Siege Of Paris

Although the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 is mostly forgotten in the overall framework of everything that came after it, the struggle would have profound effects on Europe and the rest of the world. It was fought between a coalition of Prussian states led by Otto von Bismarck and France under Napoleon III starting in July of that year. Both were products of the 1848 revolutions and by that point were strong powers in Europe.

One of the biggest battles in European history took place there. Though those numbers would significantly increase by the time it was ended, the original Prussian force had more than 500,000 soldiers and exceeded the French by a ratio of roughly 2:1. While France had a few early victories, they generally couldn't compete with the Prussian armies because of logistical and communication problems.

The siege of Paris, which started in September 1870 and ended with the French surrender in January 1871, brought the war to a close. Along with the consolidation of public support for German militarism across the formerly split Prussian states, which would become a determining element in German affairs until 1945, it would be one of the causes that contributed to the unification of Germany later that year.

Date: 19 September 1870 – 28 January 1871 (4 months, 1 week and 2 days)
Location: Paris, France
Result: German victory

• Proclamation of the German Empire and the Paris Commune