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The Franco-Prussian War (July 19, 1870 – May 10, 1871) was a conflict between the Kingdom of Prussia, seeking to achieve German unification, and the Second French Empire, which sought to prevent it. It is also known as the War of 1870. The war resulted in the collapse of the Second French Empire and the establishment of the Third Republic in France, while Prussia integrated all member states of the German Confederation except Austria to establish the German Empire. The immediate cause of the war was the Ems Dispatch, which arose from the issue of the Spanish succession. As tensions escalated and public opinion soured between the French and Prussian peoples, France declared war to curb Prussian expansion and maintain its dominant position in Europe.