isolating her from Austria. 10th ed. With all the turmoil at home and abroad, Napoleon III reluctantly conceded that war may be the only way to unify the French people. Under the new constitution the south German states were virtually annexed by the North German Federation . At the Congress of Vienna she was made a part of the German Confederation, a loose alliance of Prussia, Austria, and the other smaller Germanic states. [21] Colton, Kramer, and Palmer, History of the Modern World, 532.

When the  French minister of foreign affairs, Antoine Alfred Agénor, Duc de Gramont, heard of it he hurriedly convened the legislature and made a threatening speech . Some historians argue that Napoleon III also sought war, particularly as a result of the diplomatic failure, in 1866, to obtain any concessions following the Austro-Prussian War, and he believed he would win a conflict with Prussia.

Thanks for helping us all out. His editing, he assured his friends, "would have the effect of a red rag on the Gallic bull. sewing together the German states into a nation dominated by Prussia . Bismarck policies brought about 3 European wars which led to the unification of Germany.


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