# Franco-Prussian War begins (1870)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1870-franco-prussian-war-begins
Location: France and Germany
Categories: battle

France declared war on Prussia amid diplomatic tensions and German unification politics. Within the broader Third Republic period, The Third Republic survived war, the Commune, constitutional crises and fierce ideological conflict. It expanded mass schooling and empire, faced the Dreyfus Affair, fought World War I and entered the troubled interwar era. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Napoleon III (Emperor of the French). Franco-Prussian War begins mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Franco-Prussian War begins mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Government of National Defence](https://history-france.com/rulers/government-of-national-defence)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Franco-Prussian War begins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Franco-Prussian+War+begins&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Franco-Prussian War begins](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Franco-Prussian+War+begins)
- [Vie-publique — French institutions and history](https://www.vie-publique.fr/)