Strasbourg lay at the heart of the conflict. When German forces entered French territory in August, Strasbourg was the first major city they targeted. For six weeks, from August 15 to September 27, the armies of Prussia and Baden
bombarded Strasbourg. German bombs killed three hundred citizens, wounded three thousand more, and caused enormous damage to public and private buildings, including the cathedral roof and the irreplaceable libraries
housed in the New Church. The siege exhibited the important issues raised during the Franco-Prussian War in microcosm: the targeting of civilians, the destruction of cultural sites, the revolution in the midst of war,
and the sacrifice of one’s own civilians for the cause. The siege alone did not determine the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War, of course, but the symbolism of Strasbourg elevated its importance in the minds of French and German alike.
The loss of Strasbourg, along with the rest of the region of Alsace and most of neighboring Lorraine, was one of the most important consequences of the war.
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