Fermer - Sedan 1870: The Eclipse of France

The Franco-Prussian War was a turning point in the history of nineteenth-century Europe, and the Battle of Sedan was the pivotal event in that war. For the Germans their overwhelming victory symbolized the birth of their nation, forged in steel and tempered in the blood of the common enemy. For the French it was a defeat more complete and humiliating than Waterloo. Douglas Fermers fresh study of this traumatic moment in European history reconsiders how the mutual fear and insecurity of two rival nations tempted their governments to seek a solution to domestic tensions by waging war against each other. His compelling narrative shows how war came about, and how the dramatic campaign of summer 1870 culminated in a momentous clash of arms at Sedan. He gives fascinating insights into the personalities and aims of the politicians and generals involved, but focuses too on the experiences of ordinary soldiers and civilians.

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Dr Douglas Fermer is a historian and former archivist who has translated a remarkable French memoir of the Franco-Prussian War - The Reality of War by Leonce Patry. He is also the author of France at Bay 1870-1871: The Struggle for Paris, which continues the story of the war after Sedan, and Three German Invasions of France: The Summer Campaigns of 1870, 1914 and 1940.