Notice: This is the official website of the All Empires History Community (Reg. 10 Feb 2002)

  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

Origins of the Franco-Prussian War
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12
Author
  Share Topic Share Topic  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
Temujin View Drop Down
King
King
Avatar
Sirdar Bahadur

Joined: 02-Aug-2004
Location: Eurasia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5221 		  Quote Temujin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Origins of the Franco-Prussian War
    Posted: 27-Jul-2007 at 13:06
of course. even after the "unification", the minor german states enjoyed a huge inner autonomy. btw it's Welf(en) in German, not Guelph which is Italian spelling.
Back to Top
pikeshot1600 View Drop Down
Tsar
Tsar


Joined: 22-Jan-2005
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4221 		  Quote pikeshot1600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18-Apr-2009 at 20:41
Originally posted by pikeshot1600

Originally posted by Aster Thrax Eupator

My understanding of the origins of the war are the spanish asked for a german prince to become king, the hohenzollerns agreed, France got very upset, the prince in question relented and declined the spanish offer, egos and the threat of losing face got involved, besides pride, the french sent a telegram bismark manipulated it...france declares war. (If I am mistaken by all means let me know)
 
I always thought that In a nutshell, it was to scare the southern states into joining Prussia. They could then declare the German empire in the 1870s.
 
Actually Prussia already had secret military agreements with the south German principalities.  Bavaria was the one that mattered, and Bismarck had managed to bribe King Ludwig into agreeing, and into persuading the others.
 
All this came out during the Luxembourg affair in 1867, and was a major shock to France.  The French had not only ceased to be a war-like nation, they had become diplomatically inept, as the Spanish candidacy in 1870 showed.
 
Believe it or not, the proclamation of the Empire was only arranged in the euphoria of victory in 1871, and was not universally popular among the princes...who were the one's who proclaimed it, not "the Germans."
 
 
 
Here is something else that we should continue.  There is so much misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the "unification" of Germany that is out there.
 
What do the members think about the position of France in 1870? 
 
How about the secret military treaties between Prussia and the other south German states after 1866?
 
Did Bismarck really have a handle on what he was doing, or was he just improvising and grabbing at what he could orchestrate as it developed day by day?  Was he the "evil genius," or was he just lucky?
 
   


Edited by pikeshot1600 - 19-Apr-2009 at 14:43
Back to Top
cavalry4ever View Drop Down
AE Moderator
AE Moderator
Avatar
Retired AE Moderator Emeritus

Joined: 17-Nov-2004
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 589 		  Quote cavalry4ever Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-Jul-2011 at 15:21
I think Bismarck was lucky. On paper French had formidable military. They just invented modern rifle,  and machine guns. If they knew how to use all of these and adopt better tactics, war would not go Bismarck's way. French military were more battle hardened than Prussian conscripts. It was French generals fighting the last war and failing to recognize the role of modern artillery. I don't think outcome of war could be predicted and Bismarck gambled a lot.
"Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul."
Mark Twain
Back to Top
medenaywe View Drop Down
AE Moderator
AE Moderator
Avatar
Master of Meanings

Joined: 06-Nov-2010
Location: /
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17084 		  Quote medenaywe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28-Jul-2011 at 00:59
Otto von Bismark,world policeman those days,have invented a lot of social adds as we knew them today:
social&health insurance and more of that.
http://www.ssa.gov/history/ottob.html
As many of screenplay characters inside modern world history play,he was the one created for a reason.Why?
Back to Top
opuslola View Drop Down
Tsar
Tsar
Avatar
suspended

Joined: 23-Sep-2009
Location: Long Beach, MS,
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4620 		  Quote opuslola Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28-Jul-2011 at 08:01
Interesting topic. Prussia, or Preussen / preußen, a word that automatically makes a history fan think of Teutonic Knights, Junkers, and a warrior state.

I have attempted to find out if this word has any meaning other than the obvious, could it have originally stood for "before / against / in front of Russia?", E.g. "Pre-Russia?"

Regards,
http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/
Back to Top
cavalry4ever View Drop Down
AE Moderator
AE Moderator
Avatar
Retired AE Moderator Emeritus

Joined: 17-Nov-2004
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 589 		  Quote cavalry4ever Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30-Jul-2011 at 13:01
Prussians was the name used to describe pagan Balt tribes inhabiting that region. These tribes were related to Lithuanians and Latvians. It was genocidal policies by Teutonic Knights that exterminated all Prussians. Only the name survived.
I think this was the first large scale genocide committed and fully documented in Europe. I don't think their name has anything to do with Russia, which was not even near that region.


Edited by cavalry4ever - 01-Aug-2011 at 16:23
"Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul."
Mark Twain
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.56a [Free Express Edition]
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz

This page was generated in 0.078 seconds.