EOA: FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR Prussian Operational Approach (Broad Actions) Rapidly mobilize the Prussian army with German allies. Simultaneously, defend against a possible Austrian and French attack. Upon mobilization, conduct a turning movement toward Paris with overwhelming firepower to destroy the enemy armies. (Moltke) Commander’s Intent The purpose of destroying the French Army was to prevent future French incursions into Germany, unify German states, and gain a buffer zone (Alsace-Lorraine) between France. End state: - Enemy: French army destroyed - Friendly: German armies use disciplined initiative to fight concentrated against a numerically inferior enemy Operational Framework Moltke used the framework of main efforts and supporting efforts with four lines of operation. Each conducted by an independent army that was part of a fixing and an enveloping concept. Once an enemy army was fixed and encircled, the decisive battle started with massive artillery barrages by all available artillery in the surroundings by mobile artillery. The German armies divided into corps and divisions to make them self-sustaining. Tenants of ULO Integration: Use light cavalry (vs. heavy cavalry for reserve) as a screening force and mobile artillery to support the infantry. Lethality: Mass artillery fires to kill as much of the enemy prior to rifle engagements. Synchronization: To synchronize the efforts of the autonomous 3 armies, the General Staff provided a clear CDR’s intent and objectives so that the armies could use disciplined initiative to attain the intent. Warfighting Functions Movement and Maneuver: heavy use of rail to bring troops to the frontier Fires: Used a lot of artillery fires (vs. French who thought using a lot of artillery was a waste of ammo). Mobile artillery allows the concentration of artillery at any place in the battle. Sustainment: heavy use rail for logistics Mission Command: Centralized planning, but decentralized execution. Had a superior General Staff. Moltke’s Elements of Operational Art/Design End state: Prussian supremacy in Germany and unification Conditions: Established coordination with Bismarck. Political and military leaders co-located. COG: French Army OP Approach: Direct, offensive movement into France and her allies/territories. Decisive Points: Basing: Mobilization planning, quick maneuver through restricted terrain, mutual support of 3 armies against the French force. LOO: The early engagements that each Prussian army had allowed for the later concentration of the entire force. OP Reach: Railways and telegraph moved each army to the frontier faster than in the past. Tempo: Prussians moved before the French could react, which allowed the Prussians to have the initiative. Simultaneity and Depth: As 2 nd Army struck French right flank, Moltke established depth. Phasing/Transitions: Mobilization, penetration of frontier, large scale battle, rapid pursuit. Culmination: Design of the campaign and modern technology allowed Prussians to stay on the offensive. Risk, Strategic: If southern German states don’t unite, then Prussia will have to fight France in multiple fronts and with numerically inferior numbers. Key Concepts of Clausewitz Trinity Analysis: Moltke and Bismarck’s tension, conscript army (people). Hubris, Personalities: Wilhelm finally told Moltke to pass all plans through Bismarck. Theorist Synthesis & Key Concepts of other Theorists Waltz: Bismarck used war as a means to create the unified state of Germany. Linn: Prussians (Moltke and Bismarck) were good managers. Berger: Prussian reality consists of survival and unification whereas French reality consists from a dominant and unified position in Europe. Aufklarung – training, education, centralized planning, decentralized execution

EOA: FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR INSERT MAP/SKETCH HERE Phasing:Timeline: 5 Phases from Prussian perspective: Phase 1: Defend Prussia and mobilize forces. Phase 2: Attack to destroy the Army of Strasbourg and isolate the Army of Metz. Phase 3: Destroy the Army of Chalon if committed north and destroy remnant French army. Phase 4: Occupy Northern France, attack Paris, and defend. Phase 5: Redeploy to Germany. Geographic Keys: France declares war, 19 Jul 1870: Battle of Wissembourg, 4 Aug 1870: First action of the war started with the. Battle of Gravelotte, 18 Aug 1870: was the largest battle of the war. While most Prussians fell under the French Chassept rifles, most French fell under Prussian artillery. Siege of Metz, Aug 1870: Moltke traps Bazaine, Napoleon III mobilizes from Paris to try to rescue Bazaine. Battle of Sedan, 1 Sep 1870: Moltke maneuvers to catch Napoleon’s movement towards Metz in Sedan, Napoleon surrenders. New French Republic established, 3 rd Republic. Siege of Paris, 19 Sep Jan 1871: New French government, the 3 rd Republic, agrees to peace terms. Phase 1: Mobilization Concept of Operations

EOA: FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR Assumptions:Technology Keys: France: Superior Chassepot rifle (eff. Range 1000 yds), which doubled the range of Prussia’s needle gun (Dreyse), eff range 400 yds. Mitrailleuse machine gun, but it was not used a lot because they did not train a lot with it prior to the war. Artillery: Bronze muzzle loading artillery. (inferior to Prussian artillery) Prussia: Inferior Needle gun, which they used in 1866 in Konnigratz. Superior Artillery: steel, rifled, breech loader with percussion fused shells that burst upon impact. Railroads and Telegraph: Although France had more rail than Prussia, France did not use them as effectively as Prussia used it to mobilize its army to mass at the decisive point at the right time. France: - Power politics in Europe will support the French cause. - Superior firepower and technology will provide significant advantage in battle. - Professional Army with a lot of experience will defeat an inexperienced, conscript army. Prussia: - The Austria Hungarians and Danes will stay out of the war. - As long as France initiated the war, Southern German states will unite under Prussia. - Moltke assumed that France could physically mobilize its troops to their borders much faster than Prussia can mobilize. Hence, Moltke wanted to mobilize prior to declaration of war. Context: Historical Context: Prussia: Following the Napoleonic Wars, Prussia was a small state with a small army whereas France and Austria were considered the dominant states in Europe. In a surprise, Prussia defeated Austria in the Konnigratz War of Prussia also annexed parts of Denmark, Austria, and forged the North German Confederation with Saxony and Mecklenburg. France: A lot of army experience in Crimean war, Mexico, Austrians in Piedmont, and Algeria in 1830s-1840s. Strategic Context: As of 1866, tension between France and Prussia rose. Both countries had their own reason why they thought a war would be beneficial. For France, it seemed a way to check Prussia’s increase of power, while reconfirm its own great status in Europe. For Prussia, a war would unite Northern and Southern German states under Prussian control. Bismarck had to orchestrate a scenario in which France would initiate the war in order to activate the alliance of the southern German states. Road to War: 1. King Wilhelm I of Prussia would accept the title of German Kaiser from the north German confederation. This upset Napoleon III. 2. Bismarck financed railway through Switzerland, which France saw as a future Prusso-Italian alliance against France. 3. Spain offered Wilhelm’s nephew, Leopold, the crown of Spain. This upset France because it would shift the balance of power in Europe. Campaign Context: Moltke’s problem statement- How does the Prussian army defeat French forces IOT expand its territory to the Rhine river. Given its own 3 armies (6 corps of conscripts), against the French army’s larger, professional army.