Franco-Prussian War

American  

[frang-koh pruhsh-uhn] / ˈfræŋ koʊ ˈprʌʃ ən /

noun

1. the war between France and Prussia, 1870–71.

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Franco-Prussian War British  

noun

1. the war of 1870–71 between France and Prussia culminating in the fall of the French Second Empire and the founding of the German empire

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Example Sentences

Even before World War I and II, war had ravaged the European continent, from the Napoleonic Wars to the Franco-Prussian War.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Impressionism would not have taken the form it did without the Franco-Prussian War and the civil war inside Paris of 1870-71.

From Washington Post • Feb. 3, 2023

In a sign of his patriotism, he volunteered for the National Guard during the Franco-Prussian War before assuming the directorship of the Paris Conservatory in 1871.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2023

With the exception of the Franco-Prussian War, their impact on civilian society was minimal, with little loss of civilian life or destruction of property.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

A nationalistic approach also began informing his choice of subject matter, especially after the Germans defeated the French in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall