Gourt > Society > History > By Time Period > Nineteenth Century > Wars and Conflicts > Franco Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War (July 19, 1870 – May 10, 1871) was declared by France on Prussia which was backed by the North German Confederation. The south German states of Baden, Württemberg and Bavaria joined in on the side of Prussia. The conflict marked the culmination of tension between the two powers following Prussia's rise to dominance in Germany, before 1866 still a loose federation of quasi-independent territories.
The war began over the possible ascension of a candidate from Prussia's Hohenzollern royal family to the vacant Spanish throne as Isabella II had abdicated in 1868 -- therefore, the war could technically be known as the Second War of Spanish Succession. This was strongly opposed by France who issued an ultimatum to King Wilhelm I of Prussia to have the candidacy withdrawn, which was done. Aiming to humiliate Prussia, Emperor Napoleon III of France then required Wilhelm to apologize and renounce any possible further Hohenzollern candidature to the Spanish throne. King Wilhelm, surprised at his holiday resort by the French ambassador, declined as he was not informed yet. Prussia's prime minister Otto von Bismarck edited the king's account of his meeting with the French ambassador to a shortened and cutting version, and authorizing its release to the press and embassies, as the famous Ems Dispatch.
The French people and their parliament reacted with outrage, Napoleon III mobilized and declared war, on Prussia only, but effectively also on the states of southern Germany. The German armies quickly mobilized and within a few weeks controlled large amounts of land in Eastern France. Their success was due in part to rapid mobilization by train, one of the first times a nation effectively used railroads to mobilize an army for war, to Prussian General staff leadership and to modern Krupp artillery made of steel. Napoleon III was captured with his whole army at the Battle of Sedan, yet this did not end the war, as a republic was declared in Paris on 4 September 1870, marking the creation of the Third Republic of France under the Government of National Defense and later the "Versaillais government" of Adolphe Thiers. The immediate result was an extension to the war as the Republic proclaimed a continuation of the fights.
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I'm reading a book about the Franco-Prussian war and I came across a reference to the Jumblies. Most unexpected.
alexmoffat (Alex Moffat) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:41:48 -0000
I'm reading a book about the Franco-Prussian war and I came across a reference to the Jumblies. Most unexpected.
@Manxy91 I'm on 1866 now, Franco-Prussian war was 1870. Ask me in about an hour :) if I'm still conscious that is *wails*
Alicefairypie (Alice Kelly) Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:01:10 -0000
@Manxy91 I'm on 1866 now, Franco-Prussian war was 1870. Ask me in about an hour :) if I'm still conscious that is *wails*
@Alicefairypie hmmm wouldn't say no to a bit of info on the franco-prussian war lol
Manxy91 (Callum Wright) Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:58:18 -0000
@Alicefairypie hmmm wouldn't say no to a bit of info on the franco-prussian war lol
@BenKuchera @aaronlinde that's how the Franco-Prussian War got started.
ecavalli (Earnest Cavalli) Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:26:06 -0000
@BenKuchera @aaronlinde that's how the Franco-Prussian War got started.
A War Correspondent in the Franco-Prussian War - The adventures of an English observer in the early part of the war.
Besieged Parisians Launch Balloons - A means for the besieged French government to communicate with the outside world.
Franco-Prussian War - Concise article with links to related topics.
The Civil War in France - On-line text of Karl Marx's writings on the war, and its aftermath in France with background appendices.
Meta Description: [ *Brief book explaination* ]
The Franco-Prussian War - Articles on various, primarily military aspects of the war, includes historical documents and contemporary illustrations from German sources.
Meta Description: [ Reports From The Paris Commune (1 of 26) Next Video 
