Age of Bismarck #11: Enter Napoleon (Patreon)

[PATRONS]

Bismarck's triumph may have been complete on the battlefield, but he knew that the diplomatic game was just getting started. Napoleon III, Emperor of France - like most contemporaries - were stunned by the speed and extent of Prussia's victory. Seeking compensation, Napoleon attempted to leverage what few advantages he had to come away with a win.

Recognising a useful tool when he saw one, Bismarck dangled all manner of potential gifts - Luxemburg, Belgium, portions of the Rhine, or a return to the borders of 1814. Yet, just when Napoleon came close, Bismarck snatched them away. He did not lead Napoleon on and make him miserable solely for his own enjoyment: there was a use in pointing to the threatening French demands to put some urgency under those Germans who hesitated to fall in line. Once he squeezed what he wanted from him, Bismarck would let him go, but the story of Bismarck vs Napoleon was far from over...