A message from John White

As a Staff Officer at 1st Mechanised Brigade in the early 1990s, I was involved in organising the Brigade’s Staff Ride to the Franco-Prussian War. Ever since I have had a fascination with the major changes which occurred in Central and Western Europe from the 1860s leading up to the outbreak of The Great War in 1914. My latest bespoke tour is looking at how Prussia and a united Germany came to dominate Europe at the expense of the Austrian and French Empires. This is a natural development from my last tour visiting Napoleon’s great Central European battles against the Austrian, Prussian and Russian Empires (which followed on from previous tours to the Peninsular War and the Zulu and Boer Wars in South Africa).

We have a very knowledgeable and charismatic guide in Maj-Gen (Retd) John Drewienkiewicz (known as “DZ”). All the administration and organising is again being done through Alan Rooney and The Cultural Experience. Our previous tours have been very sociable and good fun, as well as highly informative. They are run like a good British Army Staff Ride, but without the pressure to perform. As we are in Sedan, we will also look at Guderian’s Panzers crossing the Meuse in May 1940, breaking into France through bypassing the Maginot Line. We are ending the tour in Reims with a good Champagne tasting with dinner. Don’t be daunted by the price: it’s all inclusive with flights, 4* hotels, modern coach travel, all meals (except for one lunch and one dinner), wine, museum entrance fees, guiding and tour manager. This is a unique tour with a non-standard itinerary not available from the usual military themed tours. Hoping to see you on tour in April 2026. John

About the tour

This 10-day battlefield tour traces key conflicts of the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian Wars. Beginning with a flight to Prague and travel to Hradec Kralove, the tour explores the 1866 battles of Trautenau, Jičín, and the decisive clash at Königgrätz, where Prussia established dominance over Austria. After visiting the Chlum Museum and battlefield sites, we travel via Prague and Frankfurt to Rastatt, before continuing to Alsace-Lorraine for the 1870 campaign. Highlights include the frontier battles of Woerth and Spicheren, the cavalry clashes at Mars-la-Tour, and the set-piece battle of Gravelotte–St. Privat. At Sedan, key moments of France’s defeat and Napoleon III’s capture are examined. The tour concludes with an exploration of the 1940 German Blitzkrieg at Sedan, visiting Meuse crossing points and French defensive sites. A champagne tasting in Reims offers a lighter finale before the return flight from Paris. Expert-led discussions and visits to museums and memorials enrich the historical experience throughout.

The Franco-Prussian War (1870–71) was the most significant European conflict since Waterloo, reshaping the continent for decades. Its roots lay in Prussia's decisive victory over Austria in 1866, culminating in the massive Battle of Kőniggrätz, where nearly half a million men fought in a single day. This victory established Prussia’s dominance in Germany and fostered the myth that future wars would be short and decisive: a belief later shattered in 1914. Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, intent on unifying Germany, provoked war with France, ruled by Napoleon III. The conflict revealed the stark contrast between the modern, efficient Prussian military under Helmuth von Moltke and the poorly organized French Army. Prussia quickly won a series of crushing victories, leading to Napoleon’s abdication, the fall of the Second Empire, and the rise of the French Third Republic. The war concluded with the Siege of Paris and the suppression of the Paris Commune. In 1871, a unified German Empire was proclaimed at Versailles, humiliating France and sowing seeds of deep enmity that would help lead to World War I.

Day 1: Outward Travel.
Fly London Heathrow to Prague (departs 13:25). Travel to Hradec Kralove and check-in to our hotel for three nights. Introductory talk over pre-dinner drinks. (D)

Day 2: 1866: The frontier battles of Trautenau and Jicin.
At Trutnov (Trautenau), the only Austrian victory of the war, follow a well-marked woodland trail leading to St John’s Chapel, where we examine the fierce encounter between Gablenz’s Austrian 10th Corps and the Prussian 1st Corps as it struggled to deploy from the mountain passes. This atmospheric setting vividly illustrates the challenges of terrain, command, and surprise. In the afternoon, visit Jičín (Gitschin), where on June 29, two divisions of the Prussian Elbe Army launched a coordinated assault on the Austrian 1st Corps, resulting in a confused but critical Prussian victory. Here, we'll analyse the fragmented Austrian defence and the tactical innovations that signalled the shifting momentum of the campaign. (B,L,D).

Day 3: 1866: Decisive Prussian victory at Königgrätz.
The exhibits at the Chlum Museum set the stage for our tour of this pivotal battle. Climb the viewing tower for a breathtaking panorama of the battlefield, stretching across rolling fields and villages. Follow the line of the Austrian defensive positions, still marked by memorials and terrain features. Compare the command decisions of Benedek and Moltke. Explore the dense Swiep Wood, the focal point of brutal combat that drained Austria’s last reserves. Visit the eerie Battery of the Dead, where massed artillery met its tragic end. Finally, return via Chlum and Rosberitz (Rozběřice) to discuss the desperate Austrian counterattacks in the battle’s closing moments. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Interlude and Rastatt.
A long travel day as we switch from the 1866 campaign in Bohemia to that of 1870 in Alsace-Lorraine. Return to Prague for flights to Frankfurt. Thence to the historic fortress museum at Rastatt with its fabulous collection showcasing German military history, weapons, and uniforms. We spend the night at Karlsruhe. (B,D)

Day 5: 1870: The frontier battles of Woerth and Spicheren.
We begin at the Woerth Battlefield Museum, then explore the French defensive positions and the fierce fighting in the Niederwald, culminating in General Michel’s heroic but ill-fated cavalry charge at Morsbronn. At Elsasshausen, we visit the Artillery Tower and discuss the brutal struggle for the Galgenberg Heights, the Prussian encirclement, and the valiant charges of Bonnemain’s cuirassiers, ending with the final stand of Ducrot’s division at Froeschwiller. Later, at Spicheren, we examine General Frossard’s II Corps response, trace the German assault on the Rotherberg, and follow their advance onto the commanding Spicheren Heights. Continue to Metz where we spend the next two nights. (B,L,D).

Day 6: 1870: French entrapment.
We spend a full day exploring the pivotal Battle of Vionville–Mars-la-Tour, where Alvensleben’s III Corps blocked the French retreat to Verdun. Highlights include the seizure of the Verdun Road, von Bredow’s legendary “death ride,” the Guard Cuirassiers’ charge, and fierce fighting at Maison Rouge and the Fond de la Cuve. At Ville-sur-Yron, we examine one of Europe’s last great cavalry clashes. The day ends with a visit to the excellent 1870 War Museum at Gravelotte. Return to Metz where the rest of the day and evening is at your leisure (B,L)

Day 7: 1870: The failed breakout.
We devote a full day to exploring Gravelotte–St. Privat, the first major set-piece battle of the campaign. Our tour begins in the Mance Ravine, examining the key French positions at Point du Jour and Moscow Farm. We then follow the northern front line through Verneville and Amanvillers, tracing the advance of the Prussian Guard up the open slope toward St. Privat. Concluding our tour at the cemetery and churchyard, the heart of Canrobert’s final defensive stand, we head to Sedan, our base for the next two nights. (B,L,D)

Day 8: 1870: Napoleon captured, France humiliated.
We begin at the “Dernière Cartouche” Museum and ossuary at Bazeilles, then explore key sites from the Battle of Sedan: La Moncelle, where MacMahon was wounded; the Prussian Guard’s artillery at Daigny; and the Calvaire d’Illy, scene of Margueritte’s charge. At Floing, we examine the final French cavalry attacks and the Braves Gens memorial. The tour concludes with the sites of French capitulation: Donchery’s Weavers’ Cottage, Château Bellevue, and the Iges Peninsula. (B,L,D)

Day 9: 1940: Blitzkrieg.
Explore the 1940 Battle of Sedan where German forces crossed the Meuse, broke French lines, and launched the Blitzkrieg. Visit the Meuse crossing points, bunker ruins, key high ground at Marfée Heights, and sites of the French defensive collapse. Thence to Reims where we explore the cellars of one of its champagne houses and sample its wares. Our final night is spent in this historic and regal city (B,L,D)

Day 10: Home.
Drive to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport for return flights to London (arrives 14:45). (B)