WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.650 Hi, I'm Jesse Alexander, 00:00:01.650 --> 00:00:06.180 and thank you for supporting this companion episode of Glory and Defeat. 00:00:06.180 --> 00:00:08.055 In today's regular episode, 00:00:08.055 --> 00:00:11.850 we covered the naval duel between the Meteor and the Bouvier. WEBVTT 00:00:11.850 --> 00:00:15.570 Today we'll talk about the Franco-Prussian war at sea. 00:00:15.570 --> 00:00:19.810 In 1870, France had the second-largest Navy in the world, 00:00:19.810 --> 00:00:22.785 but it was meant to defend France's global empire WEBVTT 00:01:40.390 --> 00:01:44.375 The most successful raider was the steam Corvette Augusta, 00:01:44.375 --> 00:01:49.945 which captured a couple of small French ships on the coast in January 1871. 00:01:49.945 --> 00:01:52.775 One of these was the transport ship mass, WEBVTT 00:01:52.775 --> 00:01:55.580 which was carrying supplies for the French military. 00:01:55.580 --> 00:01:58.700 German officer Victor Valois recalled how 00:01:58.700 --> 00:02:03.690 the poorly equipped crew of the Augusta benefited from the capture. WEBVTT 00:02:03.850 --> 00:02:06.785 As far as the price is concerned, 00:02:06.785 --> 00:02:09.515 once Captain Weickhmann had gotten our agreement, 00:02:09.515 --> 00:02:12.260 we distributed the uniforms to the crew. WEBVTT 00:02:12.260 --> 00:02:14.705 The men really needed them. 00:02:14.705 --> 00:02:18.025 There were shirts and trousers of dark blue wool. 00:02:18.025 --> 00:02:22.180 Every man got three or four suits. WEBVTT 00:02:22.660 --> 00:02:25.505 Once the German sailors were closed, 00:02:25.505 --> 00:02:29.045 they evacuated the French crew and sank the mass. 00:02:29.045 --> 00:02:32.450 Ironically, the Augusta was built in Bordeaux for sale to WEBVTT 00:02:32.450 --> 00:02:37.535 the Confederate Navy in 1864 but was instead sold to Prussia. 00:02:37.535 --> 00:02:40.095 Thanks again for supporting Glory and Defeat. WEBVTT 00:02:40.095 --> 00:02:42.970 I'll see you next week. WEBVTT 00:00:22.785 --> 00:00:26.385 and not to operate against the German's tiny fleet. 00:00:26.385 --> 00:00:29.700 France's advantage of 6 to 1 in warships and 00:00:29.700 --> 00:00:34.215 29 to 5 in armored ships didn't make much difference. WEBVTT 00:00:34.215 --> 00:00:38.630 The French toyed with the idea of landing troops on the German coast and bringing 00:00:38.630 --> 00:00:42.955 the Danes into the war or bombarding German coastal cities. WEBVTT 00:00:42.955 --> 00:00:45.455 But these were strategic dead ends. 00:00:45.455 --> 00:00:51.280 The French fleet's main activity was an attempted blockade in the North and Baltic Seas. WEBVTT 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:53.360 French warships sometimes fired on 00:00:53.360 --> 00:00:57.245 German merchant vessels and took their civilian crew's prisoner, 00:00:57.245 --> 00:01:00.670 which the Germans then exploited for propaganda purposes. WEBVTT 00:01:00.670 --> 00:01:07.145 Ironically, the main contribution of the large and experienced French navy was on land. 00:01:07.145 --> 00:01:11.180 Fifty-seven thousand French Marines played a major role in WEBVTT 00:01:11.180 --> 00:01:15.320 the early battles as the elite troops of the Second Empire. 00:01:15.320 --> 00:01:18.845 The French Navy also provided 1,000 heavy guns, 00:01:18.845 --> 00:01:23.480 176 field batteries for use in French fortresses. WEBVTT 00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:27.620 Even less could be expected of the tiny Prussian Navy. 00:01:27.620 --> 00:01:30.470 The North German authorities made sure to protect WEBVTT 00:01:30.470 --> 00:01:33.380 coastal estuaries with artillery and gunboats, 00:01:33.380 --> 00:01:37.625 but the most the Navy could do other than the meteors self-proclaimed victory 00:01:37.625 --> 00:01:40.390 with a few raids against French commerce.