Did that involved a failed state un-failing?

Arguably the US in the 1860s and '70s did involve a failed state. Then again, it arguably never un-failed.

- Jake

If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.

Germany did not fail in 1870. If anything it failed in 1866 and that was a comparatively harmless affair. In France the napoleonic regime failed. But prior to that it lasted twenty years, the average of 19th century political regimes in France. France the country didn't fail; neither the society nor the state was much changed.

Since the war was confined to two countries and one year the european order or balance did not fail either, especially compared to the Napoleonic wars or the world wars.