The Franco-War of 1870 marked an absolute watershed: France had been the military and cultural centre-point of mainland Europe for some centuries, its fashion copied, its armies feared and its language the language of diplomacy and the highest circles. Growing in power, prestige and ambition, the states of Germany stood in opposition to this hegemony, a newborn power with much to prove. Its dominant driving force was Prussia, under the determined statesman Bismarck. The French goaded the Germans into action, provoking war. The Germans had been preparing for the conflict for some years and sprung into action, and the ensuing action would be a debacle for the French and a might victory for the Germans. This book is part of the Special Campaigns series produced around the turn of the 20th century by serving or recently retired British and Indian Army officers. They were intended principally for use by British officers seeking a wider knowledge of military history

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