Bismarck, the Hohenzollern Candidacy, and the Origins of the Franco-German War of 1870

Lawrence D. Steefel

• Publisher: Borodino Books
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781789124941
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: French History
• Index: History

It is known that the plan to elect a Prussian prince to the Spanish throne was the proximate, and Bismarck's "Ems telegram" an immediate cause of the war of 1870. But much has remained obscure about the roles of the principal figures. Lawrence Steefel fills in the lacunae with secret German documents available only after World War II, including the correspondence between Bismarck and Marshal Prim of Spain. It becomes clear that Bismarck did not initiate the Hohenzollern candidacy and that one of his most important reasons for adopting it was his fear of an anti-Prussian coalition of Catholic powers.

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{1} Antoine Agénor, Duc de Gramont, La France et la Prusseavant la guerre, p. 7; Robert Howard Lord, The Origins of the War of 1870, p. 10.

{2} Herbert A. L. Fisher, “Ollivier’s Memoirs,” Studies in History and Politics, p. 62.

{3} Pierre Lehautcourt, Les Origines de la guerre de 1870: la candidature Hohenzollern 1868–1870, pp. 3–4.

{4} Paul Bernstein, “The Economic Aspects of Napoleon III’s Rhine Policy,” French Historical Studies, vol. I, no. 3, pp. 335–347.

{5} G.W., vol. XV, p. 282.

{6} Sir Edward Malet to the Marquis of Salisbury, Berlin, Feb. 12, 1890, The Letters of Queen Victoria, 3d ser., vol. I, p. 566.

{7} To Werthern at Munich, Feb. 26, 1869, G.W., vol. VIb, no. 1327; see also Bismarck to Flemming, Feb. 28, 1868, ibid., vol. VIa, no. 285.

{8} Bismarck to Reuss, Mar. 9, 1869, G.W., vol. VIb, no. 1334; Oubril to Gorchakov, Berlin, Feb. 12/24, 1869, Chester W. Clark, “Bismarck, Russia, and the War of 1870,” Journal of Modern History, vol. XIV, pp. 197–199. The reference to Spain was added by Bismarck when he revised the draft of the dispatch to Reuss.

{9} Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier, the youngest son of Louis Philippe, king of the French from 1830 to 1848, was married to Louise, the sister of Queen Isabella.

{10} Solms to Bismarck, Paris, Sept. 26, 1868, A.P.P., vol. X, pp. 202–203; cf. Usedom to Bismarck, Florence, Sept. 29, 1868, ibid., no. 158; Hoyos to Beust Oct. 7, and Vitzthum to Beust, Oct. 13, 1868. H. Oncken, Die Rheinpolitik Kaiser Napoleons III. Von 1863 bis 1870 und der Ursprung des Krieges von 1871/71, vol. III, nos 635, 637. The situation as well presented by W. A. Smith in “The Diplomatic Background of the Spanish Revolution of 1868,” The Historian, vol. XIII, pp. 130–153.

{11} Ollivier, vol. XI, p. 67.

{12} E. Tallichet, “La Guerre franco-prussienne, ses causes et ses consequences,” Bibliothèque universelle et revue suisse (June 1871), p. 429. On the rumors and their rebuttal, cf. A.P.P., vol. X, nos. 99, 156, 162, 163; O.D., vol. XXII, no. 6295; Ollivier, vol. XI, pp. 67–70; W. A. Smith, “Napoleon III and the Spanish Revolution of 1868,” Journal of Modern History, vol. XXV, p. 222.

{13} Ollivier, vol. XI, p. 70.

{14} Bismarck to von der Heydt, Varzin, Sept. 27, 1868, G.W., vol. XIV(2), no. 1222.

{15} Varzin, Oct. 3, 1868, G.W., vol. VIa, no. 1186.

{16} To the Foreign Office, Varzin, Oct. 15, 1868, G.W., vol. VIa, no. 1189. Cf. Bismarck to Thile, Oct. 23, and the instructions to Saurma at Madrid, G.W., vol. VIa, nos. 1200, 1202, Oct. 28; Reuss to Bismarck, St, Petersburg, Oct. 15, 1868, APP., vol. X, no. 182.

{17} L. K, Aegidi and A. Klauhold, Das Staatsarchiv: Sammlung der officiellen Aktenstücke zur Geschichte der Gegenwart, vol. XV, p. 133; cf. Perglas to King Ludwig of Bavaria, Berlin, Nov. 11, and Könneritz to Friesen, Berlin, Nov. 6, 1868, A.P.P., vol. X, no. 223 and note 3.

{18} Article by P. David, Nov. 13, 1808, extract in R. Fester, Briefe, vol. I, no. 22.

{19} Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha married Queen Maria II of Portugal in 1836. After her death in 1853, he remained in Portugal. He was the father-in-law of Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

{20} Neue Freie Presse (Vienna), no. 15...

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• DEDICATION
• Preface
• Abbreviations Used in the Footnotes
• Introduction
• [I]-Spain in Search of a King
• [II]-The Candidate is Found
• [III]-The Candidate is Lost
• [IV]-The Demand for Guarantees
• [V]-The Ems Telegram
• [IV]-The Declaration of War
• [VII]-Conclusion and Reflections
• [Appendix A]-Genealogical Tables
• [Appendix B]-Bismarck’s Letters to Prim
• [Appendix C]-The “Ems Telegram”
• Bibliography
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