The Franco-Prussian War: The Siege of Paris and the Birth of Modern France

Episode 82 of The Story of France takes us to 1870 and the Franco-Prussian War, focusing on the brutal Siege of Paris that followed Napoleon III's capture at Sedan. Lucas and Luna explore how the Prussian blockade starved the city for four months, forcing Parisians to eat zoo animals, pets, and rats. They discuss the crucial role of the new National Guard, the failed breakout attempts like the Battle of Buzenval, and the psychological toll of near-daily shelling from Prussian artillery. The episode also examines the armistice negotiations at Versailles, the harsh peace terms that included the loss of Alsace-Lorraine, and the deep political divisions that erupted just weeks later into the Paris Commune. This is the story of how a devastating defeat reshaped French national identity, humiliated the old imperial order, and planted the seeds for the bitter revanchism that would echo into the twentieth century. #FrancoPrussianWar #SiegeOfParis #NapoleonIII #OttoVonBismarck #Sedan #BattleOfBuzenval #LeMurDesFédérés #Versailles #AlsaceLorraine #ParisCommune #NationalGuard #PrussianArtillery #AdolpheThiers #LéonGambetta #Revolution #FranceHistory #19thCentury #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo