Franco-Prussian War

The Franco-Prussian War was a conflict which took place from July 19, 1870 until May 18, 1871. The war was between France and Prussia; Russia also had the North German Confederation and multiple South German states. France’s cause of war had to deal with Prussia refusing to follow the words of the French by stating that they would never put a Hohenzollerns to the Spanish throne. The Prussian King Wilhelm gave Otto Von Bismarck the permission to publish a report of the events on Prussia rejected what was known as the Ems Dispatch. Bismarck edited this message to anger the French and knowing that this would cause war but Bismarck knew that Prussia was prepared. Bismarck’s intentions were to motivate and rally the south German troops to Prussia’s cause to accomplish the final phase of unifying Germany.

Napoleon III was heavily influenced by his public on entering and winning this war against Prussia. The French people and Napoleon wanted to relive the First Empire that took place but they saw technology as a problem. The French had Breech rifles which had maximum range up to over a thousand feet of distance. The French consisted of even a machine gun known as the mitrailleuse. This machine gun could fire up to 150 rounds per minute ranging up to 2,000 feet. But its heavy potential was hopeless because it was not used properly. The French did not know how to use this gun effectively because it was a secretly used for the advantage of France but that idea backfired. The Prussian’s had a “needle gun” that showed not to be as nearly effective as the French’s rifle, which meant that the Prussians had to make it through the French fire before they could attack their enemies.

Napoleon III invaded the Rhineland s Prussia was secretly declaring war over the last two years. Germany invaded France with 460,000 soldiers to the French 240,000 soldiers. France made the