The ems dispatch was edited without adding or changing words, it was only reduced by eliminating some words, which in the end, according to Bismarck, the difference in the effect was not the result of stronger words, but of the form, what made the telegram seem stronger and decisive, while the original version would only have been considered as an unfinished negotiation.
The negotiation reported in the telegram, between King Wilhelm and French ambassador Vincent Benedetti, was rather friendly and the king chose not to take any action. Although, Bismarck wanted war, so he edited the ems dispatch text believing that it "would have the effect of a red rag on the Gallic [French] bull", making the king's refusal more poignant than it really was. So it happened that the telegram became a kicking point to the Franco-Prussian War, after causing a negative reaction in both Germans and French.
