6. Spain: Queen Isabella II of Spain was dethroned by a military coup 1868. One of the candidates to replace her was Prince Leopold von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (a relative to the Prussian king). He was addressed by the Spanish authorities in 1869. Bismarck encouraged this development – Leopold was going to accept the Spanish crown (even though he and especially his father was a bit reluctant), but when the candidature was leaked from the German legation in the beginning of July 1870 (by a clerk’s mistake) before Leopold was formally announced as king by the Spanish government the French foreign ministry reacted strongly!

7. French aggressiveness: On 9 July 1870 the French ambassador Benedetti was sent to King Wilhelm who was taking “the bath” at Bad Ems in Southwest Germany. Benedetti had been instructed to demand that the Prussian monarch order Prince Leopold to withdraw his candidacy. Wilhelm, although angered, gave Benedetti permission to communicate directly with Leopold by telegraph. Leopold could not be reached, but his father, Prince Charles Anthony, wired a retraction of the candidacy in the name of his son.The foreign reactions, the French persistent demand and the earlier hesitation from Leopold made him withdraw his candidature.
This was published as a big diplomatic triumph for France, but it was not enough. The government of Napoleon III, still not content, was determined to humiliate Prussia, even at the cost of war. Antoine Agénor Alfred, duc de Gramont, the French foreign minister, demanded that Wilhelm submit a personal letter of apology to Napoleon III and a guarantee that the Hohenzollern candidacy would never be renewed. A few days later Benedetti visited Bad Ems again…Since the king already had agreed to the withdrawal of Leopold’s candidature the king now refused to grant him an audience. Benedetti waited and when the king was out for a stroll in the park he was addressed by Benedetti (July 13th). Benedetti demanded that Wilhelm promised that Leopold would for all future refuse the offer from Spain. The king said he could not make such a promise…

9. Bismarck edit the Ems Telegram and had it published: Bismarck obtained Wilhelm's authorization to publish the French demands and the Prussian rejection. Bismarck edited the document in a manner calculated to aggravate the resentment of the French and the Germans. The Prussian statesman realized that this move would in all probability precipitate war, but he knew that Prussia was prepared, and he counted on the psychological effect of a French declaration of war to rally the south German states to Prussia's cause, thus accomplishing the final phase in the unification of Germany.

10. Germany prepared: The South German states, in fulfillment of their treaties with Prussia, immediately joined King Wilhelm in a common front against France. The French were only able to mobilize about 200.000 troops; the Germans, however, quickly marshaled an army of about 400,000 men. All German forces were under the supreme command of Wilhelm, with the strategist Helmuth von Moltke, as his chief of staff.

11. Napoleon III surrenders: The Battle of Sedan (September 1870) was a catastrophe for the French forces and it ended the war. The French forces were encircled by the German army. Recognizing the hopelessness of the situation, Napoleon III ordered the white flag to be hoisted. Terms of surrender were negotiated during the night, and on the following day Napoleon III, together with 83,000 troops, surrendered to the Prussians.

12. Uprise in Paris - The Third Republic founded: Upon receiving information of the capture of the French Emperor, Paris rose in rebellion, the Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and France was proclaimed a republic (Third Republic). Before the close of September, Strasbourg, one of the last points at which the French had hoped to stem the German advance, capitulated, and Paris was completely surrounded. The Siege of Paris (19 September 1870–28 January 1871) brought about the final defeat of the French Army.

13. GERMANY! On the 18th January 1871 the new German Empire was proclaimed in the Mirror Hall at the Palace of Versailles.

14. France gives up: On January 28th 1871 the Government of National Defense based in Paris negotiated an armistice with the Prussians. Bismarck agreed to end the siege and allow food convoys to immediately enter Paris (including trains carrying millions of German army rations), on condition that the Government of National Defense surrender several key fortresses outside Paris to the Prussians. Without the forts, the French Army would no longer be able to defend Paris. Although public opinion in Paris was strongly against any form of surrender or concession to the Prussians, the Government realized that it could not hold the city for much longer. President Jules Trochu resigned on 25 January and was replaced by Jules Favre, who signed the surrender two days later at Versailles, with the armistice coming into effect at midnight. The Franco-Prussian War was now over...