Subject Area
History
Description
How did emotions affect the diplomatic process during the waning days of the Concert of Europe? Was the idea of national honor so prevalent that diplomats began to lack reason when it was called into question by opposing states? What happens when overzealous officials make claims and requests that far outweigh their position and norms of the time? To address these questions, this thesis examines the diplomatic negotiations that took place before and during the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War, with a focus on the French side. The first chapter, which examines the crisis before the war, highlights how the French diplomats were heavily influenced by their belief in a strict balance of power in Europe, anti-Prussian sentiment and French nationalism. These influences led to officials inserting themselves in the crisis to a higher degree and making extreme requests, which ultimately led to the beginning of the war. The second chapter focuses on how the negotiations during the war between the Prussian government and the newly formed French Government of National Defense, which replaced the collapsed Second Empire, followed a similar trajectory. French exceptionalism and nationalism also influenced these negotiations, led by Jules Favre, a highly emotional figure, who had to negotiate with a Prussian force that had almost complete control over his country. My research shows that diplomacy based French negotiating tactics before and during the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War were emotional in nature, which failed due to the approaching end of the Concert of Europe diplomatic system.
Publisher
Providence College
Academic Year
2025-2026
Date
Spring 2026
Type
Thesis
Format
Text
.pdf (text under image)
Language
English
Start Date
3-21-2026 1:00 PM
