War has brought great disasters to people, and those who start wars always have their reasons. Historically, war maniacs have been rare, and they have often been ruined in their later years.
So, what was the underlying reason behind the Franco-Prussian War? Napoleon's changes in France caused France to move from a republic to an empire, and European monarchs panicked.
They were afraid of the recurrence of a man who, like Napoleon, could overthrow or replace them. As a result, they signed the Vienna Agreement, stipulating that all monarchical states should unite and not attack each other, and jointly maintain the authority of the monarch.
When a country faces a revolution similar to the overthrow of the monarchy, it is the responsibility of the other member states to intervene to maintain the monarchy of that country, and this is our political alliance.
In 1860, a member of the Napoleonic family reappeared in French history, who was the nephew of the previous Napoleon. The Napoleonic family was a peculiar family, both of whom were able to rise to the pinnacle of power without any political affiliation.
During his campaign, the nephew promised to recreate the glory of France, making France the most powerful country in the world. Although not everyone agrees with his philosophy, even his enemies must admit that he is one of the greatest military strategists in the world.
With his name, Napoleon III quickly became a state** and later rose to the rank of emperor.
Everyone must keep their word, even the emperor. After becoming emperor, Napoleon was faced with the problem of having to expand externally. At that time, European countries had established military alliances in Vienna, and in order to make France a global hegemon, Napoleon had to deal with several great powers that had reached an agreement in Vienna, because they all preferred to maintain the existing political and economic system.
In this situation, Napoleon III began to ask for help, and the power of France alone was clearly not enough. So, he chose Prussia as an ally. The ruler of Prussia was Bismarck, the "iron-blooded prime minister", who was a very great prime minister, but due to the limitations of Prussia's own strength, they had to learn to compromise.
Napoleon III came to the door at this time, and it was a great opportunity for him.
Although the Vienna system was divided into conflicting interests, the cooperation between Napoleon III and Bismarck succeeded in dismantling the system. However, their goals were not the same: Napoleon III's goal was to make France the number one power in the world, while Bismarck's goal was to unify Germany.
This opposition of core interests foreshadowed an almost inevitable war between France and Prussia. With the support of Napoleon III, Prussia challenged Austria-Hungary and eventually won.
The Vienna system collapsed, but Napoleon III was not happy for long, and he discovered a fact that shocked him: Prussia had surpassed France in strength, and France not only failed to become a world hegemon, but even lost its current international status.
Bismarck was an enterprising man, and in the face of Napoleon III's threat of force, he knew that Prussia was no longer what it used to be. Prussia's population boom after the war and its excellent railway system in Europe made France a potential threat to Prussia.
Napoleon III wanted to negotiate to bring Prussia to its knees, but he underestimated Bismarck's intelligence. Bismarck was well aware that this was a critical moment in the rise of Prussia, and he could not allow the French threat to affect the future of the country.
Therefore, he decisively refused Napoleon's demands, and war was inevitable. The war was supported by the whole of France, and it was widely believed that Napoleon III had made the right decision.
They believe that instead of being the next target of a strong neighbor, it is better to take the initiative and fight for their own interests.
Interests came first, and whether it was Napoleon III or Bismarck, war was only a means to achieve national interests. France initially wanted to overthrow the Vienna system in order to gain more international prestige.
However, the sudden rise of Prussia put France in a dilemma. Initially, the French even saw Prussia as a harmless puppy, until the price of cruelty came.
Prussia saw France as a threat to their unification cause, and France's demand for huge reparations made Prussia intolerable. So, they decided to teach France a lesson.
Although the French foresaw the tenacity of Prussia, they did not anticipate the tenacity of Prussia. As a result, France lost badly in this war. This is undoubtedly embarrassing, but fortunately, the French people do not blame them for it.
The whole of French society wanted to participate in the war, and Napoleon, a brilliant commander, was ultimately defeated at Waterloo. Napoleon III, although he succeeded in dismantling the Vienna Union, faced a much stronger and more powerful Prussia.
This is undoubtedly a sad thing. France took the initiative to provoke the war and lived next to Prussia, which made the French people feel a kind of fear that "they will not be allowed to sleep on the side of the couch".
However, Prussia later declined, and even Bismarck, the iron-blooded chancellor, could only rely on diplomacy to preserve Germany's survival.
The ascension of Napoleon III is as striking as a myth. The French revere him as much as they treat him as the most precious signboard. The commander who created countless myths made the French awe-inspired.
This was Napoleon's greatest asset. Unlike Germany, which aspired to national unity, Napoleon's patriotic fervor and national will were only his means to the highest stage.
He values his own power more than anything else, and he cannot be seen as an empty talker, so he must make good on his promise to make France the number one power.
However, some seemingly beautiful promises can actually be toxic, as in the case of Japan and Germany, which became the birthplace in World War II, precisely because someone concocted the bright prospect of making their country the first in the world, and won the support of the people.
However, public opinion is not always right, and they can be blinded.
In this war, France and Prussia were both for their own national interests, just as any two countries will go into conflict, one country will eventually be out.
This is not accidental, but inevitable, as in the case of Britain and the United States, when the interests of the two countries are fundamentally in conflict, war is inevitable. Napoleon III, in his alliance with Prussia, was already aware of the Prussian threat, but they underestimated the strength of Prussia.
As a result, the country completely destroyed the French dream of great powers, as well as the dream of Napoleon III to continue to rule France.
As higher animals, human warfare is essentially similar to that of ordinary animals fighting for territory, both for profit. This is not the sorrow of human beings, but the necessity of survival.