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Show MisceJlany The Franco-Prussian War By HERBERT TEMPLE Article I In the api 1 ngr internat ona war now rending all Europe in ihlcl ha f the earth, and its people is n olved the mind of the wor d inevitab y goes bad to the sangu nary Franco 3?russ an v ar of 18 0 1S71 A great many people now alive remember vvdy t at short, but mo nen ous struggle that changed the map of Europe but jounger generations are not so well acquai ted with the h s -tory of tl e confl ct The war now being fo g t aero s the Atlantic contai s na y deadly para Ie s of the war of 1870 and affords amp e proof that history repeats itse f In both instances apprel ens on of the growing power of Germany was tho real cause of tl e conflag at on thoug i each case a remote occur e ce was se zed upon as the ostensib e reason for fig t ng In 1870 France dec ared war on Germany d rectly because of Prussia s attempt to p ace Pr nee Leopo d of Hohenzollern on the throne of Spain In 1914 t e pofiers of t e triple entente declared war on Germany because the kaiser joined issues with Austr a Hun garv wl en that poer dec ared war on Serv a but in both ins ances fear of Germanj s ascendancy and apprehe s on for the Tialance of powe of Europe was the rea cause of confl ct In this war n uch of tire fighting that has pceurred has been o the same so 1 that v.&3 dren hed n French and Prus s an "blood forty four ears ago and it ib not mprobab e that the dec s ve strug g e w take p ade not many mi es from Sedan the Waterloo of the Second em plre where the fate of France was practically sett ed in September 1870 Thp Franco Pru sian war bean July 18 0 and ended official v with the s gning of a treatv of peace Mav 10 1871 t ou-,h fighting ceased several months befo e tha date Germany was vie tor ous a d France lot a b g cas In demn y a d t e p o nces of Alsace and Lo a ne where uch of t e p e m nary fig 0 of tl e present war has taken p ace Pe haps the greatest result of the brief wa was the sol difj ntr of the 'various 1 ngdoms and states of Germa y nto the p e en Gern an e np re, with the king f Prusb a ai he empe o brought about by Coun B s afterward prince e I on Chance or Thoue e f o n e war originated in e ea o v of e rrench empe or Na poleon III of the grow n n porta ce of P ss a th ou?h the fau cc f Issue of ie war w t Be ma k n 1SG and w th ustria in 1866 matte s came to a head une 1870 with t e abd cation of en Isabe a IT of Spa n Anxious to en hen his tot enng throne by a sue f war aga nst the he ed arv foe o e French na on Napo eon I r seized pon he corap icat ons f rn sh d by the P t a s tuatlon in Spain as a pretext wa ae inst Pruss a Q epn Isabe a deposed in 188 ab cated rr 18 0 he fo e gn e o f a v io fied on e en e da a n Pnn e eopo d , 1 ar a nren a onn a I of Pn s had I p a and da p for he n co en was a d P o of he k ng and n w a d tha the Pruss an (i h e a e o take the p at F an e ptir emmi tn tl e French cap tal a d Immediately war alk fl ed tl e air for eve then the hot eads of France ere a ways seeking ex cuse for attacking their anc e t enemy Pruss a It was a momentous day in Paris Threatening speeches aga nst Pruss a were made in the chamber of deputies and Immed ate y the French fore gn min Ister the Due de Grammont caused strong representations to be made at Ber in of the displeasure w th wh ch France v ewed the asp rations of Prince Leopold to tl e throne of Spa n Final y on July 12 after much negotiat on and tl e inter ventton of Q eat Br ta Pr nee Leopo d wit the con ent of his sovereign with dre v his cand dature But this d d not deter tl e a bitlous but m sgu ded third Js&po eon. On the fo low ng day act ng under nstruct ons f om tli emperor M Benedotti French embassador to Pruss a unceremon aus y add ess ng King Wl iam at Ems inso ently demanded that Pruss a guarantee that no further attempt ever would be made to place a Pruss an on the throne n Madrid The king refused to listen to Benedotti and curt y terminated the In erv ew He also sent a copy of the Frenc demand to Count Bisn arck with orders to make use of It. News of t s occurrence furt er in flamed Par s and on Ju y 16 Napoleon III decided on war His decision as rati fied by the c nan ber and Frances formal dec aration of war against Prussia reached Berlin July 19 18 0 (End first installment continued to morrow ) |