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Franco-Prussian War Facts & Worksheets

The Franco-Prussian War, also known as the War of 1870, was a war between the conflicting countries of France and Germany, particularly the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation spearheaded by the Kingdom of Prussia.

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The Franco-Prussian War, also known as the War of 1870, was a war between the conflicting countries of France and Germany, particularly the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation spearheaded by the Kingdom of Prussia.

See the fact file below for more information on the Franco-Prussian War or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Franco-Prussian War worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

GENERAL FACTS

  • The Franco-Prussian War started on July 19, 1870, and ended on January 28, 1871.
  • It lasted for a total span of 6 months, 1 week, and 2 days.
  • The war happened in France and Prussia.
  • The German forces won the Franco-Prussian War.
  • Here are the significant repercussions of the Franco-Prussian War:
    Treaty of Frankfurt; The Second French Empire had fallen; The French Third Republic was formed; Franco-German enmity began; Germany unified and the German Empire was formed; Alsace-Lorraine territory in France was formed and annexed by German forces.

CAUSES OF THE WAR

  • Prussia gained power after the Austro-Prussian war of 1816.
  • Prussia annexed several territories, and the North German Confederation was formed.
  • Because of Prussia’s superiority, the European State System, with its rule that no European country should reign over a majority of Europe, was destabilized.
  • Thus, Napoleon III, the emperor of France, demanded compensation.
  • However, Otto von Bismarck of Prussia refused.
  • Prussia allied with the southern German kingdoms of Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden, and Hesse-Darmstadt. By this time, Germany was dominated by Prussia.
  • France strongly opposed Prussia’s further allegiance with other German countries.
  • Since France opposed the nationalist endeavor of Prussia to unite Germany, Prussian officials speculated that a war between France and Germany was necessary.
  • Otto von Bismarck, the Prime Minister of Prussia, believed that a war against France should be waged in order for German Unification to succeed.
  • Bismarck also knew that, with France as their opponent, the French aggression would only push southern German countries to side with Prussia, resulting in their superiority in terms of number.
  • Germans also held a traditional view that France was the destabilizer of Europe.

FORCES INVOLVED

  • Belligerents
    • The German Empire was made up of the German countries of Baden, Bavaria, and Württemberg, along with the North German Confederation.
    • The French forces involved the French Empire and French Republic.
  • Leaders
  • Notable Leaders from the German Forces were:
    • William I
    • Otto von Bismarck
    • Helmuth von Moltke
    • Crown Prince Friedrich
    • Prince Friedrich Karl
    • Karl F. von Steinmetz
    • Albrecht von Roon
  • On the French side, there was:
    • Napoleon III
    • François A. Bazaine
    • Patrice De MacMahon
    • Louis Jules Trochu
    • León Gambetta
    • Giuseppe Garibaldi
  • Military Forces and Casualties
    • The German Empire deployed a total of 1,494,412 soldiers in the Franco-Prussian War.
    • Casualties totaled to 144,462
    • 44,700 dead
    • 89,732 wounded
    • 10,129 missing or captured
  • The French Empire deployed a total of 2,000,740 soldiers.
    • Casualties totaled to 756,285
    • 138,871 dead
    • 143,000 wounded
    • 474,414 captured

DURING THE WAR

  • No other nations intervened in the Franco-Prussian War.
  • Even though Austria-Hungary and Denmark suffered recent defeat from Prussia and might want to avenge, they were not confident enough to side with France.
  • Napoleon failed to form allegiances with the Russian Empire and United Kingdom, as Bismarck already deployed diplomatic efforts to these kingdoms.
  • One reason why the German army was superior was because of their apt usage of Prussian railroads.
  • The major battles that happened in mid-August of the Franco-Prussian War include:
    • Occupation of Saarbrücken
    • Battle of Wissembourg
    • Battle of Spicheren
    • Battle of Wörth
    • Battle of Mars-La-Tour
    • Battle of Gravelotte
    • Siege of Metz
    • Battle of Sedan
  • The Battle of Sedan, happened on September 1, 1871. It ended in the French defeat and the capture of Napoleon III.
  • It was led by the Prussian Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke.
  • The Prussians successfully encircled the French and broke their military line of defense.
  • 104,000 French soldiers were captured and imprisoned.
  • The Third French Republic was quickly established upon hearing of the fall of Napoleon III.

THE END OF FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR

  • Famine ruled Paris, and the French government was forced to initiate peace talks.
  • Peace talks began on January 24, 1871.
  • Ceasefire agreements were achieved.
  • The Germans successfully proposed a treaty.
  • The Germans were given Alsace-Lorraine, the German-speaking region of France.
  • France was also made to recognize the German Empire.
  • This treaty was known as the Treaty of Frankfurt.
  • French President Trochu resigned on January 25, 1871. He was replaced by Favre.
  • At Versailles, French President Favre signed the surrender on January 27, 1871.
  • The French Statesman León Gambetta heard the news and refused to surrender. However, he was convinced to step down and surrender on February 6, 1871.

Franco-Prussian War Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Franco-Prussian War across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Franco-Prussian War worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Franco-Prussian War, also known as the War of 1870, which was a war between the conflicting countries of France and Germany, particularly the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation spearheaded by the Kingdom of Prussia.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Franco-Prussian War Facts
  • Summary Timeline
  • Answer Scramble
  • Correct Choices
  • Key Leaders
  • Troop Classification
  • Battles Collage
  • Franco-Prussian Keywords
  • In My Own Words
  • Battle Name Decoding
  • Image Commentary

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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