The article conveys many details about the political tensions that caused the war and propelled it forward. In contrast, in the story, the characters do not seem to represent this historical context. They don't act like serious enemies at war. In fact, they seem disconnected from most official aspects of the war.
The article describes the strength of the German military force (400,000 German troops led by "the great strategist” Helmuth Karl Bernhard) and the haphazard nature of the smaller French force (for example, the French surrender after Paris was bombarded and its citizens tried "to stave off the enemy with crude and makeshift weapons"). In the story, the Prussian soldiers do not convey the sense of being part of a strong military force. They are out of their element—lost and hungry—so they seek help from the peasant woman Berthine. The French forces do seem haphazard in the story. Clearly, the peasants in the village are not experienced at war and are not highly professional. The men who are officially in charge are less clever than Berthine, whose actions lead to capturing the enemy soldiers. Their lack of wits is evident when they try to get the enemy soldiers to leave the basement, and when they make a game of running in front of the opening, resulting in the baker’s injury by gunfire. Berthine's bravery and effectiveness contrast with the ineffectiveness of her fellow villagers.
The story’s contrast with the official details of the war underscores the oddity of the story’s characters. The article provides a broader depiction of the war at the national level, while Maupassant seems to be commenting on the common people that experience the war at the local level. His story creates a sadly comical feel about the events of the war in a French village.
