My topic sentence for this paper is as follows: Without premeditated strategic planning, proper training of soldiers, and proper use of available technologies, the French dug their own graves, and allowed their defeat to the Germans. Passion does not substitute for planning, and strategic thinking, although passion helps when combined with the latter. The purpose of this paper is to show how the French lost the Franco-Prussian war, and how effective the Germans were at creating plans, using the information, and resources that were available to them in order to win the war. As Sun Tzu famously said, “every battle is won before it is fought.”
The Prussians had an upper hand in the war when the southern states of Bavaria (….) created a quick alliance with the northern states. This alliance was simply the master mind plan of Otto Von Bismarck to push the French to declare war on Germany first. This declaration portrayed France as the aggressor, and made a case for Bismarck to convince the southern German states to join the Prussians in the war. Even though they shared different religious beliefs, there came about a sense of nationalism, and a German identity rather than a catholic versus
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The French lost major battles from the day Napoleon III led the army to invade Rhineland. The French seized Saarbrucken, but due to lack of complete planning, and fierce German opposition, they were unable to advance further. On the 4th of august 1870, German prince Frederick William led an 85 thousand man counterattack against the French, advanced to the French borders, and started the battle. The French commander at that battle was, future French president Marshall McMahon. McMahon was forced to concede defeat, and retreat. This defeat of the French marked the consistency of the Germans in their victories over the major battles