La guerre contre la Prusse commence en 1870. Il durera trois ans.
In French, writing stories which happen in the past, in the present tense is normal, not surprising, not avant-garde, completely standard.
In English this is not the case. Although there are quite a few modern novelists who choose to write in the present, this is to give a specific, exceptional effect. This present tense is so suprising that some newspapers have written articles about its use.
This article from The Guardian is a good example
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/21/rise-of-the-present-tense-in-fiction-hilary-mantel
Nobody would write a newspaper article in French about the use of the present in narratives, because it is completely standard.
The article from The Guardian exaggerates : the standard is still absolutely the preterite in English. It is a risk to translate into the present, and, as everyone knows, exams are not the right time for risky behaviour .
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