What's your opinion on this?

Causes, tactics, battles, leaders?

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The French basically blew the best chance they had by not adopting machine guns when they had them offered in the 1860s.

Would have punched neat holes in the Kaisers Prussian grenadiers in no time.

Henrik

The French basically blew the best chance they had by not adopting machine guns when they had them offered in the 1860s.

Would have punched neat holes in the Kaisers Prussian grenadiers in no time.

Henrik

THat's not exact, the machine guns were adopted. But the fact that it was a secret weapon, not many of it were issued plus it wasn't used correctly since it wasn't widely distributed in the french army. From the encyclopedia of military warfare, actually the french was superior tactically on the battlefield but the prussian has organizational superiority. If it was not for the supidity of Napoleon III, the battle might have well ended in french favor. This guy actually get itself surrounded by the prussian at Sedan, and the prussian army being well organised rapidly cut the encircled army from the relief force. Napoleon3 being trapped like a rat and being a coward actually surrendered when the french people was launching a fierce guerilla campaign. This was the prelude for WW1 which itself initiated WW2. In other word this war was the seed of evil.

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The dual nature of Robespierre: One day preaching about the virtues of Liberty, Fraternity and Equality. Another day, the virtue of terror.

Why did France surrender? Garibaldi and his Italian band of volunteers were pretty successful against the Germans.


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The idiot of Napoleon III thinking he was Napoleon Bonaparte lead an army straight into a trap and was encircled. Before that the war was going just fine.
The coward being trap himself like a rat sue for peace. no such thing would have happened with the 1st republic of Robespierre and Carnot, they would have let the encircled army perished rather than surrender. The Napoleons all of them were pathetic fvck including Bonaparte himself. The only good outcome from this was the empire was abolished and a 2nd republic restored.

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The dual nature of Robespierre: One day preaching about the virtues of Liberty, Fraternity and Equality. Another day, the virtue of terror.

We've been atomized by the Germans during this war. They had better tactics, weapons, commanders, more men, more everything. But you have to know that the French were pathetic in their decisions because of the commanders, but they (the soldiers) fought like braves, especially while defending, inflicting massive losses to the Prussians. I've an excellent book on this war, but it's in French and I will not translate the whole story in English.

"The French basically blew the best chance they had by not adopting machine guns when they had them offered in the 1860s.

Would have punched neat holes in the Kaisers Prussian grenadiers in no time"

The biggest German advantage in this war concerning weapons war artillery. The mitrailleuse may have been nasty, but our arty would still have dominated the battlefield.



"THat's not exact, the machine guns were adopted. But the fact that it was a secret weapon, not many of it were issued plus it wasn't used correctly since it wasn't widely distributed in the french army. From the encyclopedia of military warfare, actually the french was superior tactically on the battlefield but the prussian has organizational superiority"

Tactical superiority, could you cite examples? I am only aware of some Prussian general charging a hill with cavalry instead of bypassing it. That was probably our biggest mistake.

"If it was not for the supidity of Napoleon III, the battle might have well ended in french favor. This guy actually get itself surrounded by the prussian at Sedan, and the prussian army being well organised rapidly cut the encircled army from the relief force. Napoleon3 being trapped like a rat and being a coward actually surrendered when the french people was launching a fierce guerilla campaign."

He was not the only one who let himself get trapped though, Metz and it's garrison were an even bigger loss IIRC.

"This was the prelude for WW1 which itself initiated WW2. In other word this war was the seed of evil."

You could go even further back. Frances desire for a border on the Rhine and it's messing in intra-German affairs.

"Why did France surrender? Garibaldi and his Italian band of volunteers were pretty successful against the Germans."

Tell me about that? Where exactly should they have fought against us? And the Franc-tireurs were actually the most effective French forces.

"The idiot of Napoleon III thinking he was Napoleon Bonaparte lead an army straight into a trap and was encircled. Before that the war was going just fine.
The coward being trap himself like a rat sue for peace. no such thing would have happened with the 1st republic of Robespierre and Carnot, they would have let the encircled army perished rather than surrender. The Napoleons all of them were pathetic fvck including Bonaparte himself. The only good outcome from this was the empire was abolished and a 2nd republic restored."

So under the 1st republic the soldiers would have died instead? Nice alternative. Once our artillery was positioned there was nothing you could have done. There is no shame in a surrender against a superior foe, your officers were even allowed to keep their swords if they promised not to fight anymore.





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Here some statistics:

Soldiers mobilised:

French - 850'000
German coalition - 1'500'000

Killed:

French: - 80'000
German: - 40'000

Captures:

380'000 French soldiers and 7'400 guns were captured.

http://www.reichseinigungskriege.de/

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Tell me about that? Where exactly should they have fought against us? And the Franc-tireurs were actually the most effective French forces

“In 1870 he formed a fresh volunteer corps and went to the aid of France, defeating the German troops at Chatillon, Autun and Dijon”
http://9.1911encyclopedia.org/G/GA/GARIBALDI_GIUSEPPE.htm

“Avenue du Drapeau (Flag Avenue)
A street in the north of the city of Dijon is called Avenue du Drapeau (Flag Avenue). The origin of this name dates back to the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian war.

During the battle which took place on 23 January 1871, the 4th Franc-Tireur Brigade of the Vosges Army*, a group commanded by Riccioti Garibaldi (the son of the famous Italian patriot Guiseppe Garibaldi) was attacked by the German troops. Following a counter-attack, the German 61th Regiment finally retired from the battlefield and abandoned its standard, which was triumphally carried back to Dijon.”
http://flagspot.net/flags/fr-21-dj.html




Marina Militaria Italiana! The best navy!
Italia triumphs again!

‘‘Italy unfortunately has been long excluded from the number of European powers. If Italians today are worthy of resuming their rights, someday they will see their country arise with glory among the powers of the earth.’’--Napoleone Buonaparte

I support Kyle Broslowski

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Flieg Deutsche Fahne Flieg !

What was the machine gun ordered by the French Army at that time?

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