The story below is fictionalized but the main events in it are true to the best of my knowledge.
Otto Von Bismarck, the chancellor of Prussia had a lot on his mind. He was now basically the first chancellor of Germany, Many German states had unified under Prussian leadership due to events we covered in part 1. I will now begin to refer to Prussia as Germany, the creation of Germany is not yet complete but Bismarck's country is now bigger than just Prussia. There were some states between France and Germany, German speaking states who Bismarck wanted to add to this collection that makes up Germany. How to get them though? Well, he could easily take them by force, but, that wouldn't do because there would then be tension. Their would be a risk of civil war. No, he needed them to join Germany voluntarily, but, life was decent in these states, so why would they change? The best way he saw it was for them to feel threatened by something scary. France came to mind, France was regarded as the mightiest power in Europe, to find a mightier power, it was thought you had to go to Britain or Russia. So, if France was angry at Germany, and if France initiated a war, these German states would automatically gravitate to Germany for protection. So, Otto needed a war, a war that France started. How to get such a war? He waited for an opportunity to provoke France. Meanwhile, he brought in General Helmut Von Moltke, and tasked him with planning, dealing with France was no small thing after all. General Von Moltke was a genius, he got detailed maps of France and Germany, he studied train schedules, and he rethought tradition in terms of how to organize an army. With a good grasp of terrain, train schedules, and train track locations, he was very efficient with coordinating army movements. He redesigned the army placements, he organized infantry into small fighting units instead of one big mass. His small fighting units, or platoons, could surround and attack a large enemy army from all sides, causing confusion. He also put a heavy emphasis on artillery, both in terms of having the best cannons and in terms of placing it close enough to do serious damage. Now back to Bismarck, when Spain wanted a new crown to replace their queen, he promoted a man of Prussian nobility, this would have surrounded France with Germany on one side and a German ally on the other. This man was never made king of Spain, but, France was quite aggravated by the ordeal. They sent an ambassador to the king of Germany to ask him not to do this again. The king allowed Otto to publish a copy of the conversation, so Otto carefully edited it in order to make the French think they were insulted by the German king, and to make the Germans think their king was insulted by the French ambassador. It worked, France was now spoiling for a fight.
Napoleon III and his generals thought that with France's track record, this would be a walk to Berlin, he would shut this whole German thing down and make it part of France or at least an obedient ally. He also thought that the German states would let him liberate them. In some cases generals forgot or didn't bother packing maps on the French side. they lunged straight into Germany, full of confidence, and right into the trap that the German leadership had laid for them. napoleon's entire army was surrounded and captured. Even Napoleon III was captured. The French people tried to organize a new government to beat back the German onslaught, but it didn't work, the Germans' seized Paris. The French side's confidence, and lack of thought stood in a stark contrast to the Germans, it wasn't as much a lack of intelligence on the French side as it was a lack of willingness to use intelligence due to overconfidence. The small German states had sided with Prussian led Germany during this conflict, and now, they decided to stay, and the Germany we know today was born. To be clear, the government of this Germany has changed several times since then due to world wars, but, Germany, as an idea, exists at least partially because of Otto Von Bismarck and his careful, deceitful, cunning, and controlled intellect. Some of the credit also goes to the very thoughtful, analytical General Helmut Von Moltke. Napoleon III and his government got the blame for his government's lack of thought and his capture as well. France scrubbed his government, and once Germany let them, started over with a new government. This was also the only time that France took on Germany without Britain's help. This has been the story of the Franco-Prussian war from the intellectual point of view, as I see it. It lasted for only a bit over 6 months.
For the Christian, intellect, is one of the 3 parts of the renewed mind Paul speaks of in Romans 12:2. Although thinking hard won Otto and Helmut the war, and they had a lot of worldly power but it did cost a lot of lives, involved a lot of deception, and I am not advocating for it. Both of these men still died, and at their death, no power, what after all, was the point?
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The answer is surrender actually, to God, let Him take over your intellect, like Peter did. Peter was a fisherman, not formally educated, but, when he sold out, he sold out. He was seized by the Holy Spirit, and authorities marveled, at his boldness in the way he spoke to them. (Acts 4) I wonder, if when you get to heaven, and you ask Peter if it was worth it, what would he say?
-Loren
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