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[[File:577px-Franz_Xaver_Winterhalter_Napoleon_III.jpg|thumbnail|Franz Napoleon III of France|200px]]
The Franco-Prussian War 1870-71 was one of the most significant wars of the Nineteenth century. It changed the balance of power in Europe and resulted in the relative decline of France and confirmed the rise of a United Germany as the major power on the continent. This was to have great implications for international relations not only in Europe but around the Globe. The Franco-Prussian War was to lay the foundation for the First World War.<ref>Wentzel, David (2003) ''A Duel of Giants: Bismarck, Napoleon III, and the Origins of the Franco-Prussian War'', p. 12 Background.</ref> In 1870, France was regarded as the most powerful country in mainland Europe. It was ruled by the authoritarian Emperor Napoleon III. He had actively sought to expand French influence in Europe and around the world. Napoleon III inspired by his grandfather Napoleon I, sought to make France the greatest nation in Europe. He had fought wars against the Russian Empire in the Crimea and in Italy against the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Emperor was also acquiring colonies in Asia and Africa .<ref>Wetzel, p. 6.</ref>
Germany at this time was still divided among various, often small principalities and dukedoms. Prussia was the most powerful German state and under the leadership of Chancellor Otto Bismarck, it sought to unify Germany under its leadership. Bismarck had cleverly engineered wars with Denmark and Austro-Hungary, which resulted in Prussian coming to dominate the Northern German States. Bismarck sought to unite the Southern German states under the leadership of Germany. However, Bismarck, knew that France would resist this, as Napoleon III, did not want a strong and united Germany on its borders.<ref> Taylor, A.J.P. (1987). ''The Struggle for Mastery in Europe 1848–1918'', p. 345.</ref>
==Franco-Prussian War==
The French army advanced into the Rhineland and captured the German city of Saarbucken. The army of Napoleon III was ill-prepared for war as many of its best troops were fighting in the colonies, such as Algeria and Vietnam. Alarmed at the French invasion, the southern German states eventually put their armies under the command of the Prussian Army.<ref> Clark, C. (2006). ''Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600–1947'', p. 345.</ref> Suddenly, France was faced with a united Germany, under the leadership of Prussia. The German forces, under the command of Field Marshal Helmut Von Moltke, gradually pushed the French army back into eastern France. Gradually, a large section of the French army became encircled in the city of Metz. The French public was alarmed at this and demanded the lifting of the siege. A large French army was assembled and advanced to break the German siege at Metz. The French as they advanced towards Metz were lured into a trap at Sedan by the Prussian and German forces. The French army suffered a catastrophic defeat at Sedan and this battle decided the war in Prussia's favor. France had lost most of its army and was defenseless before the German army.<ref> Wawro, G. (2003). ''The Franco-Prussian War: The German Conquest of France in 1870–1871''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 167.</ref> During the battle Napoleon III was captured by Prussian forces. The war continued and the French refused to surrender. Napoleon III abdicated and he was replaced by a government of National Defense, who carried on the war. The Germans advanced to Paris and besieged the city, where the Prussian Kaiser was crowned the monarch of a united Germany in Versailles. The Government of National Defense, after increasingly heavy French losses during the siege of Paris, accepted the inevitable and agreed to a Peace Treaty with the newly created German Empire.<ref>Wawro, p. 345.</ref>
==Aftermath of the war==
