Franco-Prussian War

The Franco-Prussian War (1870 – 1871), also known as the Franco-German War was an armed military conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia.

Prelude

Emperor Napoleon III worried over his empire and the rumors of Kaiser Wilhelm I's increasing power over Prussia. Meanwhile, encouraged by his foreign minister Otto von Bismarck and other advisors, the Kaiser was influenced to unify German states and instigate the Second French Empire to strike first.

History

Despite some attempts from the French Assassins to cut off telegram lines to stop war communications, it was all for naught as war was still declared between France and Prussia. Within months, the fighting raged on, with Emperor Napoleon III being captured by the Prussians and later abdicating his throne, thus resulting in the fall of his empire. However, while Parisian civilians stood their ground to either fight off invaders or have Kaiser Wilhelm seek peace, the Prussian soldiers start to surround Paris, prompting most French government officials to leave and set up a new government in Tours.

In the fall of 1870, the Government of National Defense was established and began to prepare the people of France to fight the Prussians. Meanwhile, Master Assassin Michel Moulin and his Assassins began to aid the public with rations and medical supplies. They also learned from the French Templar Victoire L'Estocq that the Templars had planned to enact a new French government in favor of the present one. However, Michel tasked his friend and British Assassin Simeon Price and five other Assassins to take back the village of Le Bourget from the Prussians.

On 27 October, Simeon and his fellow Assassins took out the Prussian soldiers and had Parisians take over the town in order to push government officials in Tours to send more reinforcements. However, after three days, the Assassins were ordered to retreat while the Prussians came back and burned down the town. After the burning of Le Bourget, the Assassins intercepted a message from the Austrian Templar Countess Konstanze von Visler to Victoire about how they were manipulating the Tours government and how they were waiting for Paris' government to fall.

However, after Simeon sought out Konstanze, a truce was made between both members which resulted in the Templars' withdrawing their influence over both of France's governments. By the end of January 1871, the Government of National Defense signed an armistice and conceded the war to Prussia, which resulted in some lands being given to the new German Empire.

Aftermath

Despite the peace, the Parisians and pro-regime supporters were opposed to the newly created Third French Republic. With a new Committee of Public Safety created in response to such opposition, another Paris Commune was established as a response for new, independent Paris from France. However, the commune was short-lived and disbanded after facing an abundance of losses by the French Army. As a result, the Third French Republic was the official successor to the Second French Empire. The period between the end of the war and the start of World War I in 1914 is known as the Belle Époque.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Unity (first mentioned) (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot (first appearance)