A Diplomat's Memoir of 1870 being the account of a balloon escape from the siege of Paris and a political mission to London and Vienna

In autumn 1870, as Prussian guns encircled Paris, a young French lawyer was thrust into a desperate mission. Frederic Reitlinger, private secretary to the provisional government, was chosen to escape the besieged capital by balloon—a risky ascent over artillery fire and a city ablaze. His vivid recollection captures the rattling gondola, the fleeting view of a shattered skyline, and the raw urgency felt by a nation on the brink of collapse.

After landing, Reitlinger raced to London and Vienna, hoping to win diplomatic support for France. He details tense audiences with British ministers who, despite private sympathy, refused to intervene, and a chilly reception at the Austrian court where old rivalries lingered. Through his eyes we hear polite refusals and the quiet disappointment that foreshadowed the larger geopolitical shifts reshaping Europe. The memoir blends personal bravery with a keen insight into why the allies remained silent when France needed them most.