On January 28th 1871, the Government of National Defence based in Paris negotiated an armistice with the Prussians. With Paris starving, and Gambetta's provincial armies reeling from one disaster to another, French Premiere Jules Ferry was permitted to leave Paris and arrived at Versailles on January 24th to discuss peace terms with Bismarck. 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 Defence surre ...

See also:

Franco-Prussian War, Franco-Prussian War - Causes of the war, Franco-Prussian War - The Luxembourg Crisis, Franco-Prussian War - French prestige and domestic politics, Franco-Prussian War - Bismarck and German nationalism, Franco-Prussian War - Crisis and the outbreak of war, Franco-Prussian War - Alliances and diplomacy, Franco-Prussian War - Opposing forces, Franco-Prussian War - French incursions, Franco-Prussian War - Occupation of Saarbrücken, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Wissembourg, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Woerth, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Spicheren, Franco-Prussian War - German invasion, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Mars-La-Tour, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Gravelotte, Franco-Prussian War - Siege of Metz, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Sedan, Franco-Prussian War - Overthrow of the French monarchy and armistice negotiations, Franco-Prussian War - The war continues, Franco-Prussian War - Siege of Paris, Franco-Prussian War - The Loire Campaign, Franco-Prussian War - Eastern Campaign, Franco-Prussian War - Armistice, Franco-Prussian War - Aftermath

Read more here: » Franco-Prussian War: Encyclopedia II - Franco-Prussian War - Armistice

See also:

Franco-Prussian War, Franco-Prussian War - Causes of the war, Franco-Prussian War - The Luxembourg Crisis, Franco-Prussian War - French prestige and domestic politics, Franco-Prussian War - Bismarck and German nationalism, Franco-Prussian War - Crisis and the outbreak of war, Franco-Prussian War - Alliances and diplomacy, Franco-Prussian War - Opposing forces, Franco-Prussian War - French incursions, Franco-Prussian War - Occupation of Saarbrücken, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Wissembourg, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Woerth, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Spicheren, Franco-Prussian War - German invasion, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Mars-La-Tour, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Gravelotte, Franco-Prussian War - Siege of Metz, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Sedan, Franco-Prussian War - Overthrow of the French monarchy and armistice negotiations, Franco-Prussian War - The war continues, Franco-Prussian War - Siege of Paris, Franco-Prussian War - The Loire Campaign, Franco-Prussian War - Eastern Campaign, Franco-Prussian War - Armistice, Franco-Prussian War - Aftermath

Read more here: » Franco-Prussian War: Encyclopedia II - Franco-Prussian War - Armistice

Tensions had long been running high between Prussia and France following the Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War and its subsequent annexation of almost all Northern Germany. The humbling of Austria and Prussia's new territorial gains had shattered the European balance of power that had existed since the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Following the end of the Austro-Prussian War, Prussian prime minister Otto von Bismarck and the French emperor Napoleon III had attempted to reach a private agreement regarding the balance of power ...

See also:

Franco-Prussian War, Franco-Prussian War - Causes of the war, Franco-Prussian War - The Luxembourg Crisis, Franco-Prussian War - French prestige and domestic politics, Franco-Prussian War - Bismarck and German nationalism, Franco-Prussian War - Crisis and the outbreak of war, Franco-Prussian War - Alliances and diplomacy, Franco-Prussian War - Opposing forces, Franco-Prussian War - French incursions, Franco-Prussian War - Occupation of Saarbrücken, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Wissembourg, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Woerth, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Spicheren, Franco-Prussian War - German invasion, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Mars-La-Tour, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Gravelotte, Franco-Prussian War - Siege of Metz, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Sedan, Franco-Prussian War - Overthrow of the French monarchy and armistice negotiations, Franco-Prussian War - The war continues, Franco-Prussian War - Siege of Paris, Franco-Prussian War - The Loire Campaign, Franco-Prussian War - Eastern Campaign, Franco-Prussian War - Armistice, Franco-Prussian War - Aftermath

Read more here: » Franco-Prussian War: Encyclopedia II - Franco-Prussian War - Causes of the war

Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Mars-La-Tour. 130,000 French soldiers were bottled up in the Fortress of Metz after suffering several defeats at the front. Four days after their retreat, on the 16th, the ever-present Prussian forces, here a group of grossly outnumbered 30,000 men of the advanced III Corps (of the 2nd Army) under General Constantine von Alvensleben, found the French Army near Vionville, east of Mars-la-Tour. Despite odds of four to one, the III Corps routed the French and captured Vionville, block ...

See also:

Franco-Prussian War, Franco-Prussian War - Causes of the war, Franco-Prussian War - The Luxembourg Crisis, Franco-Prussian War - French prestige and domestic politics, Franco-Prussian War - Bismarck and German nationalism, Franco-Prussian War - Crisis and the outbreak of war, Franco-Prussian War - Alliances and diplomacy, Franco-Prussian War - Opposing forces, Franco-Prussian War - French incursions, Franco-Prussian War - Occupation of Saarbrücken, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Wissembourg, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Woerth, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Spicheren, Franco-Prussian War - German invasion, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Mars-La-Tour, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Gravelotte, Franco-Prussian War - Siege of Metz, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Sedan, Franco-Prussian War - Overthrow of the French monarchy and armistice negotiations, Franco-Prussian War - The war continues, Franco-Prussian War - Siege of Paris, Franco-Prussian War - The Loire Campaign, Franco-Prussian War - Eastern Campaign, Franco-Prussian War - Armistice, Franco-Prussian War - Aftermath

Read more here: » Franco-Prussian War: Encyclopedia II - Franco-Prussian War - German invasion

Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Mars-La-Tour. Main article: Battle of Mars-La-Tour 130,000 French soldiers were bottled up in the Fortress of Metz after suffering several defeats at the front. Four days after their retreat, on the 16th, the ever-present Prussian forces, here a group of grossly outnumbered 30,000 men of the advanced III Corps (of the 2nd Army) under General Constantine von Alvensleben, found the French Army near Vionville, east of Mars-la-Tour. Despite odds ...

See also:

Franco-Prussian War, Franco-Prussian War - Causes of the war, Franco-Prussian War - The Luxembourg Crisis, Franco-Prussian War - French prestige and domestic politics, Franco-Prussian War - Bismarck and German nationalism, Franco-Prussian War - Crisis and the outbreak of war, Franco-Prussian War - Alliances and diplomacy, Franco-Prussian War - Opposing forces, Franco-Prussian War - French incursions, Franco-Prussian War - Occupation of Saarbrücken, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Wissembourg, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Woerth, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Spicheren, Franco-Prussian War - German invasion, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Mars-La-Tour, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Gravelotte, Franco-Prussian War - Siege of Metz, Franco-Prussian War - Battle of Sedan, Franco-Prussian War - Overthrow of the French monarchy and armistice negotiations, Franco-Prussian War - The war continues, Franco-Prussian War - Siege of Paris, Franco-Prussian War - The Loire Campaign, Franco-Prussian War - Eastern Campaign, Franco-Prussian War - Armistice, Franco-Prussian War - Aftermath

Read more here: » Franco-Prussian War: Encyclopedia II - Franco-Prussian War - German invasion

Main article: World War I On June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo in a conspiracy involving Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student. Gavrilo Princip was part of a group of fifteen assailants, acting with some support from parts of the Serbian government. Though World War I was triggered by the chain of events this assassination unleashed, the war's origins lie deeper, involving national politics, cultures, economics, and a complex web of ...

Including:

Causes of World War I - Ideological causes
Causes of World War I - The Rise of Nationalist Sentiment Causes of World War I - Social Darwinism Causes of World War I - German Domestic Politics
Causes of World War I - Structural or Systemic Causes
Causes of World War I - Unifications of Germany and Italy Causes of World War I - Changes in Austria Causes of World War I - Material causes Causes of World War I - Colonial Expansion Causes of World War I - Web of alliances Causes of World War I - Over by Christmas Causes of World War I - Incompetence Causes of World War I - Primacy of the Offensive and War by Timetable Causes of World War I - Communication Issues
Causes of World War I - Specific Events
Causes of World War I - The Congress of Vienna Causes of World War I - The Franco–Prussian War 1870–1 Causes of World War I - The Rise of Kaiser Wilhelm II Causes of World War I - Anglo–German Naval Race Causes of World War I - Berlin-Baghdad Railway
Causes of World War I - Historiography Causes of World War I - Sources Causes of World War I - External link

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The Winter War (also known as the Soviet-Finnish War or the Russo-Finnish War) broke out when the Soviet Union attacked Finland on November 30, 1939, three months after the start of World War II. As a consequence, the Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations on December 14th. Stalin had expected to conquer the whole country by the end of 1939, but Finnish resistance frustrated the Soviet forces, which outnumbered them three to one. Finland held out until March 1940, when a peace treaty was signed ceding about 10% of Finland's territory, and 20% ...

Including:

Winter War - Background Winter War - The War Winter War - Foreign support Winter War - Franco-British plans for a Scandinavian theatre Winter War - Armistice Winter War - Peace of Moscow
Winter War - Post-Soviet demands for return of territory
Winter War - Major battles

Read more here: » Winter War: Encyclopedia - Winter War

The Prussian junkers and generals dominated the conduct of World War I, so when it ended in defeat in 1918 they had to accept responsibility. The Prussian monarchy was overthrown along with all other German monarchies, and Germany became a republic. The Great Poland Uprising, and the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, recreated the Polish state and forced Germany to return territories annexed by Prussia during the Partitions of Poland, as well as parts of Upper Silesia inhabited by Poles. East Prussia found itself again cut off fr ...

See also:

Prussia, Prussia - Geography, Prussia - Early history, Prussia - Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia - Imperial Prussia, Prussia - The end of Prussia

Read more here: » Prussia: Encyclopedia II - Prussia - The end of Prussia

In 1740, Frederick II (more commonly known as Frederick the Great) came to the throne and invaded Silesia, a province of Austria which was in turmoil after the death of the Emperor Charles VI. The invasion was the first shot of the War of the Austrian Succession (Silesia was to have passed to the rulers of Brandenburg on the extinction of its Piast dynasty according to a bilateral arrangement of 1537, subsequently vetoed by the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I). After rapidly occupying Silesia, Frederick offered to protect the new Austrian Arc ...

See also:

Kingdom of Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia - Invasion of Austria, Kingdom of Prussia - Defence Against Europe's Assault, Kingdom of Prussia - Expansion to Poland

Read more here: » Kingdom of Prussia: Encyclopedia II - Kingdom of Prussia - Invasion of Austria

The French Foreign Legion was created by Louis Philippe, then King of France, on March 10, 1831, to support his war in Algeria. Successive legions were also raised to augment the French forces in the Crimean War, in Italy, and in Mexico. French Foreign Legion - Mexico. It was in Mexico on 30 April 1863 that the Legion earned its legendary status. The small infantry patrol led by Capitaine Danjou numbering 62 soldiers and 3 officers was attacked and besieged by over two thousand[1] Mexican infantry and cava ...

See also:

French Foreign Legion, French Foreign Legion - History, French Foreign Legion - Mexico, French Foreign Legion - Franco-Prussian War, French Foreign Legion - Colonial Warfare, French Foreign Legion - The World Wars, French Foreign Legion - Indochina, French Foreign Legion - Membership, French Foreign Legion - Composition, French Foreign Legion - Current Deployments, French Foreign Legion - Notable Members of the Légion Étrangère, French Foreign Legion - The Legion in popular culture

Read more here: » French Foreign Legion: Encyclopedia II - French Foreign Legion - History

Some of the causes of the war lie in the structure of European society at the time, and the way it functioned. Causes of World War I - Unifications of Germany and Italy. In the years that followed the Congress of Vienna, conflicts began springing up all over Europe between those who cried out for change, and those who resisted it. By the mid-1800s, nationalism had become an evident force. A wave of unrest was seen across the continent in the Revolution of 1848. The 1860s and early 1870s saw two great chang ...

See also:

Causes of World War I, Causes of World War I - Ideological causes, Causes of World War I - The Rise of Nationalist Sentiment, Causes of World War I - Social Darwinism, Causes of World War I - German Domestic Politics, Causes of World War I - Structural or Systemic Causes, Causes of World War I - Unifications of Germany and Italy, Causes of World War I - Changes in Austria, Causes of World War I - Material causes, Causes of World War I - Colonial Expansion, Causes of World War I - Web of alliances, Causes of World War I - Over by Christmas, Causes of World War I - Incompetence, Causes of World War I - Primacy of the Offensive and War by Timetable, Causes of World War I - Communication Issues, Causes of World War I - Specific Events, Causes of World War I - The Congress of Vienna, Causes of World War I - The Franco–Prussian War 1870–1, Causes of World War I - The Rise of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Causes of World War I - Anglo–German Naval Race, Causes of World War I - Berlin-Baghdad Railway, Causes of World War I - Historiography, Causes of World War I - Sources, Causes of World War I - External link

Read more here: » Causes of World War I: Encyclopedia II - Causes of World War I - Structural or Systemic Causes

While most of its commissioned officers are French, approximately 10% are former legionnaires who have risen through the ranks. The rest of the Legion is made up of men from a wide variety of nationalities, with French citizens representing 25-35% of the legionnaires. The foreign volunteers are primarily European. Before and during World War II, many Jews from Eastern Europe fled to France and ended up enlisting in the legion. Ironically, after the fall of the Third Reich, Germans (long a major presence in the legion) accounted for roughly s ...

See also:

French Foreign Legion, French Foreign Legion - History, French Foreign Legion - Mexico, French Foreign Legion - Franco-Prussian War, French Foreign Legion - Colonial Warfare, French Foreign Legion - The World Wars, French Foreign Legion - Indochina, French Foreign Legion - Membership, French Foreign Legion - Composition, French Foreign Legion - Current Deployments, French Foreign Legion - Notable Members of the Légion Étrangère, French Foreign Legion - The Legion in popular culture

Read more here: » French Foreign Legion: Encyclopedia II - French Foreign Legion - Membership

In 1226 Conrad of Mazovia invited a German order of crusading knights, the Order of the Teutonic Knights from Transylvania to conquer the Prussian tribes on his borders. However, after struggling against more than a century of resistance from the Prussians they created a semi-independent state, which came to control most of what are now Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as parts of northern Poland. Eventually defeated, the Knights had to acknowledge the sovereignty of the King of Poland and Lithuania from 1466. In 1525 the Master of the Order became a Protestant, and converted part of the Order's territories into the Duch ...

See also:

Prussia, Prussia - Geography, Prussia - Early History, Prussia - Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia - Imperial Prussia, Prussia - The end of Prussia

Read more here: » Prussia: Encyclopedia II - Prussia - Early History

Previously, the Legion was not stationed in mainland France except in wartime. Until 1962 the Legion headquarters were stationed in Sidi-Bel-Abbès, Algeria. Nowadays, some units of the legion are in Corsica or overseas possessions, while the rest is in the south of mainland France. Current headquarters are in Aubagne, France, just outside Marseille. There are nine regiments and one independent sub-unit : Mainland France 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC), based in Orange (armoured troops) 2nd F ...

See also:

French Foreign Legion, French Foreign Legion - History, French Foreign Legion - Mexico, French Foreign Legion - Franco-Prussian War, French Foreign Legion - Colonial Warfare, French Foreign Legion - The World Wars, French Foreign Legion - Indochina, French Foreign Legion - Membership, French Foreign Legion - Composition, French Foreign Legion - Current Deployments, French Foreign Legion - Notable Members of the Légion Étrangère, French Foreign Legion - The Legion in popular culture

Read more here: » French Foreign Legion: Encyclopedia II - French Foreign Legion - Composition

Prussia began its existence as a small territory in what is now northern Poland and the Kaliningrad exclave of Russia. The region was sparsely populated by Prussians. The area later became subject to German colonization. By the time of its abolition it stretched across the North German Plain from the French, Belgian and Dutch borders on the west to the Lithuanian border and to territories which are now in eastern Poland. At its greatest extent before 1918 it included much of western Poland as well. For a period between 1795 and 1807 Prussia also controlled most ...

See also:

Prussia, Prussia - Geography, Prussia - Early history, Prussia - Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia - Imperial Prussia, Prussia - The end of Prussia

Read more here: » Prussia: Encyclopedia II - Prussia - Geography

The existence of the French Foreign Legion has led to a romantic view that it is a place for a wronged man to leave behind his old life to start a new one, but also that it is full of scoundrels and men escaping justice. This view of the legion is common in literature, and has been used for dramatic effect in many movies, not the least of which are the several versions of Beau Geste. The Legion is also depicted in the U.S. comic strip Crock. The ...

See also:

French Foreign Legion, French Foreign Legion - History, French Foreign Legion - Mexico, French Foreign Legion - Franco-Prussian War, French Foreign Legion - Colonial Warfare, French Foreign Legion - The World Wars, French Foreign Legion - Indochina, French Foreign Legion - Membership, French Foreign Legion - Composition, French Foreign Legion - Current Deployments, French Foreign Legion - Notable Members of the Légion Étrangère, French Foreign Legion - The Legion in popular culture

Read more here: » French Foreign Legion: Encyclopedia II - French Foreign Legion - The Legion in popular culture

In 1226 Conrad of Mazovia invited a German order of crusading knights, the Order of the Teutonic Knights from Transylvania to conquer the Prussian tribes on his borders. However, after struggling against more than a century of resistance from the Prussians they created a semi-independent state, which came to control most of what are now Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as parts of northern Poland. Eventually defeated, the Knights had to acknowledge the sovereignty of the King of Poland and Lithuania from 1466. In 1525 the Master of the Order became a Protestant, and converted part of the Order's territories into the Duch ...

See also:

Prussia, Prussia - Geography, Prussia - Early history, Prussia - Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia - Imperial Prussia, Prussia - The end of Prussia

Read more here: » Prussia: Encyclopedia II - Prussia - Early history

See also Spanish Civil War Francisco Franco - The first months. The first days of the rebellion were marked with the need of securing the control over the Protectorate. On one side, Franco managed to win the support of the natives and their (nominal) authorities. On the other to insure his control over the army. This led to the execution of some senior officers loyal to the republic (one of them his own first cousin) [7]. Franco had to face the problem of how to move his troops to the Iberian Peninsula, be ...

See also:

Francisco Franco, Francisco Franco - Early life, Francisco Franco - During the Second Spanish Republic, Francisco Franco - The Asturias Uprising, Francisco Franco - The government of the Popular Front, Francisco Franco - Franco during the War, Francisco Franco - The first months, Francisco Franco - Rise to power, Francisco Franco - Military command, Francisco Franco - Political command, Francisco Franco - The end of the war, Francisco Franco - Spain under Franco, Francisco Franco - Spain after Franco, Francisco Franco - Notes

Read more here: » Francisco Franco: Encyclopedia II - Francisco Franco - Franco during the War

The exact causes of the war have been debated with some intensity since the time the war began. Immediately after the war much academic work that blamed Germany entirely for the war was produced in Allied countries. However, academic work in the later 1920s and 30s blamed all participants more or less equally. Various factors such as the network of secret alliances, emphasis on speed of offence, rigid military planning, Darwinian ideas, and the lack of resolution mechanisms were blamed by many. These ideas have maintained some currenc ...

See also:

Causes of World War I, Causes of World War I - Ideological causes, Causes of World War I - The Rise of Nationalist Sentiment, Causes of World War I - Social Darwinism, Causes of World War I - German Domestic Politics, Causes of World War I - Structural or Systemic Causes, Causes of World War I - Unifications of Germany and Italy, Causes of World War I - Changes in Austria, Causes of World War I - Material causes, Causes of World War I - Colonial Expansion, Causes of World War I - Web of alliances, Causes of World War I - Over by Christmas, Causes of World War I - Incompetence, Causes of World War I - Primacy of the Offensive and War by Timetable, Causes of World War I - Communication Issues, Causes of World War I - Specific Events, Causes of World War I - The Congress of Vienna, Causes of World War I - The Franco–Prussian War 1870–1, Causes of World War I - The Rise of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Causes of World War I - Anglo–German Naval Race, Causes of World War I - Berlin-Baghdad Railway, Causes of World War I - Historiography, Causes of World War I - Sources, Causes of World War I - External link

Read more here: » Causes of World War I: Encyclopedia II - Causes of World War I - Historiography

During the First World War, the United States joined France as a cobelligerent and provided much-needed reinforcements to the beleaguered country. In the peacemaking, however, though sharing major objectives, the two countries clashed over particulars. The burning ambition of French Premier Georges Clemenceau was to secure the security of France in the future; his formula was restitution, reparations, and guarantees. Clemenceau had little confidence in what, to him, were the unrealistic and utopian principles of U.S. President Woodrow ...

See also:

Franco-American relations, Franco-American relations - France and the American Revolution, Franco-American relations - The French Revolution and neutrality, Franco-American relations - Franco-U.S. relations 1812-1914, Franco-American relations - The Great War and the peace settlement, Franco-American relations - Interwar years, Franco-American relations - Postwar years

Read more here: » Franco-American relations: Encyclopedia II - Franco-American relations - The Great War and the peace settlement