The chronicle=news., 1914-08-21
MEMORIES OF The
LAST war Between
FRANCE AND GERMANY
Kansas City Star:

For forty-five years the guiding
principle of French statesmanship |
has been embodied in the maxim
that Germany's extremity would be
Frances opportunity. Has that hour |
come? Events seem to show that
France believes IT has. ..f 'cE
The German empire and the
French republic were born together
in the smoke and flame of the ter
rible 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 the kaiser's throne.
The Franco-Prussian war Of 1870
was one OF the most swift and ter
rible in history. Louis Napoleon.
seeking to keep alive the traditions
OF the first Napoleon, seeking to
STEADY his unstable throne by keep
ing alive the traditions of the first
Napoleon. hurled his challenge at
Prussia. The immediate preteXt was
the candidacy of HohenZollern
prince for the vacant Spanish
throne. Prussia, seeking the uni
fication of Germany. welcomed the
contest and struck with n suddcnness
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 mo-
bilizcd on the Alsatian frontier. de-
feating them in the sanguinary bat
h,,r
Spichern. Marsh1l Mcmahon and
Marshal Bazaine. commanding the
two French armies. attempted to
form junction. and retreat to the
Mose.lc. but Prince Frederick
Charles, commanding the Prussian
advance, defeated the execution of
the plan and drove Bazaine back up
on Gravc1Ottc, where, on August IS.
SO. took place the decisive battle
of that name, the second only of i'm
portnncc in the war. The Prussians
had 100000 men and the French
1900 BaZaine was utterly routed
and forced back upon Metz. where he
was quickly surrounded and bottled
up by the victorious Prussians.
| With Bazaine shut up within his
fortif!cations and Mcmahon held in
check four German armies convergcd
swiftly upon Paris. Napoleon ILL.,,
who had remained in his capital con-
fidently expecting the news that his
marshalls had invested Berlin, hur-
riedly appointed as regent the En-
press Eugenie (the same who now an
aged woman. is living out her sor-
rowful years in English exile). raised
a fresh army and set out to relieve
Bazaine. Joining Mcmahon the em-
peror met the advancing Prussian
hosts at Sedan, where. on September
2. only forty-four days after the dec
laration of war, was founght the
Waterloo of the second French en-
pire. The emperor was o'-' whclm-
ingly defeated and personally sur
rendered with his entire army of S3,-
900 men,
| Two days after the disaster at Sc
dan the reD-blic was proclaimed and
on September 10 the Prussians had
invested Paris and the siege began.
The history of that siege is separ-
ate phase of the war. To it belong
|
the escape of Gambetta from the
capital in a balloon and his attempt
to raise a relieving force. and the
desperate bombardments and sorties
of the investing and bcleagured
forces that make one of the darkest
pictures in modern war. Before
Paris caDitulated in January, 1871.
BaZaine had surrendered Metz with
175,000 men: Strasburg fell and the
scattered French armies were every
where overwhelmed or driven to
flight
Already, ten days before Paris sur
rendered. the German empire had
been proclaimed at Versailles and
William I. was crowned emperor in
the halls of the Bourbons A month
later, with German troops camped in
the boulevards of Paris, France elect
ed the first president of the present
republic. 1t was this new govern
ment that accepted the terms of
peace which have ever since kept the
fires of revenge burning in the
hearts of Frcnchmen. The German
speaking part of the province of Lor-
rainc was given up with the cities of
Metz and Thionville: Alsace was sur
rendered with the city of Strasburg
that city whose statute in Paris
has ever since been draped in mourn
ing. And finally France paid to her
conquerors five milliards of francs.
Zone billion dollars). and consented
that German troops should remain on
her soil until it was paid.
Such was the last struggle between
France and Germany. and such were
the results. France swallowed the
bitter dose and bided her time. Has
that time come?