An analysis of the performance of the American ministers in Paris and Berlin during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 71 and their impact on American policy. Examines the ways in which each minister "served Washington inadequately in different ways," providing lessons for future diplomacy. Focuses on perceptions of the war by the American diplomatic establishment and draws lessons about the conduct and misconduct of foreign affairs. Originally published in 1980 by the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy.