Will Kürlich Kerl
Banned
Challenge: Have the Franco-Prussian War happen in the 1850s instead of at 1870.
Challenge: Have the Franco-Prussian War happen in the 1850s instead of at 1870.
I don´t think this would work since a (or even the) key motivation for the German nationalist movement was security from France, especially from its desire for the Rhine border. Only the most radical republicans might be willing to ally with a French state openly talking about that and they would immediately loose most of their support in Germany. Thus they would not cause a major diplomatic incident, but be pretty much ignored since they would pose less of a threat to the German monarchs than Jesse James did for the existence of the US after the ACW.Seeing this, maybe a few revolutionaries fleeing from Prussia/Germany regroup in France in order to bring revolution to the German states. They are openly supported by the French government, who is also supporting revolutionary incursions into Belgium/Switzerland. Given this, the Prussian government demands that the French hand these revolutionaries over, and Paris refuses. War then breaks out between France and Prussia.
Therussian army mobilised in 1859 forcing Napoleon III to end the war with Austria for fear of a Prussian intervention. Supposing he hadn't and Prussia declared war.
Maybe the internal situation in France remains more tense after the 48 revolution. Say the new president (the later Napoleon III.) tries to push a fairly conservative reaction faster and further than otl. To divert the attention he restarts the Rhine Crisis in early 49. In Germany the Frankfurt parliament reacts harshly and offer the Prussian King overall military command instead of offering him the crown or at least they emphasize this reason. Thus due to popular pressure and the threat he is unable to turn them down completely. Things spirale out of control from there.
The level of power is more even than twenty years later: Industrialisation is not as far advanced in Germany, the faster growing population is not as felt yet and the Prussian army (and by extension the minor German ones) are still organised after the old Landwehr system, thus average training of reservists is less. Several doctrine changes also still lack and the equipment is less superior (the needle gun just starts to get adopted for example). OTOH some core advantages of the German military thought, like Führen durch Auftrag and a modern officer corps are already in place, while the French army has barely changed at all since Napoleon I.
Furthermore the international situation is very difficult for the German side: Austria would not like a Prussian-led Germany at all and Russia will dislike the possible entrenching of the German revolutionaries in government such a war might allow. OTOH the Russians won´t like the French either and Britain might favour the at this time still weaker than later Germany.
Therussian army mobilised in 1859 forcing Napoleon III to end the war with Austria for fear of a Prussian intervention. Supposing he hadn't and Prussia declared war.
Prussia mobilised in support of Austria in 1859 Napoleon chose to negotiate peace with Austria after Solferino. But if he hadn't and Prussia intervened here is your Franco Prussian War