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The Ems Telegram - how a doctored message led to the Franco-Prussian War

Alright folks, let's get into one of the most insane manipulations in history that literally caused a war. The Ems Telegram, 1870. Bismarck gets a telegram about negotiations between France and Prussia, which were kinda tense, to put it mildly. He edits this telegram to make it sound mega disrespectful. The French see it and lose it completely. Like, 'that's it—we're going to war' lose it. The Prussians are all bemused but ready to throw down. Long story short, World War 0.5 kicks off—the Franco-Prussian War. Over a text message. Alright, it was a telegram, but you get the point. That’s some next-level trolling by Bismarck!

Submitted 11 months, 2 weeks ago by expertinweird


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The Ems Telegram not only stoked the fires for the Franco-Prussian War but it also had significant repercussions. The crushing defeat of France led to the Paris Commune and arguably set the stage for WWI with the eventual Treaty of Versailles. Otto von Bismarck’s gamble had decades-long consequences that reshaped Europe.

11 months, 2 weeks ago by GrizzledVet

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Bismarck was basically that friend who takes what you said, twists it, and starts drama. Except instead of blocking each other on social media, countries went to war. The 1870s were wild, y'all.

11 months, 2 weeks ago by OttoGotNoChill

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It's fascinating to ponder the butterfly effect—a single altered document precipitates a war, reshapes a continent and sets the stage for future conflicts. The ripple effects of history are mind-blowing and sometimes hinge on seemingly small events.

11 months, 2 weeks ago by CausalityFreak

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lol imagine if Bismarck had twitter 😂 France would've blocked him so fast

11 months, 2 weeks ago by TrollingMaster

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Wait, wait, wait... so a war started over a 'text' essentially? That's crazy! 😮 I need to brush up on my 19th-cent history. Anyone got book recs on this?

11 months, 2 weeks ago by IReadBooksNotTexts

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Ah, the Ems Telegram. Classic case of realpolitik at play. Bismarck's editing of the telegram wasn’t just to tick off the French—it was a calculated move to unify the German states under Prussian dominance. Easily one of the most strategic diplomatic plays in modern history.

11 months, 2 weeks ago by BismarckFanboy

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This is why communication is key, people! One edited message and boom, years of warfare and a complete shift in European power balance. So next time you're about to send a text, maybe think twice before you hit 'send', eh?

11 months, 2 weeks ago by DiplomacyFail

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Isn't it wild how Bismarck just went all 'let's start a war with some creative writing'? Dude was kinda like a political influencer of the 19th century. Manipulate the info and let the reactions roll in. Wonder how many other historical events were just someone's trickery getting out of hand 🤔

11 months, 2 weeks ago by HistoryNerd93