The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 and the Making of Modern European Warfare

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2023

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Among the conflicts that convulsed Europe during the nineteenth century, none was more startling and consequential than the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. Deliberately engineered by Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the war succeeded in shattering French supremacy, deposing Napoleon III, and uniting a new German Empire. But it also produced brutal military innovations and a precarious new imbalance of power that together set the stage for the devastating world wars of the next century.

Today’s guest is Rachel Chrastil, author of “Bismarck’s War: The Franco-Prussian War and the Making of Modern Europe.” We see how the war reshaped and blurred the boundaries between civilian and soldier as the fighting swept across France by bolstering a unified Germany to contributing to the development of modern warfare.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Scott here with another episode of the History Unplugged Podcast, decades before World War I,
0:09.6	another massive European conflict killed an enormous amount of soldiers and
0:13.2	civilians with long-range rifles early machine guns, bomb-barbit tactics, and
0:17.5	guerrilla units. This was the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s. The six-month
0:22.4	conflict operated French sovereignty and led to the
0:24.9	unification of Germany, setting the states for the conflicts of the 20th century.
0:28.4	It was the first war between two nations that had signed the Geneva Convention, while
0:32.3	thousands of POWs were housed for the first time in European conflict.
0:36.0	The war also transformed ideas about political rule in Europe, as a continent was changing from monarchy and the king is the focus of the head of state to liberalizing
0:44.2	democracies and nationalism that engulfed Europe decades later.
0:47.8	Today's guest is Rachel Krasstill, author of Bismarck's war, the Franco-Prussian war in the
0:52.2	making of Modern Europe.
0:53.4	We look at the war itself and also how the effects of government leadership and
0:56.4	nationalism contributed to confusion and angst over why and for whom the war was
1:00.4	being fought, the devastating effects of social change in its wake, and how this war in many ways mirrors 21st century nationalism that's propelled events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
1:09.7	Hope you enjoy this discussion with Rachel Krasstel.
1:20.0	And one more thing before we get started with this episode, a quick break for word from our sponsors. As the day went on, it's shots being fired, we had a lot of our staff members
1:27.0	who were hiding in the faculty lounge.
1:30.0	As soon as I came out to the office,
1:31.5	my worst nightmare became a reality because I encountered the
1:34.2	gunman.
1:36.0	Former Principal of Columbine High School, Frank DeAngelis, shares his personal experience
	...

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