would use almost fifty years later, goading their enemies into an irrevocable stance and into war. Ducrot urged the French that a pre-emptive strike across the Rhine would catch Germany off guard and they could march all the way to Berlin. However, the French military heads had no plan in effect for a possible altercation with Germany and did not until the war was eminent. They toyed with the idea of a possible alignment with Austria-Hungary, but their government was wary of such an arrangement but agreed to a triple alliance that included Italy. This would, the Archduke estimated, create a force of nearly one million allied troops against a force of roughly half-a-million Germans (Hwd 47). Finally, the event that would spur the war came to pass. The Hohenzollern candidature for the Spanish crown had come open following the revolution against Queen Isabella in 1868. The crown was initially refused by Prince Charles Anthony and then offered to his son Leopold with the influence if William I. Leopold reluctantly accepted the Spanish crown out of respect and servitude to Germany (Hwd 48).The acceptance of the Spanish crown and the lack of anyone to announce it until considerable time had passed outraged the French and most of the remainder of Europe. France took it as a slap to the face; an attempt to undermine the security of her state. France demanded that no German prince should be considered ascend to the Spanish throne, which William refused to accept. William dismissed the French ambassador, Count Benedetti. Bismarck got wind of this story and leaked to the press that, His Majesty the King thereupon decided not to receive the French ambassador again, and sent to tell him through the aide-de-camp on duty that his Majesty had nothing further to communicate to the Ambassador. (Hwd 55) Within weeks, the two nations would be at war.The question of Spain and the Hohenzollern Candidature was one that weighed heavily on Napoleon IIIs mind. ...
