Prussia: A Captivating Guide to the History of Prussia and Franco-Prussian War (Fascinating European History) Paperback – July 27, 2021

A short concise history of this conflict. All the important aspects are covered, and it is entertaining enough so that it is a quick and interesting story.

History of PrussiaCaptivating History presents Prussia in the first of two manuscripts that chronicles an underdog rising to greatness. This nation, founded out of the Hohenzollern dynasty, follows as the publication claims, the classic tale of a small guy who makes it in the world but in this case, a small country in a mishmash of medieval German states to a nation-building European power in the late 19th century.This brief history adds to the tapestry of the history of Europe by recording the militarism, expansionism, and nationalism of Prussia. Matt Clayton presents an objective reading of Prussia by simply retelling its story. He recognizes that Prussia made a substantial mark on Europe and the evolution of modern Germany.The publication reaches back to the 11th century to provide a framework where the Prussian state started as a distinct political and cultural entity which finds its roots, like other European nations, seeded by the Holy Roman Empire.The History of Prussia discusses personalities and intentions which influenced the politics of Prussia and its neighbors. I particularly enjoyed a passage which described Frederick William's strategy which doubled the size of his army without imposing an economic burden on the state.Prussia deemed basic education a necessity and proclaimed compulsory basic education, one of the first acts of this nature in history.Practices of this nature moved Prussia from its medieval roots into modernity and allowed the small country to keep pace with the other European states. The History of Prussia provides a detailed accounting of how Prussia became the most influential Germanic state and overshadowed Austria.Franco-Prussian WarTipping points...There are events in history that upon examination are shown to be tipping points which change the direction of social and cultural directions. Such is the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. As Matt Clayton notes, the war was short but it shook the foundations of Europe. France failed to preserve its image as a strong player in Europe and the loss led to the fall of the last monarchical regime.. The war also led to a unified German Empire and was consider as the first major step to World War 1.Matt starts with a short history of Franco-German relations and quickly walks us from the 9th century to Napoleon's reign. Napoleon's interests were in conflict with the growing influence of Otto von BismarckThe publication explains the strategic and tactical maneuvers during the war. Prussia maintained a high degree of preparation in campaigns and mobilizations and practices wargames. On the other hand, the French military was much less organized.Matt takes time to discuss the armaments of the two armies and then provides a splendid series of chapters to illuminate ebb and flow of the campaign. A nice collection of references is provided at the end for further research.Tipping points...There are events in history that upon examination are shown to be tipping points which change the direction of social and cultural directions. Such is the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. As Matt Clayton notes, the war was short but it shook the foundations of Europe. France failed to preserve its image as a strong player in Europe and the loss led to the fall of the last monarchical regime.. The war also led to a unified German Empire and was consider as the first major step to World War 1.Matt starts with a short history of Franco-German relations and quickly walks us from the 9th century to Napoleon's reign. Napoleon's interests were in conflict with the growing influence of Otto von BismarckThe publication explains the strategic and tactical maneuvers during the war. Prussia maintained a high degree of preparation in campaigns and mobilizations and practices wargames. On the other hand, the French military was much less organized.Matt takes time to discuss the armaments of the two armies and then provides a splendid series of chapters to illuminate ebb and flow of the campaign. An extensive collection of references is provided at the end for further research.

This bundled series explains how and why the European nations have developed to become what they look like today.Part I is the history of the development of Hohenzollern dynasty and the Prussian Empire from the small beginning to becoming a major power in Europe. They had their high achievement and their low humiliating relationships with their neighbors but finally achieved power. Through a greed and desire to expand the Empire ended in 1918 when they were defeated in WW I.Part II is a masterful account of two Germanic tribes, one settling in what is now France and the other in what is now Germany. From the beginning they fought over territory trying to expand. As nationalism grew so did their rivalries and wars ensued.As the Prussiann grew more powerful and started winning wars their confidence led them to seek war with France. France also wanted to teach Prussia a lesson and sought war with Prussia.This history shows the strengths and weaknesses of both sides as well as the organization and attitudes of the leaders of each army. It describes how even when Prussia made tactical errors France didn't take advantage of them. Due to French indecisiveness and Prussian military tactics Prussia was able to take the French and in so doing brought down the Empire and captured Napolion III. After the armistice France went into civil war and finally brought back the republic with a constitutionI recommend this book to all who want to understand European history. If it had been around when I was teaching history I would have had my students read it. A great history.

The modern history of Prussia centres on a short but pivotal Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Long-standing resentments between the French and Prussian nations came to a head that year, exposing French political and military weaknesses and highlighting the rising industrialization and modernization of Prussia. The ultimate result was humiliation for the French, which laid the seeds for paying back the Germans in the First World War with the punitive Treaty of Versailles. The War also led to the creation of the modern unified German Empire under the leadership of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. This resulted in Germany rising from an also-ran to a major player on the world stage, second only to the British Empire in its scope and influence. Read this book to learn more about how the War could have prevented, its lasting effects and the lessons learned from the conflict.

Look, I like history, I do...But PRUSSIA?! A friend recommended this series of books and it was a great recommendation. Will I be able to teach a class on Prussian history? No. But the book takes a Game of Thrones-like cast of historical characters & walks through deep, historical events almost conversationally. Given Prussia's humble & challenging beginnings, I actually found myself rooting for them by the middle of the book.Imagine, a guy who barely knew anything about Prussia was able to understand...and root for...them becoming a power! Get through the first couple chapters of hereditary shuffling and the rest will fall into place. Impress your friends! :-)

Author should donate generously to Wikipedia. Grade D " community college essay" at best.

I was hoping to get a feel from this book as to why Prussia was so repressive and nasty to the Poles and Silesians, causing widespread emigration. So far all I am reading about is conquests and political mechanations. I am disappointed in this lack of scope.