A Duel of Nations: Germany, France, and the Diplomacy of the War of 1870–1871

“The history of Europe after Sedan was the struggle for stability in the face of rising German power, and 1870–71 was the cockpit of that struggle. In A Duel of Nations, David Wetzel puts us there in gripping detail: a preemptive war, a rapid battlefield defeat, regime change, an insurgency, atrocities, sweating statesmen, an indignant international community, and all of the auguries of 1914—German pride, French revenge, Russian fear, and British tentativeness.”—Geoffrey Wawro, Military History Center, University of North Texas

“Wetzel’s presentation is so riveting as to make the work a page-turner even for specialists who know what comes next.”—Dennis E. Showalter, Colorado College

“David Wetzel has written a great book about one of the most important, yet oddly neglected, events in European history. The Franco-Prussian
War comes alive in Wetzel’s hands thanks to his deft portaits of key figures like Otto von Bismarck, acute analysis, and deep research in multiple languages.”—Eric D. Weitz, City College, City University of New York

“The work is carefully researched and is further enhanced by an extensive bibliographical essay. . . . This will likely become one of the main references of this brief but significant period in the birth of modern European history. Highly recommended.”—Choice

“The book is an impressive piece of scholarship. Well written and incisively argued, it is based on a clear command of the available secondary literature and printed primary sources, as well as vast multinational archival research.”—German Studies Review