Franco-German War - Revision history

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	[[File:Napoleon III surrenders to Wilhelm I, German King of Prussia, on Sept. 2, 1870.png\|thumb\|350px\|[[Napoleon III]] surrenders to [[William I of Prussia\|Wilhelm I]], German King of Prussia, on 2 September 1870, after the [[Battle of Sedan (1870)\|Battle at Sedan]]. The battle marked the decisive defeat of the French in the Franco-Prussian War and led to the fall of the Second French Empire. In Germany, the "Sedantag" was celebrated yearly on the date of this great victory.]]		[[File:Napoleon III surrenders to Wilhelm I, German King of Prussia, on Sept. 2, 1870.png\|thumb\|350px\|[[Napoleon III]] surrenders to [[William I of Prussia\|Wilhelm I]], [[German]] King of Prussia, on 2 September 1870, after the [[Battle of Sedan (1870)\|Battle at Sedan]]. The battle marked the decisive defeat of the [[French]] in the Franco-Prussian War and led to the fall of the Second French [[Empire]]. In Germany, the "Sedantag" was celebrated yearly on the date of this great victory.]]
	'''Franco-German War''', sometimes '''Franco-Prussian War''' ({{lang-de\|Deutsch-Französischer Krieg}}), often referred to in France as the '''1870 War''' (19 July 1870 - 10 May 1871), was a conflict between [[France]] and the German kingdom of [[Prussia]], which was backed by the [[North German Confederation]] and the South German states of [[Baden]], [[Württemberg]] and [[Bavaria]]. The thorough German victory brought about the final unification of the [[German Empire]] under King [[William I of Prussia]]. It also marked the downfall of [[Napoleon III]] and the end of the [[French Second Empire]], which was replaced by the [[Third Republic]]. As part of the settlement, the territory of [[Alsace-Lorraine]] was taken by [[Germany]], which would retain it until [[World War I]].		'''Franco-German War''', sometimes '''Franco-Prussian War''' ({{lang-de\|Deutsch-Französischer Krieg}}), often referred to in France as the '''1870 War''' (19 July 1870 - 10 May 1871), was a conflict between [[France]] and the German kingdom of [[Prussia]], which was backed by the [[North German Confederation]] and the South German states of [[Baden]], [[Württemberg]] and [[Bavaria]]. The thorough German victory brought about the final unification of the [[German Empire]] under King [[William I of Prussia]]. It also marked the downfall of [[Napoleon III]] and the end of the [[French Second Empire]], which was replaced by the [[Third Republic]]. As part of the settlement, the territory of [[Alsace-Lorraine]] was taken by [[Germany]], which would retain it until [[World War I]].
	==History==		==History==
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	The conflict was a culmination of years of tension between the two powers, which finally came to a head over the issue of a Hohenzollern candidate for the vacant Spanish throne, following the deposition of [[Isabella II]] in 1868. The public release of the [[Ems Dispatch]], which played up alleged insults between the Prussian king and the French ambassador, inflamed public opinion on both sides. France mobilized, and on July 19, declared war on Prussia only, but the other German states quickly joined on Prussia's side.		The conflict was a culmination of years of tension between the two powers, which finally came to a head over the issue of a Hohenzollern candidate for the vacant Spanish throne, following the deposition of [[Isabella II]] in 1868. The public release of the [[Ems Dispatch]], which played up alleged insults between the Prussian king and the French ambassador, inflamed public opinion on both sides. France mobilized, and on July 19, declared war on Prussia only, but the other German states quickly joined on Prussia's side.

	The superiority of the German forces was soon evident, due in part to efficient use of railroads and innovative [[Krupp]] artillery. A series of swift German victories in eastern France culminated in the [[Battle of Sedan]], at which Napoleon III was captured with his whole army on 2 September. Yet this did not end the war, as the Third Republic was declared in [[Paris]] on 4 September 1870, and French resistance continued under the Government of National Defense and later [[Adolphe Thiers]].		The superiority of the German forces was soon evident, due in part to efficient use of railroads and innovative [[Krupp]] artillery. A series of swift German victories in eastern France culminated in the [[Battle of Sedan]], at which Napoleon III was captured with his whole army on 2 September. Yet this did not end the war, as the Third [[Republic]] was declared in [[Paris]] on 4 September 1870, and [[French resistance]] continued under the [[Government]] of National Defense and later [[Adolphe Thiers]].

	Over a five-month campaign, the German armies defeated the newly recruited French armies in a series of battles fought across northern France. Following a prolonged siege, the French capital Paris fell on 28 January 1871. Ten days earlier, the German states had proclaimed once again (for the first time after the [[Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation]]) their union under the Prussian King, uniting Germany as a nation-state, the German Empire and forming the [[German Army (German Empire)\|German Army]].		Over a five-month campaign, the German armies defeated the newly recruited French armies in a series of battles fought across northern France. Following a prolonged [[siege]], the French capital Paris fell on 28 January 1871. Ten days earlier, the German states had proclaimed once again (for the first [[time]] after the [[Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation]]) their union under the Prussian King, uniting Germany as a [[nation]]-state, the German Empire and forming the [[German Army (German Empire)\|German Army]].

	The final peace [[Treaty of Frankfurt]] was signed 10 May 1871, during the time of the bloody [[Paris Commune]] of 1871.		The final [[peace]] [[Treaty of Frankfurt]] was signed 10 May 1871, during the time of the bloody [[Paris Commune]] of 1871.

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
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	\|align="right"\|500,000		\|align="right"\|500,000
	\|-		\|-
	\| North German Confederation		\| North [[German Confederation]]
	\|align="right"\|32,000,000		\|align="right"\|32,000,000
	\|align="right"\|550,000		\|align="right"\|550,000
	\|}		\|}
	===Summary of military events===		===Summary of military events===
	The efficiency of German mobilization contrasted with confusion and delay on the French side. Germany was able to deliver 380,000 troops to the forward zone within 18 days of the start of mobilization on 14 July, while many French units reached the front either late or with inadequate supplies. The German and French armies that then confronted each other were both grouped into right and left wings. After suffering a check by the Crown Prince and [[Generalfeldmarschall]] [[Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal]] at the [[Battle of Wörth]] on 6 August 1870, the commander of the French right (south) wing, Marshal Patrice MacMahon, retreated westward.		The efficiency of German mobilization contrasted with confusion and delay on the French side. Germany was able to deliver 380,000 troops to the forward zone within 18 days of the start of mobilization on 14 July, while many French units reached the front either late or with inadequate supplies. The German and French armies that then confronted each other were both grouped into right and [[left]] wings. After [[suffering]] a check by the Crown Prince and [[Generalfeldmarschall]] [[Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal]] at the [[Battle of Wörth]] on 6 August 1870, the commander of the French right (south) wing, Marshal Patrice MacMahon, retreated westward.

	That same day, about {{Convert\|40\|mi}} to the northwest, the commander of the French left wing, Marshal Achille Bazaine, was dislodged from near Saarbrücken and fell back westward to the fortress of Metz. His further retreat was checked by the German right wing in two blundering battles on 16 and 18 August, respectively (the Battles of [[Battle of Mars-la-Tour\|Mars-la-Tour]] and [[Battle of Gravelotte\|Gravelotte]]), and he then took refuge behind the defenses of Metz until forced by starvation to surrender on 29 October.		That same day, about {{Convert\|40\|mi}} to the northwest, the commander of the French left wing, Marshal Achille Bazaine, was dislodged from near Saarbrücken and fell back westward to the fortress of Metz. His further retreat was checked by the German right wing in two blundering battles on 16 and 18 August, respectively (the Battles of [[Battle of Mars-la-Tour\|Mars-la-Tour]] and [[Battle of Gravelotte\|Gravelotte]]), and he then took refuge behind the defenses of Metz until forced by starvation to surrender on 29 October.

	The French right wing, commanded by MacMahon and accompanied by Napoleon III himself, attempted to relieve Bazaine but was itself surrounded and trapped by the Germans in the disastrous [[Battle of Sedan]] on 31 August. Encircled, the 83,000 French troops with Napoleon III and MacMahon surrendered on 2 September. Since Bazaine's army was still bottled up in [[Metz]], the result of the war was virtually decided by this surrender.		The French right wing, commanded by MacMahon and accompanied by Napoleon III himself, attempted to relieve Bazaine but was itself surrounded and trapped by the [[Germans]] in the disastrous [[Battle of Sedan]] on 31 August. Encircled, the 83,000 French troops with Napoleon III and MacMahon surrendered on 2 September. Since Bazaine's army was still bottled up in [[Metz]], the result of the war was virtually decided by this surrender.

	French resistance was carried on against desperate odds by a new government of national defense, which assumed power in Paris on 4 September 1870, and proclaimed the deposition of the emperor and the establishment of the Third Republic. On 19 September the Germans began to besiege Paris. [[Jules Favre]], foreign minister in the new government, went to negotiate with the ""Hero of [[Sedan, Ardennes\|Sedan]]" [[Otto von Bismarck]], but the negotiations were broken off when he found that [[Germany]] demanded both [[Alsace]] and [[Lorraine (region)\|Lorraine]] regions. [[Léon Gambetta]], the leading figure in the provisional government, organized new French armies in the countryside after escaping from besieged Paris in a balloon. These engaged but could not defeat the German forces. Bazaine capitulated at Metz with his 140,000 troops intact on 27 October, and Paris surrendered on 28 January 1871.		French resistance was carried on against desperate odds by a new government of national defense, which assumed power in Paris on 4 September 1870, and proclaimed the deposition of the [[emperor]] and the establishment of the Third Republic. On 19 September the Germans began to besiege Paris. [[Jules Favre]], foreign minister in the new government, went to negotiate with the ""Hero of [[Sedan, Ardennes\|Sedan]]" [[Otto von Bismarck]], but the negotiations were broken off when he found that [[Germany]] demanded both [[Alsace]] and [[Lorraine (region)\|Lorraine]] regions. [[Léon Gambetta]], the leading figure in the provisional government, organized new French armies in the countryside after escaping from besieged Paris in a balloon. These engaged but could not defeat the German forces. Bazaine capitulated at Metz with his 140,000 troops intact on 27 October, and Paris surrendered on 28 January 1871.

	==Belligerents==		==Belligerents==
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	[[File:The Brandenburg Gate lit up on Sedantag in 1898. In English, the sign reads What a change through God's guidance.png\|thumb\|350px\|The [[Brandenburg Gate]] lit up on ''Sedantag'' in 1898. In English, the sign reads "What a change [turn of events] through God's guidance".]]		[[File:The Brandenburg Gate lit up on Sedantag in 1898. In English, the sign reads What a change through God's guidance.png\|thumb\|350px\|The [[Brandenburg Gate]] lit up on ''Sedantag'' in 1898. In English, the sign reads "What a change [turn of events] through God's guidance".]]
	* [[August Mackensen]]: ''Das Leibhussaren-Regiment Nr. 2 im Kriege gegen Frankreich'', 1877		* [[August Mackensen]]: ''Das Leibhussaren-Regiment Nr. 2 im Kriege gegen Frankreich'', 1877
	* [[Helmuth von Moltke the Elder\|Moltke, Field Marshall Count Helmuth von]], ''The Franco-German War of 187-71'', London, 1893.		* [[Helmuth von Moltke the Elder\|Moltke, Field Marshall Count Helmuth von]], ''The Franco-German War of 187-71'', [[London]], 1893.
	* Allinson, A.R., ''The War Diary of the Emperor Frederick III 1870-1871'', London, 1927.		* Allinson, A.R., ''The War Diary of the Emperor Frederick III 1870-1871'', London, 1927.
	* Craig, Gordon A., ''Germany: 1866–1945''. Oxford University Press, 1980.		* Craig, Gordon A., ''Germany: 1866–1945''. Oxford University Press, 1980.
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	* Ridley, Jasper, ''Garibaldi''. Viking Press, 1976.		* Ridley, Jasper, ''Garibaldi''. Viking Press, 1976.
	* Robertson, Charles Grant. ''Bismarck''. H. Holt and Co., 1919.		* Robertson, Charles Grant. ''Bismarck''. H. Holt and Co., 1919.
	* Rüstow, Friedrich Wilhelm, with John Layland Needham, ''The War for the Rhine Frontier, 1870: Its Political and Military History''. Blackwood, 1872.		* Rüstow, Friedrich Wilhelm, with John Layland Needham, ''The War for the Rhine Frontier, 1870: Its [[Political]] and Military [[History]]''. Blackwood, 1872.
	* Fontane, Theodor, ''Der Krieg gegen Frankreich, 1870–1871'', Verlag der königlichen geheimen Hofbuchdruckerei, [[Berlin]], 1873, Reprint 2004, ISBN 3-937135-25-1		* Fontane, Theodor, ''Der Krieg gegen Frankreich, 1870–1871'', Verlag der königlichen geheimen Hofbuchdruckerei, [[Berlin]], 1873, Reprint 2004, ISBN 3-937135-25-1
	* [http://www.archive.org/details/TheBavarianArmyAndFrenchCiviliansInTheWarOf187071 Stoneman, Mark R. "The Bavarian Army and French Civilians in the War of 1870–71," Magisterarbeit, Universität Augsburg, 1994].		* [http://www.archive.org/details/TheBavarianArmyAndFrenchCiviliansInTheWarOf187071 Stoneman, Mark R. "The Bavarian Army and French Civilians in the War of 1870–71," Magisterarbeit, Universität Augsburg, 1994].
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	* Förster, Stig, ed., ''Moltke: Vom Kabinettskrieg zum Volkskrieg: Eine Werkauswahl'' (Bonn: Bouvier Verlag, 1992).		* Förster, Stig, ed., ''Moltke: Vom Kabinettskrieg zum Volkskrieg: Eine Werkauswahl'' (Bonn: Bouvier Verlag, 1992).
	* Helmert, Heinz and Hansjürgen Usczeck, ''Preussischdeutsche Kriege von 1864 bis 1871: Militärischer Verlauf'' (Berlin: Militärverlag der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, 1967).		* Helmert, Heinz and Hansjürgen Usczeck, ''Preussischdeutsche Kriege von 1864 bis 1871: Militärischer Verlauf'' (Berlin: Militärverlag der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, 1967).
	* Nolte, Frédérick. ''L'Europe militaire et diplomatique au dix-neuvième siècle, 1815–1884''. E. Plon, Nourrit et ce, 1884.		* Nolte, Frédérick. ''L'[[Europe]] militaire et diplomatique au dix-neuvième siècle, 1815–1884''. E. Plon, Nourrit et ce, 1884.

	==External links==		==External links==
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	*[https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/modern-europe/wars-and-battles/franco-prussian-war Encyclopedia.com: Franco-Prussian War ]		*[https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/modern-europe/wars-and-battles/franco-prussian-war Encyclopedia.com: Franco-Prussian War ]

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Typo

New page

[[File:Napoleon III surrenders to Wilhelm I, German King of Prussia, on Sept. 2, 1870.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Napoleon III]] surrenders to [[William I of Prussia|Wilhelm I]], German King of Prussia, on 2 September 1870, after the [[Battle of Sedan (1870)|Battle at Sedan]]. The battle marked the decisive defeat of the French in the Franco-Prussian War and led to the fall of the Second French Empire. In Germany, the "Sedantag" was celebrated yearly on the date of this great victory.]]
'''Franco-German War''', sometimes '''Franco-Prussian War''' ({{lang-de|Deutsch-Französischer Krieg}}), often referred to in France as the '''1870 War''' (19 July 1870 - 10 May 1871), was a conflict between [[France]] and the German kingdom of [[Prussia]], which was backed by the [[North German Confederation]] and the South German states of [[Baden]], [[Württemberg]] and [[Bavaria]]. The thorough German victory brought about the final unification of the [[German Empire]] under King [[William I of Prussia]]. It also marked the downfall of [[Napoleon III]] and the end of the [[French Second Empire]], which was replaced by the [[Third Republic]]. As part of the settlement, the territory of [[Alsace-Lorraine]] was taken by [[Germany]], which would retain it until [[World War I]].
==History==
[[File:Franco-German War map.jpg|right|360px]]
[[File:Map of the German and French armies near the common border on 31 July 1870.jpg|thumb|350px|Map of the German and French armies near the common border on 31 July 1870]]
[[File:Bismarck-und-napoleon-iii.jpg|thumb|360px|Generalmajor [[Otto von Bismarck]] (right) and [[Napoleon III]] after his capture by Captain [[Hugo von Winterfeld]] in front of the meeting house at Sedan (weaver's cottage in Donchery), depending on the source on 1 or 2 September 1870]]
[[File:Proclamation of the German Empire, painted by Anton von Werner.jpg|thumb|350px|Proclamation of the German Empire on 18 January 1871, painted by Anton von Werner]]
[[File:Ordensverleihung durch Kaiser Wilhelm I. für die Heldentaten des Deutsch-Französischen Krieges.jpg|thumb|350px|Kaiser Wilhelm I awards some soldiers the [[Iron Cross]] for courageous deeds]]
[[File:Einweihung des Gravelotte-Denkmals am 18 August 1899.jpg|thumb|350px|German monument in Gravelotte]]
The conflict was a culmination of years of tension between the two powers, which finally came to a head over the issue of a Hohenzollern candidate for the vacant Spanish throne, following the deposition of [[Isabella II]] in 1868. The public release of the [[Ems Dispatch]], which played up alleged insults between the Prussian king and the French ambassador, inflamed public opinion on both sides. France mobilized, and on July 19, declared war on Prussia only, but the other German states quickly joined on Prussia's side.

The superiority of the German forces was soon evident, due in part to efficient use of railroads and innovative [[Krupp]] artillery. A series of swift German victories in eastern France culminated in the [[Battle of Sedan]], at which Napoleon III was captured with his whole army on 2 September. Yet this did not end the war, as the Third Republic was declared in [[Paris]] on 4 September 1870, and French resistance continued under the Government of National Defense and later [[Adolphe Thiers]].

Over a five-month campaign, the German armies defeated the newly recruited French armies in a series of battles fought across northern France. Following a prolonged siege, the French capital Paris fell on 28 January 1871. Ten days earlier, the German states had proclaimed once again (for the first time after the [[Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation]]) their union under the Prussian King, uniting Germany as a nation-state, the German Empire and forming the [[German Army (German Empire)|German Army]].

The final peace [[Treaty of Frankfurt]] was signed 10 May 1871, during the time of the bloody [[Paris Commune]] of 1871.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Population and soldiers mobilized at the start of the war
!
! scope="col" | Population in 1870
! scope="col" | Mobilized
|-
| Second French Empire
|align="right"|38,000,000
|align="right"|500,000
|-
| North German Confederation
|align="right"|32,000,000
|align="right"|550,000
|}
===Summary of military events===
The efficiency of German mobilization contrasted with confusion and delay on the French side. Germany was able to deliver 380,000 troops to the forward zone within 18 days of the start of mobilization on 14 July, while many French units reached the front either late or with inadequate supplies. The German and French armies that then confronted each other were both grouped into right and left wings. After suffering a check by the Crown Prince and [[Generalfeldmarschall]] [[Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal]] at the [[Battle of Wörth]] on 6 August 1870, the commander of the French right (south) wing, Marshal Patrice MacMahon, retreated westward.

That same day, about {{Convert|40|mi}} to the northwest, the commander of the French left wing, Marshal Achille Bazaine, was dislodged from near Saarbrücken and fell back westward to the fortress of Metz. His further retreat was checked by the German right wing in two blundering battles on 16 and 18 August, respectively (the Battles of [[Battle of Mars-la-Tour|Mars-la-Tour]] and [[Battle of Gravelotte|Gravelotte]]), and he then took refuge behind the defenses of Metz until forced by starvation to surrender on 29 October.

The French right wing, commanded by MacMahon and accompanied by Napoleon III himself, attempted to relieve Bazaine but was itself surrounded and trapped by the Germans in the disastrous [[Battle of Sedan]] on 31 August. Encircled, the 83,000 French troops with Napoleon III and MacMahon surrendered on 2 September. Since Bazaine's army was still bottled up in [[Metz]], the result of the war was virtually decided by this surrender.

French resistance was carried on against desperate odds by a new government of national defense, which assumed power in Paris on 4 September 1870, and proclaimed the deposition of the emperor and the establishment of the Third Republic. On 19 September the Germans began to besiege Paris. [[Jules Favre]], foreign minister in the new government, went to negotiate with the ""Hero of [[Sedan, Ardennes|Sedan]]" [[Otto von Bismarck]], but the negotiations were broken off when he found that [[Germany]] demanded both [[Alsace]] and [[Lorraine (region)|Lorraine]] regions. [[Léon Gambetta]], the leading figure in the provisional government, organized new French armies in the countryside after escaping from besieged Paris in a balloon. These engaged but could not defeat the German forces. Bazaine capitulated at Metz with his 140,000 troops intact on 27 October, and Paris surrendered on 28 January 1871.

==Belligerents==
German troops fought against the French Republic (Government of National Defence) and its Foreign volunteers. The army before 18 January 1871 (after that [[German Empire]]) consisted of:
* North German Confederation (''Heer des Norddeutschen Bundes'')
** [[Kingdom of Prussia]]
** [[Kingdom of Saxony]]
* Grand Duchy of Baden
* [[Kingdom of Bavaria]]
* [[Kingdom of Württemberg]]
* Grand Duchy of Hesse

==Strength and Casualties==
In addition ~250,000 civilians died, including 162,000 Germans in a smallpox epidemic spread by French POWs.
===Germany===
* Total deployment: 1,494,412 men (regulars, reservists and ''Landwehr'')
** 44,700 dead
** 89,732 wounded
** 10,129 missing or captured
*** Total: 144,642
===France===
*Total deployment: 2,000,740 men (regulars, reservists and ''Garde Mobile'')
** 138,871 dead
**143,000 wounded
**723,556 captured, capitulated or interned
*** Total: 1,005,427

==Further reading==
[[File:The Brandenburg Gate lit up on Sedantag in 1898. In English, the sign reads What a change through God's guidance.jpg|thumb|350px|The [[Brandenburg Gate]] lit up on ''Sedantag'' in 1898. In English, the sign reads "What a change [turn of events] through God's guidance".]]
* [[August Mackensen]]: ''Das Leibhussaren-Regiment Nr. 2 im Kriege gegen Frankreich'', 1877
* [[Helmuth von Moltke the Elder|Moltke, Field Marshall Count Helmuth von]], ''The Franco-German War of 187-71'', London, 1893.
* Allinson, A.R., ''The War Diary of the Emperor Frederick III 1870-1871'', London, 1927.
* Craig, Gordon A., ''Germany: 1866–1945''. Oxford University Press, 1980.
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=0XcpAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA449&dq=%22the+last+days+of+papal+rome%22 ''The Last Days of Papal Rome''] by Raffaele De Cesare (1909) London, Archibald Constable & Co.
* Hughes, Daniel J., ed., ''Moltke on the Art of War: Selected Writings'', trans. Harry Bell and Daniel J. Hughes (Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1993).
* Jerrold, William Blanchard, ''The Life of Napoleon III''. Longmans, Green & Co.,1882.
* Lowe, William Joseph. ''The Nest in the Altar or Reminiscences of the Franco–Prussian War of 1870''. Reprinted by Chapter Two, London in 1999. ISBN 1-85307-123-4.
* Manchester, William, ''The Arms of Krupp: 1587–1968''. Bantam Books, 1981.
* Maurice, John Frederick, with Wilfred James Long ''The Franco–German War, 1870–71''. S. Sonnenschein and Co., 1900.
* McElwee, William. ''The Art of War: Waterloo to Mons''. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1974. ISBN 0-253-20214-0
* Ridley, Jasper, ''Garibaldi''. Viking Press, 1976.
* Robertson, Charles Grant. ''Bismarck''. H. Holt and Co., 1919.
* Rüstow, Friedrich Wilhelm, with John Layland Needham, ''The War for the Rhine Frontier, 1870: Its Political and Military History''. Blackwood, 1872.
* Fontane, Theodor, ''Der Krieg gegen Frankreich, 1870–1871'', Verlag der königlichen geheimen Hofbuchdruckerei, [[Berlin]], 1873, Reprint 2004, ISBN 3-937135-25-1
* [http://www.archive.org/details/TheBavarianArmyAndFrenchCiviliansInTheWarOf187071 Stoneman, Mark R. "The Bavarian Army and French Civilians in the War of 1870–71," Magisterarbeit, Universität Augsburg, 1994].
* Taithe, Bertrand. ''Citizenship and Wars: France in Turmoil 1870–1871''. Routledge, 2001.
* Taylor, A.J.P., ''Bismarck: The Man and the Statesman''. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1988. ISBN 0-241-11565-5.
* Varley, Karine. ''Under the Shadow of Defeat: The War of 1870–1871 in French Memory''. Palgrave 2008.
* Creveld, Martin van, ''Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977. ISBN 0-521-29793-1.

===French and German studies===
* Audoin-Rouzeau, Stéphane, ''1870: La France dans la guerre (Paris: Armand Colin, 1989).
* Baumont, Maurice. ''Gloires et tragédies de la IIIe République''. Hachette, 1956.
* Förster, Stig, ed., ''Moltke: Vom Kabinettskrieg zum Volkskrieg: Eine Werkauswahl'' (Bonn: Bouvier Verlag, 1992).
* Helmert, Heinz and Hansjürgen Usczeck, ''Preussischdeutsche Kriege von 1864 bis 1871: Militärischer Verlauf'' (Berlin: Militärverlag der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, 1967).
* Nolte, Frédérick. ''L'Europe militaire et diplomatique au dix-neuvième siècle, 1815–1884''. E. Plon, Nourrit et ce, 1884.

==External links==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DhbgJJ_M1sVideo: The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20161114075039/http://www.omaha-beach.org/Travel/1870/1870-71.html Information and maps on the battles of Wissembourg, Woerth and Gravelotte]
* [http://francoprussianwar.com/ FrancoPrussianWar.com]

=== Encyclopedias ===
*[https://www.britannica.com/event/Franco-German-War Encyclopedia Britannica: Franco-German War]
*[https://theodora.com/encyclopedia/f/francogerman_war.html Encyclopedia Britannica 1911 Edition: Franco-German War]
*[https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/modern-europe/wars-and-battles/franco-prussian-war Encyclopedia.com: Franco-Prussian War ]

[[Category:Franco-Prussian War| ]]
[[Category:Germany]]
[[Category:Empires]]
[[Category:German military]]
[[Category:German history]]
[[Category:French history]]
[[Category:Pan-Germanism]]
[[Category:Prussian Army]]
[[Category:German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War]]
[[de:Deutsch-Französischer Krieg]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:17, 22 February 2024
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	[[File:Napoleon III surrenders to Wilhelm I, German King of Prussia, on Sept. 2, 1870.~~jpg~~\|thumb\|350px\|[[Napoleon III]] surrenders to [[William I of Prussia\|Wilhelm I]], German King of Prussia, on 2 September 1870, after the [[Battle of Sedan (1870)\|Battle at Sedan]]. The battle marked the decisive defeat of the French in the Franco-Prussian War and led to the fall of the Second French Empire. In Germany, the "Sedantag" was celebrated yearly on the date of this great victory.]]		[[File:Napoleon III surrenders to Wilhelm I, German King of Prussia, on Sept. 2, 1870.png\|thumb\|350px\|[[Napoleon III]] surrenders to [[William I of Prussia\|Wilhelm I]], German King of Prussia, on 2 September 1870, after the [[Battle of Sedan (1870)\|Battle at Sedan]]. The battle marked the decisive defeat of the French in the Franco-Prussian War and led to the fall of the Second French Empire. In Germany, the "Sedantag" was celebrated yearly on the date of this great victory.]]
	'''Franco-German War''', sometimes '''Franco-Prussian War''' ({{lang-de\|Deutsch-Französischer Krieg}}), often referred to in France as the '''1870 War''' (19 July 1870 - 10 May 1871), was a conflict between [[France]] and the German kingdom of [[Prussia]], which was backed by the [[North German Confederation]] and the South German states of [[Baden]], [[Württemberg]] and [[Bavaria]]. The thorough German victory brought about the final unification of the [[German Empire]] under King [[William I of Prussia]]. It also marked the downfall of [[Napoleon III]] and the end of the [[French Second Empire]], which was replaced by the [[Third Republic]]. As part of the settlement, the territory of [[Alsace-Lorraine]] was taken by [[Germany]], which would retain it until [[World War I]].		'''Franco-German War''', sometimes '''Franco-Prussian War''' ({{lang-de\|Deutsch-Französischer Krieg}}), often referred to in France as the '''1870 War''' (19 July 1870 - 10 May 1871), was a conflict between [[France]] and the German kingdom of [[Prussia]], which was backed by the [[North German Confederation]] and the South German states of [[Baden]], [[Württemberg]] and [[Bavaria]]. The thorough German victory brought about the final unification of the [[German Empire]] under King [[William I of Prussia]]. It also marked the downfall of [[Napoleon III]] and the end of the [[French Second Empire]], which was replaced by the [[Third Republic]]. As part of the settlement, the territory of [[Alsace-Lorraine]] was taken by [[Germany]], which would retain it until [[World War I]].
	==History==		==History==
	[[File:Franco-German War map.~~jpg~~\|right\|360px]]		[[File:Franco-German War map.png\|right\|360px]]
	[[File:Map of the German and French armies near the common border on 31 July 1870.~~jpg~~\|thumb\|350px\|Map of the German and French armies near the common border on 31 July 1870]]		[[File:Map of the German and French armies near the common border on 31 July 1870.png\|thumb\|350px\|Map of the German and French armies near the common border on 31 July 1870]]
	[[File:Bismarck-und-napoleon-iii.~~jpg~~\|thumb\|360px\|Generalmajor [[Otto von Bismarck]] (right) and [[Napoleon III]] after his capture by Captain [[Hugo von Winterfeld]] in front of the meeting house at Sedan (weaver's cottage in Donchery), depending on the source on 1 or 2 September 1870]]		[[File:Bismarck-und-napoleon-iii.png\|thumb\|360px\|Generalmajor [[Otto von Bismarck]] (right) and [[Napoleon III]] after his capture by Captain [[Hugo von Winterfeld]] in front of the meeting house at Sedan (weaver's cottage in Donchery), depending on the source on 1 or 2 September 1870]]
	[[File:Proclamation of the German Empire, painted by Anton von Werner.~~jpg~~\|thumb\|350px\|Proclamation of the German Empire on 18 January 1871, painted by Anton von Werner]]		[[File:Proclamation of the German Empire, painted by Anton von Werner.png\|thumb\|350px\|Proclamation of the German Empire on 18 January 1871, painted by Anton von Werner]]
	[[File:Ordensverleihung durch Kaiser Wilhelm I. für die Heldentaten des Deutsch-Französischen Krieges.~~jpg~~\|thumb\|350px\|Kaiser Wilhelm I awards some soldiers the [[Iron Cross]] for courageous deeds]]		[[File:Ordensverleihung durch Kaiser Wilhelm I. für die Heldentaten des Deutsch-Französischen Krieges.png\|thumb\|350px\|Kaiser Wilhelm I awards some soldiers the [[Iron Cross]] for courageous deeds]]
	[[File:Einweihung des Gravelotte-Denkmals am 18 August 1899.~~jpg~~\|thumb\|350px\|German monument in Gravelotte]]		[[File:Einweihung des Gravelotte-Denkmals am 18 August 1899.png\|thumb\|350px\|German monument in Gravelotte]]
	The conflict was a culmination of years of tension between the two powers, which finally came to a head over the issue of a Hohenzollern candidate for the vacant Spanish throne, following the deposition of [[Isabella II]] in 1868. The public release of the [[Ems Dispatch]], which played up alleged insults between the Prussian king and the French ambassador, inflamed public opinion on both sides. France mobilized, and on July 19, declared war on Prussia only, but the other German states quickly joined on Prussia's side.		The conflict was a culmination of years of tension between the two powers, which finally came to a head over the issue of a Hohenzollern candidate for the vacant Spanish throne, following the deposition of [[Isabella II]] in 1868. The public release of the [[Ems Dispatch]], which played up alleged insults between the Prussian king and the French ambassador, inflamed public opinion on both sides. France mobilized, and on July 19, declared war on Prussia only, but the other German states quickly joined on Prussia's side.

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	==Further reading==		==Further reading==
	[[File:The Brandenburg Gate lit up on Sedantag in 1898. In English, the sign reads What a change through God's guidance.~~jpg~~\|thumb\|350px\|The [[Brandenburg Gate]] lit up on ''Sedantag'' in 1898. In English, the sign reads "What a change [turn of events] through God's guidance".]]		[[File:The Brandenburg Gate lit up on Sedantag in 1898. In English, the sign reads What a change through God's guidance.png\|thumb\|350px\|The [[Brandenburg Gate]] lit up on ''Sedantag'' in 1898. In English, the sign reads "What a change [turn of events] through God's guidance".]]
	* [[August Mackensen]]: ''Das Leibhussaren-Regiment Nr. 2 im Kriege gegen Frankreich'', 1877		* [[August Mackensen]]: ''Das Leibhussaren-Regiment Nr. 2 im Kriege gegen Frankreich'', 1877
	* [[Helmuth von Moltke the Elder\|Moltke, Field Marshall Count Helmuth von]], ''The Franco-German War of 187-71'', London, 1893.		* [[Helmuth von Moltke the Elder\|Moltke, Field Marshall Count Helmuth von]], ''The Franco-German War of 187-71'', London, 1893.