Europe 1870: Outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War

In 1870 a Prussian prince accepted the Spanish throne. Outraged, the French made the prince back down, then tried to pressure the King of Prussia to never permit a Spanish candidacy. Bismarck immediately released this discussion to the press, carefully editing it to inflame both sides. The French declared war but the Prussians were better organized, surrounding and defeating Napoleon III's army at Sedan.

This map has in-depth notes in the Journal, exclusive to Patrons on Classical Tier and above. Find them in the events descriptions, marked with the Journal icon .

Main Events

17 Nov 1869 Opening of Suez Canal

In 1854, the Egyptian government authorized a French company to build a canal linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas, dramatically cutting the time and cost of shipping between Europe and Asia, on the condition that the finished canal be open to all nations. The canal opened in 1869, by which time Egypt had taken advantage of a thaw in Ottoman-Western relations to obtain recognition as an independent state. in wikipedia

13 Jul 1870 Ems Dispatch

On 13 July 1870, following the offer of the Spanish crown to Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern, the French ambassador met with King William I of Prussia while the latter was vacationing at Ems and demanded, on behalf of the French government, that the King should never again permit a Hohenzollern candidacy to the Spanish throne and should send a letter of apology to French emperor Napoleon III over the matter. William politely refused, then had his councilor telegram a description of the discussion to Minister President Otto von Bismarck, who, after editing the talks to make the ambassador appear more demanding and the King more abrupt, released them to the press. This so-called “Ems dispatch” appeared in newspapers the following day, riling up both the French—who considered their ambassador insulted—and the Germans—who felt that it was the Prussian king who had been insulted—and helping to spark the Franco-Prussian War. in wikipedia

19 Jul 1870 Outbreak of Franco-Prussian War

On 15 July 1870, two days after Bismarck’s release of the Ems dispatch, France began mobilizing its army, prompting Prussia and the North German Confederation to respond with their own mobilizations later that day. The following day—just as the South German states began mobilizing in support of the Prussians—the French parliament voted to declare war on Prussia, sending the declaration to the Prussian government on the 19th. Despite this, Napoleon III did not leave Paris to take command of the new French Army of the Rhine until the 28th and it was not until early August that the French were ready enough to make a half-hearted invasion of German territory. in wikipedia

2–3 Aug 1870 French withdrawal from Rome

Following the Battle of Mentana (November 1867), the French emperor Napoleon III left 4,000 French troops in three garrisons around Rome to protect the Papal States from any further invasions from the Kingdom of Italy. With the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in July 1870, however, the French decided to withdraw these garrisons in an attempt to secure good relations with Italy. Although many in the Italian government saw this an opportunity to immediately seize Rome—prompting the French to briefly post a warship off Civitavecchia—Italy maintained peace until after the fall of the French Second Empire in September. in wikipedia

1 Sep 1870 Battle of Sedan

Prussia defeats France at the Battle of Sedan in wikipedia