The Ems Dispatch - How a Telegram Triggered the Franco-Prussian War
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In July 1870, the conflict between Prussia and France over the Spanish throne candidacy of Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen escalated. France saw this as a provocation and threat and demanded that King Wilhelm I of Prussia prevent the candidacy. Several meetings took place between the French Ambassador Benedetti and Wilhelm I at the spa town of Ems.
Although Leopold had already withdrawn his candidacy, France demanded a guarantee from Wilhelm that he would exclude Leopold's accession to the throne in the future as well. The King refused this. His advisor Heinrich Abeken summarized the events in a telegram to Chancellor Otto von Bismarck - the so-called Ems Dispatch.
Bismarck shortened and sharpened the text of the dispatch in such a way that it gave the impression that the King had brusquely rejected Benedetti and refused further negotiations. The publication of this provocative version led to a storm of outrage among the French public. France saw its honor violated and declared war on Prussia on July 19, 1870.
In fact, Bismarck had lured France into a trap with his press release. He wanted to put the blame for the outbreak of war on France and at the same time persuade the southern German states to enter the war on Prussia's side. He succeeded in both through the skillful manipulation of the Ems Dispatch.
The Franco-Prussian War ended with a devastating defeat for France. In January 1871, the French Emperor Napoleon III had to capitulate. The victory paved the way for the founding of the German Empire under Prussian leadership. The Ems Dispatch thus had world-historical consequences and is considered a masterpiece of Bismarck's power politics.
