Bismarck had succeeded in creating a North German Confederation but was looking for a way to encourage the southern states to join. France believed that they could easily defeat the new German states and Bismarck realised that a war with France would be the event he needed to bring all the German states together.
Bismarck had Tagumpay sa paglikha ng isang North German kompederasyon ngunit ay naghahanap ng isang paraan upang hikayatin ang mga estado ng dakong timog na sumali. France sumampalataya na sila ay madaling ibuwal ang bagong German mga estado at Bismarck realised na ng digmaan sa France ay ang kaganapan na niya kinakailangan upang dalhin ang lahat ng mga German na estado-sama.