Mortal Enemies
They were but a few feet from each other, they stood still; wary; alert, their weapons at the ready. They stared intensely, peering into each other`s souls, the hatred exuding from their bodies, the fire burning passionately in their eyes. They would only ever meet on the battlefield, faceless, nameless, anonymous; they are opponents; adversaries, rivals. They will fight to the death.
They are "Mortal Enemies"
Unfortunately, many wars have been fought throughout time, however the uniforms, armor, heraldry, and art of war remain to this day intriguing. The "Mortal Enemies" project will introduce modelers to the two sides of each war, we will carefully select interesting, colourful and exciting themes that will inspire modelers to paint, read and learn!
French and Prussian Officer - Franco Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian lasted from July 19th 1870 to May 10th 1871 and was fought between the German states of the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia and the Second French Empire of Napoleon III. Essentially the war started due to the ambitions of Prussia to unify Germany which resulted in fears within France about a shift of balance and power within Europe.
Amidst growing tensions and concerns on July 16th 1870, the French parliament voted to declare war on the German Kingdom of Prussia. Surprisingly the conflict began three days later with Germany invading northeastern France, with the French being caught unprepared. After a series of swift victories by German forces throughout France, Paris finally fell on January 28th 1871.
Further to winning the war Germany became a unified country and with the signing of the treaty of Frankfurt acquired the majority of Alsace and certain areas of Lorraine.
With the balance of power shifting considerably in Europe and Otto von Bismarck demanding great authority within Europe the foundations for World War I were laid.
