This move greatly alarmed France, who felt threatened by a possible combination of Prussia and Spain directed against it. Print depicting scenes from the Prussian siege of Paris (1870–71). Find places of remembrance to visit which are related to this theme. Jules Favre, foreign minister in the new government, went to negotiate with Bismarck, but the negotiations were broken off when he found that Germany demanded Alsace and Lorraine. German occupation of northeastern France during World War I, "Occupations during the War (France and Belgium)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=German_occupation_of_north-east_France_during_World_War_I&oldid=999696017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 January 2021, at 13:45. The French generals, blinded by national pride, were confident of victory. This article was most recently revised and updated by, The French collapse and the siege of Paris, https://www.britannica.com/event/Franco-German-War, Florida Museum of Natural History - Roughskin Dogfish, Franco-Prussian War - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Marie-Edme-Patrice-Maurice, count de Mac-Mahon. Surrender of Napoleon III after the Battle of Sedan, September 1, 1870. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. The years from 1871 to 1914 were marked by an extremely unstable peace, since France’s determination to recover Alsace-Lorraine and Germany’s mounting imperialist ambitions kept the two nations constantly poised for conflict. 26 September : Offensive in Lorraine by Foch. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Omissions? The attorney general of Guernsey, Ambrose Sherwill, actually referred to it as a ‘model occupation’, which very much captured the essence of what the German … Ten percent of eastern France remained in the possession of the German Army for the war's duration. After suffering a check at the Battle of Wörth on August 6, 1870, the commander of the French right (south) wing, Marshal Patrice Mac-Mahon, retreated westward. It was extremely tough, but compared to the German occupation in France or Holland it was a much ‘softer’ occupation. Franco-German War, also called Franco-Prussian War, (July 19, 1870–May 10, 1871), war in which a coalition of German states led by Prussia defeated France. With Napoleon III no longer in power to protect them, the Papal States were annexed by Italy (September 20, 1870), thereby completing that nation’s unification. Region:Western Europe Group: Franco Prussian War Occupations in Western Europe Classification: Occupation (Germany) Prior Regime: Empire of France Key Dates: 1870, Jul 19 – Outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war 1870 – German occupation of the Alsace and Lorraine regions 1871 May 10 – France defeated, Franco-Prussian war ends 1871 – Alsace-Lorraine region created by the Germany Empire 1872, Jan 1 – Alsace-Lorraine an… The war marked the end of French hegemony in continental Europe and resulted in the creation of a unified Germany. The vast German and French armies that then confronted each other were each grouped into right and left wings. This settlement was finally negotiated by Adolphe Thiers and Favre and was signed February 26 and ratified March 1. The following day, the Germans on the surrounding heights poured deadly artillery fire down on them. The public had been assured that the French army, along with the Maginot Line, was more than strong enough to resist a German attack.The speed and severity of Blitzkrieg had shocked the French people. Updates? An equally important asset was the Prussian army’s general staff, which planned the rapid, orderly movement of large numbers of troops to the battle zones. 447 pp. Count Helmuth von Moltke directed German troops through France, much like his nephew Moltke who did the same during World War I. German troops only left France in September 1873 when the full indemnity had been paid. German Occupation Definitions - English Translations Compiled by: Nolan Altman, Edward Mitelsbach, and Kurt Friedlaender. Associate Professor Sophie de Schaepdrijver examines the civilian massacres in Belgium and northern France that were perpetrated by the German armies in 1914. Neither the occupation of Belgium nor the occupation of French territory was planned long beforehand. The two beleaguered nations were hastily added to the anti-German ad-hoc coalition that included France and Britain, but this only served to further … The Germans’ crushing victory over France in the war consolidated their faith in Prussian militarism, which would remain a dominant force in German society until 1945. German losses numbered 460 officers and 8,500 men. Napoleon, aware that he faced a severe challenge, set out to strengthen…, A final war with France, in 1870–71, again resulted in Prussian victory. Prussia’s defeat of Austria in the Seven Weeks’ War in 1866 had confirmed Prussian leadership of the German states and threatened France’s position as the dominant power in Europe. German military forces occupied Norway, Denmark, Belgium, northern France, Serbia, parts of northern Greece, and vast tracts of territory in eastern Europe. Forced labor became increasingly common as the war dragged on. Almost 300,000 men ( all sides ) died. By Ronald C. Rosbottom. It began with the surrender of France to the Nazi forces. The first section examines the French attack on Alsace-Lorraine in August 1914 and the Russian invasions of East Prussia from August 1914 until March 1915. $28. The immediate cause of the Franco-German War, however, was the candidacy of Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (who was related to the Prussian royal house) for the Spanish throne, which had been left vacant when Queen Isabella II had been deposed in 1868. Franco-German War (July 19, 1870–May 10, 1871), war in which a coalition of German states led by Prussia defeated France. This is a romantic speculation. How France was managed: Observer report, September 1941. Introduction Although most of the dead in World War One were soldiers, the war claimed millions of civilian victims: through malnutrition and famine, forced resettlement, herding into camps, epidemics, forced labour, and aerial bombing. 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