Emperor Napoleon III (1808-1873)

[chaz]

After a short siege the Prussians entered Strassbourg , and would seize all of Alsace and Loraine, France would not recover them until the Treaty of Versailles at the end of the 1914-1918 war. Now the Prussians moved on toward Paris laying siege to that city, the government fled, some by hot air balloon. The siege of Paris would last more than a year, by that time the citizens were starving, having eaten the animals of the zoo, and most of the pets and the rats of the city.

[chaz]

Napoleon III could add another debacle to his earlier failure to place Maximillian von Hapsburg on a throne in Mexico, against the wishes of the people there. Maximillian and his entorage would escape from Mexico with the looted treasury, through New Mexico. However that treasure would prove too difficult to transport. Leading to the legend that it was sequestered in a cave in Vitorio Peak in southern New Mexico.

[chaz]

Meanwhile in 1871 the Prussian Foreign Minister Otto von Bismarck was consolidating territories conquered in recent wars, into the 2nd Reich ruled by the Prussian (von Hohenzolern )monarchy. The Prussian vicotories of1864 wars against Austria and Denmark and the newly conqured Alsace and Loraine.

[chaz]

Bismarck the Chancellor of Prussia is responsible for the first unification of Germany (Deutschland) which now became the official name of that country, and still exists under that appelation. Henceforth Bismarck would be known as the "Iron Chancellor".

[chaz]

Surrender at Sedan
N III and the remnants of his armies were able to evade the Prussians and escape to Sedan, a city north east of Paris which contained a fortress, which they occupied.
When the Kaiser learned of this, he ordered Moltke to conduct a constant and relentless shelling of the fort.
This bombardment led Napoleon III to surrender.
Bismarck entered the city to receive the surrender.
Perhaps NIII expected to be treated in a fashion equal to his self appointed rank.
But Bismarck seated the Emperor on a rude wooden bench to dictate terms of surrender to him.
These terms included an agreement that Germany would retain Alsace and Lorraine. forever.

[An Ard Ri]

Royal Anniversary - 20th of April,1808 - Birth of future Napoleon III

[chaz]

This is a correction of certain erroneus facts in the previous writing about Maximillian von Hapsburg. In the year 1864 the Mexican Army defeated the French at the battle of Puebla on May 5th, a date that is still celebrated amongst Mexicans and Chicanos. Maximillian went to Chapultepec Palace which had been a fortress before conversion to a palace . The Empress Carlotta fled through New Mexico with the Mexican treasury. Maximillian remained in Chapultepec, the war with Mexico continued for three more years, Maximillian' repeatedly begged NIII for more French troops, but none were forthcoming. Finally defeated after 3 more years, the Mexican army captured Maximillian and he was executed by firing squad.

[An Ard Ri]

Napoléon, Prince Imperial was killed on June 1st,1879 during the Anglo-Zulu War.