The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-08-22
FRANCE WAITS FOR YEARS

For IS years the guiding principle
of French craftsmanship. says the
Kansas City Star. has been embodied
in the maxim that Germany's ex-
tremity would be Frances OpPortun-
ity. Has that hour come! Events
seem to show that France believes It
has.
The German empire and the
French republic were born together
in the smoke and flame Of the terrible
battle Of Sedan. There the French
empire went down with the fortunes
of the last Napoleon, and there the
mighty Bismark laid the steps OF his
kaiser throne
The Franco-Prussian war of 1870
was one or the most swift and ter
rible in history. Louis Napoleon.
seeking to steady his unstable throne
by keeping alive the traditions of the
great military empire of the first
Napoleon. had hurled his challenge
at Prussia. The immediate pretext
was the candidacy of a Hohenzollern
prince for the vacant Spanish throne
Prussia. seeking the unification of
Germany. welcomed the contest and
struck with suddenness that blinded
and dazed the imperial government
at Paris.
By rapid and simultaneous move
ments the Prussians crumpled the
two wings of the French army mob
ilized on the Alsatian frontier. de-
feating them in the sanguinary bat
ties of Weissenburg, Worth and
Spienern. Marshal Mcmahon and
Marshal Bazaine, commanding the
two French armies, attempted to
capture the Moselle, but Prince Fred
erick Charles. commanding the Prus-
sian advance. defeated the execution
of the plan and drove Bazaine back
upon Gravelotte. where on August
Is. 1879. took place the decisive bat
tie of that name, the second only of
Importance in the war. The Prus-
SLAMS had 200, 900 men and the French
130,O In nine hours of carnage,
in which the Germans lost 10000
men and the French 1900. Bazaine
was utterly routed and forced back
up on Metz, where he was quickly
surrounded and bottled up by the
victorious Prussians.
With Bazaine shut up within his
Notifications and Mcmahon held in
check, four German armies con-
verged swiftly upon Paris. Napo-
leon III, who had remained in the
capital confidently expecting the
news that his marshals had invested
Berlin. hurriedly appointed as regent
the Empress Eugene 1.-THE same who
now. an aged woman, is living her
sorrowful years in English exile)
raised a fresh army and sent out to
relieve Bazaine. Joining Mcmahon.
the emperor met the advancing PruS
sian hosts at Sedan. where. or Sep
TENDER 2. only "A days after the
declaration of war, was fought the
Waterloo of the second French en-
pire. The emperor was overwhelm-
ingly defeated with his entire army
of So, 900 men.
Two days after the disaster at
Sedan the republic was proclaimed
and on September 10 the Prussians
invested Paris and the Siege began.
The history of that siege is separate
phase of the war. To it belongs the
terrible scenes of the Commune. the
escape of Gambetta from the capitol
in a balloon and his attempt to raise
q relieving force. and the desperate
bombardments and sorties of the
investing and beleaguered forces that
make one of the darkest pictures in
modern war. Before Paris capitu-
lated in January. 1871. Bazaine had
surrendered Metz with $4,000 men,
Strassburg fell and the scattered
French armies were everywhere over
whelmed or driven to fight.
Already. 10 days before Paris sur
rendered, the German empire had
been proclaimed at Versailles and
William / was crowned emperor in
the halls of the Bourbons. A month
later, with German troops campedi in
the boulevardes of Paris. France
elected the first president of the
present republic. 1t was this new