The Battle of Sedan, Franco-Prussian War

History's Greatest Battles

The Prussian victory in the Franco-Prussian War (as a direct result of the Battle of Sedan) not only shattered the French army but also set the stage for a seismic shift in European power. The once-disparate Germanic states, emboldened by their triumph, coalesced into a formidable empire under a unified banner. Yet, this victory was a double-edged sword, forging an enmity between France and Germany that simmered like a dormant volcano, destined to erupt decades later in the cataclysm of World War I. This clash, born of blood and iron, would etch a legacy of bitterness that shaped the course of history.
Sedan, France. 1 September, 1870.
Prussian Forces: 200,000 Soldiers.
French Forces: 120,000 Soldiers.
Additional Reading and Reference Materials:

• Carr, William. The Origin of the Wars of German Unification.
• Forster, Stig. On the Road to Total War: The American Civil War and the Franco-German War.
• Aronson, Theo. The Fall of the Third Napoleon.
• Fuller, J.F.C. A Military History of the Western World.
• Howard, Michael. The Franco-Prussian War.

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1. The Battle of Sedan, Franco-Prussian War (00:00:00)

2. Prussian Military Reform (00:00:39)

3. Bismarck's Reasons (00:01:55)

4. Spanish Succession Hostilities (00:03:30)

5. Bismarck's Provocation, France's Response (00:05:04)

6. French Early Victories (00:06:34)

7. Prussian Counter Offensive (00:07:15)

8. Retreating French Fight (00:08:38)

9. The Battle of Sedan (00:10:17)

10. Napoleon III's Acceptance of the Inevitable (00:11:03)

11. Napoleon Surrenders (00:12:45)

12. Prussia's Spoils (00:13:33)

13. Prussian Unification Under One Banner (00:14:47)

14. French Resolve (00:16:04)

15. Battle Tactics Learned (00:17:21)