1870-1871: The Franco-Prussian War | A British War Correspondent (Part 2)

Part 2: When it broke out on July 19, 1870, the war between France and the coalition of kingdoms united under the banner of King William I of Prussia was one of the first conflicts in which the technical advances of the industrial era played a major role: the train, the telegraph, photography, but also the popular press, then in full swing. So the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/​71 is also a media war. When it erupted in July 1870, the world's most famous war reporter at the time rushed to the scenes in France.

The 49-year-old Briton William Howard Russell writes for the London Times. After having cut his teeth in Crimea and India Russell was dispatched by the Times to the Prussian general staff. From the battle of Bazeilles, in August 1870, until the birth of the German Empire, proclaimed at Versailles after the French defeat in January 1871, this clever observer delivers balanced testimony on the cruelty of the conflict, not only for the combatants, but also for civilian populations.

Part 3: https://rumble.com/v6do56m-1870-1871-the-franco-prussian-war-a-prussian-general-staff-officer-part-3.html