1870: FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR

Defeating their powerful neighbour to the west was the crowning glory for the Confederation and signalled the birth of the German Empire

- 

With the northern states secure, Bismarck once again needed to invoke German nationalism to bring Baden, Württemberg and Bavaria into the fold and complete German unification. Just like in 1866, he harnessed the passions aroused by war to achieve his aim – and for this he turned to France.

It was not difficult to pick a fight with Emperor Napoleon III: he had been brooding for years after not being given Luxemburg for mediating the Treaty of Prague. But the direct provocation for war came in 1868 when Bismarck put forward Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern, a cousin of King Wilhelm of Prussia, to become the king of Spain. Napoleon feared the spread of Prussian influence, and especially the encirclement of France, and forced Leopold to refuse. Twice Napoleon forced Leopold to reject the offer, the last on 11 July 1870. The growing friction between Prussia and France was what Bismarck had been formulating.

On 14 July, Bismarck published the Ems Telegram, supposedly an account of a meeting between the French ambassador and King Wilhelm. In reality, the king had politely refused to promise not to nominate Leopold for the Spanish throne, but Bismarck’s doctored version intentionally made it seem like both men had been unreasonable to each other, and that Wilhelm had insulted the ambassador. The plot worked perfectly: on 19 July 1870 France declared war on Prussia and the southern states, who saw France as the aggressor, flocked to support Bismarck.