This document provides background information about the author Alphonse Daudet and the context of his short story "The Last Lesson." Daudet was a 19th century French novelist and short story writer. The Last Lesson is set during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, when Prussia defeated France and gained control of the French regions of Alsace and Lorraine. The document encourages readers to read the story to understand how this political change impacted school life.