Franco-Prussian War. Otto Bismarck against Napoleon III. 1870—1871

A British military historian, professor at Oxford University, dedicated his work to the military conflict between the empire of Napoleon III and the German states led by Prussia. The war, provoked by Prussian Chancellor O. Bismarck and formally initiated by Napoleon III, ended in defeat and collapse for France, as a result of which Prussia was able to transform the North German Confederation into a unified German Empire. While working on the book, the author researched and collected a colossal volume of scientific and documentary material and offered his perspective on the causes and consequences of this war. Howard analyzed the state of the troops of the opposing sides, including their structure, armament, and technology, provided a vivid description of the battles, and presented a gallery of portraits of key figures in the events, among them Wilhelm I, Bismarck, Leopold of Hohenzollern, Benedetti, and others. In conclusion, the scholar notes that Germany's great victory subsequently turned into a disaster, both for itself and for the rest of the world.