Bismarck,Crown Prince Frederick William,and the Hohenzollern candidacy revisited

Although historians have valuable information on the Hohernzollem candidacy for the Spanish throne which initiated the Franco‐Prussian war of 1870–71, Bismarck's motivation in the affair remains unclear. This article examines factors underemphasised by historians, especially the attitude of Crown Prince Frederick William toward the candidacy. Though critical of Bismarck's involvement in the origins of the wars of 1864 and 1866, the crown prince supported the candidacy and held that Bismarck did not initiate it with the intent of harming French interests. This new evidence indicates that the candidacy was not an instrument of war but a project that allowed Bismarck to keep his options open.