Europe 1870: Outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
1 September 1870
1 Sep 1870
German Unification
-27–68 Julio-Claudian Dynasty
68–96 Flavian Dynasty
96–192 Nerva–Antonine Dynasty
192–235 Severan Dynasty
235–268 Crisis of the Third Century: Turmoil
268–284 Crisis of the Third Century: Restoration
284–311 Diocletian and the Tetrarchy
311–363 Constantinian Dynasty
363–383 Valentinianic Dynasty
383–408 Theodosian Dynasty: Divided Empire
408–425 Theodosian Dynasty: The West Besieged
425–441 Theodosian Dynasty: Fall of Africa
441–455 Theodosian Dynasty: Hunnic Wars
455–1803 NO MAPS FOR THIS PERIOD YET
1803–1814 Napoleonic Wars
1814–1815 Vienna and Waterloo
1815–1848 Congress Europe
1848–1850 Springtime of Peoples
1850–1859 Crimean War
1859–1862 Italian Unification
1862–1871 German Unification
1871–1914 Imperial Europe
1914–1918 Great War
1918–1922 Armistice Europe
1922–1939 Rise of Fascism
1939–1942 World War II: Blitzkrieg
1942–1945 World War II: Fall of the Third Reich
1945–1990 Cold War
1990–2010 Post-Cold War Europe
2010–pres Crisis of Europe
Outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
24 Dec 1863 Schleswig-Holstein Question
30 Oct 1864 Second Schleswig War
14 Jun 1866 Outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War
24 Jun 1866 Second Battle of Custoza
22 Jul 1866 Königgrätz and its Aftermath
21 Dec 1867 Austro-Hungarian Compromise
1 Sep 1870 Outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
20 Sep 1870 Siege of Paris
28 Jan 1871 Unification of Germany and Fall of Paris
10 May 1871 Treaty of Frankfurt
In 1870 a Prussian prince accepted the Spanish throne. Outraged, the French made the prince back down, then tried to pressure the King of Prussia to never permit a Spanish candidacy. Bismarck immediately released this discussion to the press, carefully editing it to inflame both sides. The French declared war but the Prussians were better organized, surrounding and defeating Napoleon III's army at Sedan.
