Franco-Prussian War

1. Franco-Prussian War Key Question: Did Bismarck provoke the Franco-Prussian War to achieve German unification? Historians suggest that there is some evidence that Bismarck encouraged Leopold’s candidature, perhaps with possible aim of provoking an international crisis. It is clear that he altered the Ems Telegram with that aim. Bismarck appears to have believed that war was inevitable in the long run.

2. German Unification Questions: • During this lesson you will evaluate information that will allow you to answer the following questions: • Why did France fear the candidacy of Prince Leopold to the Spanish throne? • What purpose did the Ems Telegram serve for Bismarck? • What were the main terms of the Treaty of Frankfurt? • How did Bismarck ensure Britain’s neutrality in the Franco-Prussian War?

3. The Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71 • It is hard to determine whether the Franco-Prussian War was really part of Bismarck’s long term plans for German Unification or whether after 1866 and the Austrian War it was difficult to avoid one. So let’s look at the basic facts: • After 1866 it became increasingly difficult to avoid a war against France. Public opinion at this time in France felt that the defeat of Austria by Prussia under Bismarck was also a defeat for France. France also greatly resented Prussia’s gains from the war. • It had also been a long term aim of French foreign policy to prevent the creation of a strong power in Western Germany because it would be a threat to French power. • Prussia’s gains in the Austrian War were resented by France and between 1866-1870 relations between the two countries were very tense.

4. The Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71 • Bismarck had made vague promises to Napoleon about compensation over the Austrian War but Napoleon asked for land in the Rhineland or Luxembourg and that inflamed the friendship further. This angered the German people. • The situation came to a head in 1870 over the issue of the succession to the Spanish throne. One of the candidates, Prince Leopold, was a member of the Hohenzollern family, of which Kaiser Wilhelm I was the head of the family. Napoleon III was worried that if a member of the Prussian Royal Family became King of Spain then France would be surrounded by less than friendly countries with more power than France. • Prince Leopold agreed to resign from the candidacy but Napoleon then demanded that a Hohenzollern could never be considered for the Spanish throne again. Napoleon wanted a diplomatic victory over Prussia to boost his own prestige.

5. How serious was Leopold’s claim? “Public opinion in France exaggerated the seriousness of Leopold’s claim. It was really a pretext for war on both countries parts and could have easily been solved without a war if either France or Austria had wanted to.”

6. The Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71 • Bismarck altered a telegram sent by Wilhelm I to Napoleon rejecting the latest French demands – this is known as the Ems Telegram – in such a way that the French government could only take it as a rebuff. The French government and public were so outraged at the tone of the telegram that they demanded war. • The French were unable to find allies as Bismarck’s diplomacy had kept Napoleon isolated from the rest of Europe. The war was about to start. • Bismarck was able to ensure that Britain did not come to Napoleon’s aid by revealing that Napoleon III had an eye on Belgium in 1866 as compensation for Prussia’s gains in the Austrian War. Britain had strong links with Belgium and would not like Napoleon having such ideas.

7. Events of the War • The Franco-Prussian War was a fantastic triumph for Prussia. One French army was surrounded at Metz and another which was sent to help them found itself surrounded and forced to surrender to the Prussians at Sedan. • Napoleon was then taken prisoner and a republic was set up in Paris. Paris was basically beseiged from September 1870 to January 1871. • In January 1871 an armistice, Treaty of Frankfurt, was signed and in May 1871 peace was accepted at Frankfurt. • As part of the settlement Alsace • and Lorraine became part of the • German Empire and France was • forced to pay an indemnity and • accept German occupation of its • Northern Provinces. • The Franco-Prussian War had • allowed Bismarck to complete the • unification of Germany.

8. Source Question: • The war created nationalist enthusiasm throughout Germany and the southern states of Bavaria, Baden and Wurttemberg, which had remained outside of the North German Confederation of 1867, were swept into a united Germany. • On 18th January 1871 Kaiser Wilhelm I was proclaimed the new Emperor of Germany, not just Prussia. This brand new Empire did not include Austria. • Study Source A on the right. What do you think the caption ‘Does it all go under one hat? I believe rather, it goes under a spiked helmet’ mean? (3) Source A: a South German cartoon from 1866 which stated ‘Germany’s Future’ - with the caption: ‘Does it go under one hat? I believe, rather, it goes under a spiked helmet’.