Paris' surrender marked the end of the Franco-Prussian War, a conflict that not only crushed the Second French Empire but also gave birth to a new European superpower. In the wake of victory, the German Empire was proclaimed, uniting the fragmented German states under Prussian rule. The balance of power in Europe had shifted, permanently.

But the war did not simply end with treaties and territorial concessions. It left behind a deep, unresolved hostility between France and Germany, a resentment that would harden over the decades. The humiliation of 1871 was not forgotten; it was seared into the French national psyche. The loss of Alsace and Lorraine became an open wound, a national obsession, and a rallying cry for future war.

This animosity would fester through the years, shaping diplomacy, military planning, and alliances. By 1914, when war erupted once again, it was not just a contest of empires... it was the unfinished business of a rivalry forged in the ashes of this war. The road to World War I did not begin with the assassination in Sarajevo. It began here.

Paris. September 18, 1870 - January 26, 1871.
French Forces:  355,000 Infantry, 5,000 Cavalry, ~ 2,000 Artillery Pieces.
Prussian/German Forces:  206,000 Infantry, 34,000 Cavalry, ~ 1,100 Artillery Pieces.

Additional Reading and Episode Research:

• Graf von Moltke, Helmuth. The Franco-German War of 1870-1871.
• Weber, Eugene. A Modern History of Europe.
• Howard, Michael. The Franco-Prussian War.

Support the show

Social Media:
www.HistorysGreatestBattles.com
Youtube | TikTok

Support The Show:
https://covertwars.com