FRANCO-PRUSSIAN REALTIONS

1866-70

The international situation in 1866 was far better than Bismarck expected - only real threat was France, unpredictably led by Emperor Napoleon III.

PROFILE: LOUIS NAPOLEON 1808-73• Born, son of Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland & brother

of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte • Elected President of the new French Republic in 1848,

become Emperor Napoleon III in 1852 • Unlike his uncle lacked ruthlessness &

political savvy • Speed of Prussia’s victory against Austria

had dashed Napoleon’s hopes of acting the peace-maker

• Bismarck promised that Prussian expansion was limited to N Germany & that the south German states were to remain independent

After 1866 Napoleon is deeply concerned by the growing power of Prussia.

Why did Franco-Prussian relations deteriorate after

1866?

THE LUXEMBURG CRISIS• Napoleon needed a diplomatic & territorial success to prove that

France still remained the continent’s greatest power - the answer (never thought I’d say this)… the Duchy of Luxembourg

• The French start organising the purchase of Lux from its Duke, the King of the Netherlands

• Late 1866 - Bismarck suddenly announces that the French gain of Lux would be:

‘a humiliating injury to German national feeling… If a nation feels its honour has been violated, it has in fact been violated and appropriate action must ensure… We must in my option risk war rather than yield.’

• At this point however, it seemed unlikely Bismarck wished for conflict.

• London Conference - comprise… but in reality heavy blow for Napoleon. Serious damage inflicted on Franco-German relations.

• A sidenote …

• The Luxemburg crisis has been seen as the point at which Bismarck stopped being a Prussian patriot & became a German one.

• However, there is no evidence that he thought this.

• Bismarck stirred up & used German national feeling quite cynically as a means to increase Prussian influence over the rest of the German states, as well as a weapon against France.

Post-Luxemburg - Bismarck now wanted a united Germany *under Prussian control* but knew that this was unlikely to happen

overnight. Only a war with France, which would raise national consciousness & brought all Germans together, was likely to speed

up the process.

Last side-note: Bismarck’s Peaceful Intentions?

Interview with a British journalist in 1867:

‘There is nothing in our attitude to annoy or alarm France … there is nothing to prevent the maintenance of peace for 10 or 15 years, by which time the French will have become accustomed to German

unity, and will consequently have ceased to care about it.’

Why would Bismarck at this point wish to present himself as a man of peace?

THE ROAD TO WAR

Who was most to blame for the Franco-Prussian War?

Hohenzollern candidature crisis 1868-70

French demands 1870

William I backed down

New French demands

Rejected by William I

Ems telegram

French reaction

War

Bismarck’s motives?

To what extent did the Em’s telegraph cause war?

THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR 1870-71

What should the war be called? Franco-Prussian or Franco-German?

Why was Bismarck in a strong diplomatic position at the outbreak of war?

At the outbreak of war French citizens gather

outside the Bastile & chanted ‘To Berlin!’

Why did Prussia win?

Mobilisation Railways Krupp artillery Moltke

Metz Sedan - Napoleon surrendered

Paris besieged: French surrender January 1871

What were the main results of the war?

Results of the war

South German states

Proclamation of German Empire

Treaty of Frankfurt

Alscae-Lorraine Reparations

French desire for revenge