Bismarck's Wars - Blood and Iron

In March 1871, there was a left wing revolt in Paris. Otto von Bismarck demanded that the French Government crush the Paris Commune. Bismarck released French prisiomers of war, to tkae part in the brutal capture of the City by the French Army. Thousands of the left wing supporters of the Paris Commune and the National Guardsmen who fought to defend the Paris Commune, were murdered in cold blood.

With the new French Armies being defeated by the Germen Army in the early weeks of 1871. The majority of French public opinion wanted an end to the war. A cease fire deal was agreed with Bismarck. There was elections to a new French National Assembly held in occuiped and unoccuiped France, two thirds of those elected were conservative who wanted peace, Bismarck's price was high, France would pay Five Billlions Francs to Germany and hand over Alsace and Northern Lorraine but the price had to be paid

This episode deals with the final weeks of the Franco - Prussian War, a period which saw further French defeats. The worst of which was the defeat and destruction of the French Army of the East, which was forced to escape into Switzerland, where it was disarmed by the Swiss Army. Most Frenchmen now realised that victory was now impossible, their had to be peace.

The French Army Paris garrison would try to break out of the City and raise the siege by the Prussian Army. However none of these costly attacks were successfully. The people of Paris were cold and hungry would put pressure upon the French Government to launch yet another attack to break the siege but that it ended in failure. The episode also deals with the French Army of the North which managed to defend the region of the modern day Nord - de par Calais region.

The new French people's armies formed by Leon Gambetta took to the field in the winter of late 1870 to break the Prussian siege of Paris and come to the aid of the hungry city. The attack would come from the south largely around the city of Orleans which had been captured by the Germans. The French Army did defeat a Bavarian Corp and retake Orleans but then the tide turned against the French.

This Episode deals with the siege of Strassbourg, which was bombarded by Prussian Artillery. Then the siege of Metz, where the French Army of the Rhine was straved into surrending, having failed to do much to attack the Prussian Army which was besieging the French Army. Now most of the pre war regular French Army were now prisoners of war in the hands of the Prussians. Also I discuss the success of the French Navy in maintaining to kept control of the sea routes to France, so that the French Government could bring in weapons from the United States and Britain

Following the capture by the Prussians of French Emperor Napoleon the Third at the battle of Sedan. A new French Third Republic was declared in Paris, with new left wing government minister. The Prussian Army marches on Paris and besieges it. However there is a large French Army Garrison and good defensive posiitons protecting the French capital. So the Prussian Army do not attack into Paris but instead to make Paris suffer from hunger. French Army attempts to break the siege are unsuccessful.

As a result of the battle of Gravelotte, the French Army of the Rhine is forced to retreat back to the fortress of Metz, where it is besieged by the Prussians. A new French Army, the Army of Chalons is formed to rescue the French of the Rhine but it is not just defeated but destroyed at the Battle of Sedan. The French Emperor Napoleon the Third becomes a prisioner of the Prussians.

The Prussian Third Army defeats the French First Corp in a battle around the town of Worth. The French Army of the Rhine is in danger of being outflanked at Metz, so its commander General Bazaine orders a retreat to Verdun but it is blocked by the Prussian Army at the Battle of Mars la Tour.

The French Army mobilization turned into such a confused muddle that the French Army could only mount a limited and pointless advance of a few kilometers into the Saarland. It was the Prussian Army which attacked into France winning a costly victory over the French at the Battle of Spiceren.

The Spanish Government need to find a foreign noble to be the Spanish King. They chose a Germen, Leopold of Hohenzolen a relative of the Prussian King but Leopold is not keen but Bismarck is and grinds down the opposition of Leopold and the Prussian King. However such was hostile international opposition, Leopold has to withdraw. The French Government humilate Prussia further but Bismarck sends an insulting telegram which makes the French Government to make the foolish decision to declare war on Prussia.

In this episode I look at the North Germen Confederation, which Otto von Bismarck dominated, well in did write the constitution of the new state. In this episode, I will deal how a military mutiny to overthrow the Queen of Spain, would led to the Franco-Prussian but it is such a complex issue and I will need not just this episode and the next episode to do so.