The four years between 1866 and 1870 were used by Bismarck to gain friends for Prussia among other countries of Europe, and to make enemies for France.  The kingdoms of south Germany (Bavaria, Baden, and Wurtemburg), which had sided with Austria during the late war, were friendly to France and hostile to Prussia.  Napoleon III, however, made a proposal in writing to Bismarck that France should be given a slice of this south German territory in return for some other land which France was to allow Prussia to seize.  Bismarck pretended to consider this proposal, but was careful to keep the original copy, in the French ambassador’s own handwriting. (Each nation sends a man to represent her at the capital of each other nation.  These men are called ambassadors.  They are given power to sign agreements for their governments.) By showing this to the rulers of the little south German kingdoms, he was able to turn them against Napoleon and to make secret treaties with these states by which they bound themselves to fight on the side of Prussia in case a war broke out with France.  In similar fashion, Bismarck made the Belgians angry against the French by letting it be known that Napoleon was trying to annex their country also.

Meanwhile, aided by General von Moltke and Count von Roon (ron), Bismarck had built up a wonderful military power.  Every man in Prussia had been trained a certain number of years in the army and was ready at a moment’s notice to join his regiment.  The whole campaign against France had been planned months in advance.  In France on the other hand, the illness and irritability of Napoleon III had resulted in poor organization.  Men who did not wish to serve their time in the army were allowed to pay money to the government instead.  Yet their names were carried on the rolls.  In this way, the French army had not half the strength in actual numbers that it had on paper.  What is more, certain government officials had taken advantage of the emperor’s weakness and lack of system and had put into their own pockets money that should have been spent in buying guns and ammunition.

When at last Bismarck was all ready for the war, it was not hard to find an excuse.  Old Queen Isabella of Spain had been driven from her throne, and the Spanish army under General Prim offered the crown to Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern, a cousin of the king of Prussia.  This alarmed Napoleon, who imagined that if Prussia attacked him on the east, this Prussian prince, as king of Spain, would lead the Spanish army over the Pyrenees against him on the south.  France made so vigorous a protest that the prince asked the Spaniards not to think of him any longer.  This was not enough for Napoleon, who now proceeded to make a fatal mistake.  The incident was closed, but he persisted in reopening it.  He sent his ambassador to see King William of Prussia to ask the latter to assure France that never again should Prince Leopold be considered for the position of king of