Bismarck's Wars - Blood and Iron

A History of the wars of Germen unification. The Revolution of 1848 and the first Schleswig War, the Second Schleswig War, the Austro - Prussian War, the Franco - Prussian War and the early years of the Germen Empire under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck.

Episode 4.6 01/10/2026

Episode 4.6 The new French people's armies formed by Leon Gambetta took to the field in the winter of late 1870 to break the Prussian siege of Paris and come to the aid of the hungry city. The attack would come from the south largely around the city of Orleans which had been captured by the Germans. The French Army did defeat a Bavarian Corp and retake Orleans but then the tide turned against the French. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/38826910

Episode 4.5 01/03/2026

Episode 4.5 This Episode deals with the siege of Strassbourg, which was bombarded by Prussian Artillery. Then the siege of Metz, where the French Army of the Rhine was straved into surrending, having failed to do much to attack the Prussian Army which was besieging the French Army. Now most of the pre war regular French Army were now prisoners of war in the hands of the Prussians. Also I discuss the success of the French Navy in maintaining to kept control of the sea routes to France, so that the French Government could bring in weapons from the United States and Britain /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/38631255

Episode 4.4 12/27/2025

Episode 4.4 Following the capture by the Prussians of French Emperor Napoleon the Third at the battle of Sedan. A new French Third Republic was declared in Paris, with new left wing government minister. The Prussian Army marches on Paris and besieges it. However there is a large French Army Garrison and good defensive posiitons protecting the French capital. So the Prussian Army do not attack into Paris but instead to make Paris suffer from hunger. French Army attempts to break the siege are unsuccessful. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/38526110

Episode 4,3 12/20/2025

Episode 4,3 As a result of the battle of Gravelotte, the French Army of the Rhine is forced to retreat back to the fortress of Metz, where it is besieged by the Prussians. A new French Army, the Army of Chalons is formed to rescue the French of the Rhine but it is not just defeated but destroyed at the Battle of Sedan. The French Emperor Napoleon the Third becomes a prisioner of the Prussians. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/38399020

Episode 4.2 12/13/2025

Episode 4.2 The Prussian Third Army defeats the French First Corp in a battle around the town of Worth. The French Army of the Rhine is in danger of being outflanked at Metz, so its commander General Bazaine orders a retreat to Verdun but it is blocked by the Prussian Army at the Battle of Mars la Tour. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/38115095

Episode 4.1 12/06/2025

Episode 4.1 The French Army mobilization turned into such a confused muddle that the French Army could only mount a limited and pointless advance of a few kilometers into the Saarland. It was the Prussian Army which attacked into France winning a costly victory over the French at the Battle of Spiceren. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/38115070

Episode 3.10 07/25/2025

Episode 3.10 The Spanish Government need to find a foreign noble to be the Spanish King. They chose a Germen, Leopold of Hohenzolen a relative of the Prussian King but Leopold is not keen but Bismarck is and grinds down the opposition of Leopold and the Prussian King. However such was hostile international opposition, Leopold has to withdraw. The French Government humilate Prussia further but Bismarck sends an insulting telegram which makes the French Government to make the foolish decision to declare war on Prussia. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/37471060

Episode 3.9 07/12/2025

Episode 3.9 In this episode I look at the North Germen Confederation, which Otto von Bismarck dominated, well in did write the constitution of the new state. In this episode, I will deal how a military mutiny to overthrow the Queen of Spain, would led to the Franco-Prussian but it is such a complex issue and I will need not just this episode and the next episode to do so. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/37327930

Episode 3,8 06/28/2025

Episode 3,8 In this episode I will deal with the outcome of the Seven Weeks. In the first part, I will deal with the decline in relations between France and Prussia and attempts to reform the French Army. Later I dealt with the creation of the Austro - Hungarian Empire, which gave the Hungarians a much greater role in running their half of this empire. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/37160575

Episode 3.7 06/14/2025

Episode 3.7 Following the crushing Prussian Army victory over Austria, the Prussian King wanted a peace settlement which allowed Prussia to seize land from the Austrian Empire and a victory march in Vienna Otto von Bismarck totally disagreed and demanded a milder peace settlement which did not include any loss of Austrian land to Prussia. As usual Bismarck won out and got his milder peace deal. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/36852025

Episode 3.6 06/07/2025

Episode 3.6 The Prussian Army of the Main defeats Austria's allies in Southern Germany. first the Bavarian Army and then the armies of the other South Germen states. The main Prussian Armies capture Prague and march to the very gates of Vienna. The Austrian Emperor realises that the war is lost and asks for peace terms. However the Prussian Army loses over 6,000 killed due to an outbreak of disease within their camps. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/36697790

Episode 3.5 05/31/2025

Episode 3.5 In this episode, I will deal with the fighting between the Italian and Austrian armies in North East Italy. The simple involvement of the Italian Army in the Seven Weeks War, would divert Austrian troops from being committed to fight against the Prussian Army in Bohemia. While the Austrian Army would beat the Italian Army in the first major of the war, in the end Italian troops would occupy North East Italy. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/36532260

Episode 3.4 05/24/2025

Episode 3.4 The Battle is seen as the decisive battle of the Seven Weeks War, it was indeed a major Prussian victory over the Austrian and Saxony Armies. However the Austrian Army had already been weaken by losses in the earlier battle and the Austrian Army commander now believed even before the battle that his army would be defeated and had asked the Austrian Emperor to make peace. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/36359815

Episode 3.3 05/17/2025

Episode 3.3 The Prussian Second Army commanded by the Crown Prince, advances into Bohemia, in a series of battles they defeat three Austrian Corps. The Austrian North Army falls back and its commander fears that he faces defeat unless peace can be reached but the Austrian Emperor disagrees and insists that it faces another battle but four of its eight Corps have already suffered heavy losses. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/36108735

Episode 3.2 05/10/2025

Episode 3.2 In this episode, I well tell of the advance of the Prussian First Army and the Army of the Elbe into Bohemia, they would fight and defeat the Austrian First Corp and the Saxon Corp. The fighting would prove the power of the Prussian Needle Rifles over the Austrian Smoothbore muskets as the two Prussian Armies advanced into Bohemia. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/36004040

Episode 3.1 05/03/2025

Episode 3.1 At the start of the seven weeks war, the Prussian Army invades Hanover. The Hanoverian Army marched south to join up with Austria's South Germen allies but the Hanoverian Army is trapped by Prussian but not before it inflicts a defeat upon a Prussian Landwehr Brigade. The Prussian Army also invades the Kingdom of Saxony, the Saxon Army march south to join up with the Austrian North Army. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/35812930

Episode 2.10 03/08/2025

Episode 2.10 Bismarck achieved his aim of starting war between Prussian and Austria but the war would involve more those two states indeed it would include nearly all the Germen states. In many ways it was a Germen Civil War, indeed at the time in Germany, it was known as the Brother's War. In this episode I will look at those other Germen states and the size of their army and while they choose to side with Prussia or Austria. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/35511320

Episode 2.9 03/01/2025

Episode 2.9 In 1866, Otto von Bismarck was determined to start a war between Prussia and Austria. In reached an agreement with the Italian Government to join in a war against Austria. Yet Bismarck would not find it ease to get the Prussian King's agreement to that war. Bismarck faced the opposition of the the Kings' son the Crown Prince, his biography is given. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/35221300

Episode 2.8 02/22/2025

Episode 2.8 In this episode, I discuss the next target for Otto von Bismarck war like intensions, the Austria Empire. While it might seem like a giant in central Europe, this multi ethnic empire had many problems including Nationalism and lack of money. I give a detailed biograph of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. I also outline the developing plans of the Prussian General Staff to attack Austria. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/35096510

Episode 2.7 02/15/2025

Episode 2.7 Bismarck could have had his long planned for war with Austria in 1865 but he played the peacemaker, for a short while he worked to improve relations with Austria. In this episode I discuss why he did that when of course in 1866, he would indeed start a war with Austria but he wanted it at his time of choice. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/34833665

Episode 2.6 02/08/2025

Episode 2.6 In this episode I look at the weapons that helped make the Prussian Army the powerful forces it was. The Needle Gun, a breach loaded rifle which gave the Prussian Infantry such a heavy rate of fire compared to the muzzle loaded smoothbore muskets of the Danish and Austrian Army. The Prussian artillery also the new breach loaded steel cannons. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/34697025

Episode 2.5 02/01/2025

Episode 2.5 Following the Prussian victory at Dybbol, the Prussian and Austrian troops occupy Jutland as well as Schleswig. The Prussian Army crosses the narrow channel and captures the Danish island of Als. At first the Danish Government refuses to accept any comprise but the Danish King replaces that Government with one that realise the war is lost. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/34654890

Episode 2.4 01/25/2025

Episode 2.4 The Prussian Army launches an attack on the Danish fortress of Dybbol in April 1864. It is a bloody battle but the Prussian capture the fortress and the Danish Army flees across a narrow channel in retreat. There were celebrations in Prussia at the victory, Bismarck and his forcing through the taxes to pay for an increased Prussian Army become more popular. A biography of Prussian War Minister General von Roon. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/34346605

Episode 2.3 01/18/2025

Episode 2.3 The Prussian Army besiege the Danish fortress of Dybbol, after much effort and some time they bring up their artillery and bombard the Danish fortress, causing a great deal of damage to the Danish Gun positions. A biography of the Prussian Army commander in this battle, Prince Frederick Carl, he takes his time to prepare an attack and this episode takes the battle up to eve of that attack. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/34193150

Episode 2.2 01/11/2025

Episode 2.2 The Danish Army defends a defensive line in Southern Schleswig, known as the Dannevirke. A Prussian Army attack upon it is repulsed but the Austrian Army does manage a break though forcing the Danish Army to withdraw in a very cold retreat, where they lose much of their artillery. A biography of the Danish Army commander General De Maza. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/34155445

Episode 2.1 01/04/2025

Episode 2.1 In 1863, the previous Danish King died, the new King was Christian the Ninth. Under pressure from his Liberal Government he agreed to unite Schleswig into the Kingdom of Denmark. This was against a international treaty signed by Denmark and would led to war between Denmark and Prussia and Austria, the Second Schleswig War. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/33973312

Episode 1.10 11/09/2024

Episode 1.10 The death of Prussian King Frederick William the Fourth, he is replaced by his brother William as King. The Liberals in the Prussian Parliament keep voting down the taxes needed for the Army reforms. Otto von Bismarck is summoned by the King to ne Prime Minister. Otto von Bismarck ignores the Prussian Parliament and bring in the new taxes. In a speech to the Prussian Parliament in his 'Blood and Iron' speech he speaks of the need for strong army. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/33219082

Episode 1.9 11/02/2024

Episode 1.9 The poor performance of the Prussian Army during the mobilisation of 1850, led to the need for reforms to the Army. The reservist Landwehr would be reduced in importance. The size of the Prussian army would be increased and a new Army reserve created, all this would cost money. A biography of Prussian Army Chief of Staff General Helmut von Moltke. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/33151407

Episode 1.8 10/26/2024

Episode 1.8 Prussia re-joins the Germen Confederation, Otto von Bismarck becomes Prussia's chief delegate. He is often in conflict with the Austrian delegation. Back in Berlin, Otto von Bismarck fights a duel. The biography of French Emperors Napoleon the Third, he will play an important role in the history of Germany. His aggressive foreign policy alarms the Germen states. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/33123142

Episode 1.7 10/19/2024

Episode 1.7 The Prince of Hesse Kassel tries to restore his full right to control his state, the people force him out into exile and the Prince asks Austria for help. This crises led to a confrontation between Prussia and Austria which seems likely to end in war. The Prussian Army is mobilised but then the Prussian King backs down, agrees to end the Erfurt Union and re-join the Germen Confederation. /episode/index/show/802788b4-eaff-48bf-9509-605b20168183/id/33071487

Bismarck's Wars - Blood and Iron

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