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How did Guy de Maupassant serve during the Franco-German War?
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Guy de Maupassant
French author Guy de Maupassant, photograph by Nadar (Gaspard-FĂ©lix Tournachon), c. 1885.
When the Franco-German War broke out, Guy de Maupassant interrupted his law studies in Paris to volunteer for service. He initially served as a private in the field before being transferred to the quartermaster corps, a move facilitated by his fatherâs intervention.1
Maupassant remained in the service until his demobilization in July 1871. His firsthand experiences during this conflict proved highly influential, providing the essential material for some of his most acclaimed short stories, most notably his masterpiece, Boule de suif.12