By 1870, France and Prussia systematically moved to war. Prussian Chancellor Otto Bismarck sought to unite all German lands under his authority, and the French Emperor Napoleon III to prevent this, not wanting to see another strong state in Europe, and even neighboring France.
Reasons and Reason for War
All that the Prussian chancellor had to do to create a united Germany was to annex the South German states. But Bismarck was not going to limit himself to this: the Prussians were attracted by the French provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, rich in coal and iron ore, which were so necessary for German industrialists.
Thus, the causes of the Franco-Prussian war were obvious, it only remained to find a reason. Both sides were actively looking for him, and he was soon found. In July 1870, the Spanish government, preoccupied with the search for a candidate for the royal throne, who was left without a master after another revolution, turned to Prince Leopold, a relative of the Prussian king. Napoleon III, who did not want to see another crowned representative of the Hohenzollern dynasty next to France , began to negotiate with Prussia. The French ambassador succeeded in this. But, as it turned out later, a provocation lurked here. Bismarck composed a telegram to the French emperor about the abdication of Prussia from the Spanish throne in a tone that was quite offensive to the French, and even published it in the newspapers. The result was predictable - the infuriated Napoleon III declared war on Prussia.
Balance of power
The international situation in which the Franco-Prussian war began was more favorable for Prussia than for France. On the side of Bismarck came the states that were members of the North German Union, while the French emperor was left without allies. Russia maintained a neutral position, with Britain and Italy diplomatic relations were hopelessly ruined due to the inept policy of Napoleon III. The only state that could fight on its side was Austria, but the Austrian government, not so long ago defeated in the war with Prussia, did not dare to engage in a new battle with a recent adversary.
From the very first days, the Franco-Prussian war revealed the weaknesses of the French army. Firstly, its number was seriously inferior to the enemy - 570 thousand soldiers against 1 million from the North German Union. Arms were worse. The only thing the French could be proud of was the faster-fire Chaspo rifles. But the most important thing is the lack of a clear plan of military operations. It was hastily compiled, and much of it was unrealistic: the terms of mobilization, and the calculations for a split between the allies.
As for Prussia, the Franco-Prussian war, of course, did not catch the king or the chancellor by surprise. Her army was distinguished by discipline and excellent weapons, was created on the basis of universal conscription. The dense railway network in Germany made it possible to quickly transfer military units to the right place. And, of course, the Prussian command had a clear plan of action, developed long before the war.
Hostilities
In August 1870, the Prussian forces launched an offensive. The French corps were defeated one after another. On September 1, near the Sedan fortress, in which Napoleon III was located, the battle began. The French command could not escape the encirclement, in addition to everything, the army suffered huge losses from cross-shelling. As a result, the very next day, Napoleon III was forced to surrender. Having captured 84 thousand people, the Prussians marched to the French capital.
The news of the defeat at Sedan sparked an uprising in Paris. As early as September 4, the Republic was proclaimed in France. The new government began to form new armies. Thousands of volunteers stood under arms, but the new authorities could not organize the defense of the country from the enemy. October 27 surrendered to the huge army of Marshal Bazin, numbering almost 200 thousand people. According to historians, the marshal could well resist the Prussians, but preferred to surrender.
On other fronts, Bismarck was also lucky. As a result, on January 28, 1871, the French government signed a truce at Versailles. The Franco-Prussian war is over. In the same place, in the palace of the French kings, the German Empire was proclaimed . Half a century will pass, and the Germans will sign a peace treaty in the same hall after Germany is defeated in the First World War. But so far this was far away: in May of that year, the parties signed a peace treaty, according to which France not only lost Alsace with Lorraine, but also a tidy sum of 5 billion francs. Thus, the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871. not only united Germany, but also significantly weakened France economically.