On July 19, 1870, the emperor of the Second French Empire, Napoleon III, declared war on Prussia. At the same time, William I of the Prussian Kingdom, representing Northern Germany and the Four Southern German States, declared war on the French Empire!
On July 28, Napoleon III chose to personally lead the army, traveling from Paris to Metz, and personally served as the commander of the Rhine Army Group, wielding a force of 200,000 troops.
Similarly, the king of Prussia, William I, also took personal command. The Prussian Army had William I as the supreme commander and Mao Qi as the chief of staff.
The Prussian Army was divided into three army groups: the First Corps was led by Carl Friedrich von Steinmetz, the Second Corps by Prince Friedrich Karl, and the Third Corps by Frederick III, with a total force of 470,000 troops.
