History's Greatest Battles
Where the course of history has been decided on the battlefield. These are the battles that made us -- a detailed, entertaining, and tangent-free program about history's greatest battles. In this program, we journey through the constancy of human conflict, where the fates of nations and the course of global history have been decided on the battlefield. This podcast delves into our world-history's most significant and seminal battles, exploring not just the events themselves but their profound impact on the world timeline we live in today. Each episode is meticulously crafted by ardent and dedicated history fans with a passion for military history and an appreciation for the art of storytelling. Join us as we unravel the strategies, heroics, and consequences that have shaped civilizations and forged the destiny of entire continents.
History's Greatest Battles
The Siege of Paris, 1870 - 1871. France Falls... But France Refuses to Forget; Seeding WWI.
Paris' surrender marked the end of the Franco-Prussian War, a conflict that not only crushed the Second French Empire but also gave birth to a new European superpower. In the wake of victory, the German Empire was proclaimed, uniting the fragmented German states under Prussian rule. The balance of power in Europe had shifted, permanently.
But the war did not simply end with treaties and territorial concessions. It left behind a deep, unresolved hostility between France and Germany, a resentment that would harden over the decades. The humiliation of 1871 was not forgotten; it was seared into the French national psyche. The loss of Alsace and Lorraine became an open wound, a national obsession, and a rallying cry for future war.
This animosity would fester through the years, shaping diplomacy, military planning, and alliances. By 1914, when war erupted once again, it was not just a contest of empires... it was the unfinished business of a rivalry forged in the ashes of this war. The road to World War I did not begin with the assassination in Sarajevo. It began here.
Paris. September 18, 1870 - January 26, 1871.
French Forces: 355,000 Infantry, 5,000 Cavalry, ~ 2,000 Artillery Pieces.
Prussian/German Forces: 206,000 Infantry, 34,000 Cavalry, ~ 1,100 Artillery Pieces.
Additional Reading and Episode Research:
- Graf von Moltke, Helmuth. The Franco-German War of 1870-1871.
- Weber, Eugene. A Modern History of Europe.
- Howard, Michael. The Franco-Prussian War.