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Show ( THE WORLD'S GREAT EVENTS ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE ; - tifci by Liodd. ilead & Company.) Von Moltke HQ IRE," said Napoleon Ill's mln-J mln-J later of war, "all is in ubsolute readiness for the Prussian campaign, down to the lust button on the last gulter of the last soldier." Now, this was one of the most monumental monu-mental lies ever uttered. Napoleon III was well aware that Europe distrusted lilm. He knew the French were naiurally restless, that they had had a long era of military glory, und that a few years of humdrum hum-drum peace might lead them to weary of him. So- he went on the principle that a war every four years would keep them content, swell France's martial renown and make safe his own crown. In the first decade of the Nineteenth century Napoleon the Great had crushed Prussia to the dust and humiliated hu-miliated her king. The son of that king was on the Prussian throne In 1ST0 and the great Napoleon's nephew ruled France. Bismarck, Von Moltke and other Prussian statesmen had foreseen trouble with France and were well pre- -pared for it, eveii If they did not (as many think) secretly bring about the conflict. France, on the other hand, was totally unready for any such clash. Prussia's revenge for the sixty-year-old injuries was nt hand. The overt occasion of the Franco-Prussian wnr was as follows: Queen Isabella of Spain was deposed. de-posed. The Spanish crown was offered of-fered to Prince Leopold of Hohcnzol-lern, Hohcnzol-lern, a relative to King William of Prussia. Napoleon III at once declared de-clared that such selection would destroy de-stroy the "balance of power" and leave France exposed to Prussian attack on east and south. He therefore demanded de-manded that Leopold's candidature be withdrawn. King William meekly obeyed. Utterly deceived by such submission, sub-mission, Napoleon went a step further and demanded a pledge from William that no Prussian prince should ever sit on the Spanish throne. William promptly refused to grant so absurd a request and publicly snubbed the ambassador who transmitted it. This was such an excuse as Napoleon had longed for. France at once declared war on Prussia (July 19, 1S70) and rushed a body of troops to the German Ger-man frontier. So far, so good. But, owing to graft and Incompetency, France's army was In wretched condition. Yet France went mad with patriotic zeal. The feats of the first Napoleon against Prussia were recalled. Everyone expected ex-pected a triumphal march to the Prussian Prus-sian capital. The cry "On to Berlin !" was on all Hps. In contrast to this, Prussia's troops were in splendid preparation. The north and south German states (on many of which Napoleon. HI had been told he might rely for neutrality or even aid) unanimously joined Prussia, sinking Internecine grievances in a common cause ; 477,00;) men were mustered, mus-tered, as against France's 310,000. The German forces were divided into three armies, which at a signal crept unchecked across the Rhine like a huge threeheaded snake, preceded by a cloud of Uhlans, sweeping all before them and striking at France's very heart. King William was commander In chief, with Marshal von Moltke, the peerless tactician, as his chief of staff. The French armies, commanded by Napoleon III in person, made Metz their headquarters. On August 2, part of Napoleou's northern army drove a handful of Prussians out of the town of Saar-bruck. Saar-bruck. But thereafter Prussia acted ever on the offensive. The French, Individually, fought like heroes, but they were no match for their stronger foes. In two armies France's Incompetently commanded, ill-equipped forces were hurled back and prevented pre-vented from uniting. One of these armies was led by Bazalne, former for-mer conqueror of Mexico; the other by MacMahon, afterwards president of France. Bazaine was snccssively beaten at Courcelles. Mars-la-Tonr and Gravclotte (August 1-1. 11) and TO and was penned up In the city of Metz. . MacMahon moved forward to aid him. hut on Septe mber 1. was surrounded i I at Sedan, and next day was forced to ' surrender with forty generals, -t.OOO j lesser officers nnd S-I.OOO men. ! Napoleon III. who was with MacM.a-' MacM.a-' lion's army, was also captured and ; packed off a prisoner to a German i fortress. At news of bis capture and j the disgraceful failure of French arms , rage and mortification sei'.ed nil j France. Napoleon was deposed ; his j wife and son were compelled to flee secretly to England: and. September 4. a republic was proela'ricd. ; On S 'pteniber 1f. the Germans be- i i sieged Paris. On September B.i- j ! zalne surrendered .it Mr:!. The latter j i city, snatched from Germany in th" j 1 d.'.vs of Charles V. once more was Iv-ld i by its origin::! masters. Paris fell j after a lepg and gailai r since : nr:n:e.- ; s nt t relieve it w. re b:a'e:i. France i was al Prus-la's n-erey. (V, M i .-. li 1. ' 1 v71 . the victorious German- ei.tered I Paris: p'V-sing through the i,iu-My Arc de Triomph", which had 1 -e: ere'rd lo enirnneinorate th: mare1!! trlnm: 1 s if France ; ih'is ad.li' g a c:I-r-: x to perhaps the griuiMi-'st irony It the anprls of warfare. The p.'ovinees of Alsa.ee nrd 1 rr-r:vi:e rr-r:vi:e rnd an In Me:ii'r ,.f $i .' ' m. 0-'t ve:-e cxatted by the ro;-.q lerers a fairly chi ap fee for curing I"rin j of Napoleonism 1 I |