The Franco-Prussian War: Causes and consequences

Résumé du document

In a speech told in the course of the 19th century, De Gaulle insisted on the importance of the Franco-German unity after three wars between both countries. The first one was the Franco-Prussian war which occurred in 1870-1871. From this war emerged the new German Empire and the French 3rd Republic. This war had a major impact for both countries.

What was Germany before? It was a confederation of States/principalities (excluding the South German part). There was an economic union and Prussia was becoming a dominant power. Germany did not exist, it was only an idea. There were particularly huge differences in terms of culture. The process of German unification was a liberal one, especially because Prussia and other German states had been liberated from Napoleonic domination. It was top-down unification. Liberals were on the left wing at this time. There were military alliances between German states and Prussia. These alliances facilitated the process of unification.

Extraits

[...] For Germany, this war fostered the process of unification which was perfectly coordinated. This process was a bit similar to the unification in the USA and in Italy. Economically the dynamic North won. This war was a turning point in European history because it marked a change in the balance of power. References - Tombs, R. (1996), France 1814-1914 - Howard, M. (1961), The Franco-Prussian War. The German invasion of France - Joll, J. (1990), Europe since 1870. An International History. [...]

[...] Some Parisians were even reduced to eating cats or dogs These dark conditions lasted all winter. Uprisings broke out in the countryside shooters”). Prussia won the war, especially because the French army was already demoralized. The nationalist Germans argued that the army won this war because it was dynamic. Indeed, there was the same level of economy in both countries but in terms of military culture, the Prussian army was superior. What were the consequences? The human losses were huge, especially for France. Indeed, around 50% of mobilized people died. [...]

[...] The first one was the Franco-Prussian war which occurred in 1870- 1871. From this war emerged the new German Empire and the French 3rd Republic. This war had a major impact for both countries. What was Germany before? It was a confederation of States/principalities (excluding the South German part). There was an economic union and Prussia was becoming a dominant power. Germany did not exist, it was only an idea. There were particularly huge differences in terms of culture. The process of German unification was a liberal one, especially because Prussia and other German states had been liberated from Napoleonic domination. [...]

[...] If we compare weapons, we can see that France adopted riffles (500m and 1500m), i.e. early forms of the ‘mittrailleuse'. It was a devastating weapon but it remained secret (no one was allowed to train with it). As a consequence, the French did not know how to use it properly. Prussia was reequipped with innovations whereas France kept the same weapons. The Germans had greater flexibility and speed. The French did the opposite they were told to do. They thought they had lost and decided to retreat. [...]

[...] The Prussian king refused. At the same time, Bismarck manipulated news through a control over press, which published a communication of the Germans and the French ambassador. Releasing the Ems Telegram to the public, Bismarck made it sound as if the king had treated the French envoy in a demeaning fashion. It was an excuse for France to go to war (the army was ready a week before). Actually, both sides wanted to go to war in 1870. In Germany, there was a pressure for unification from the low, by the force of the Prussian Army. [...]