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France declares war on Prussia, sparking a conflict that shatters the Second Emp
Featured Event 1870 Event

July 19

France Declares War on Prussia: Path to United Germany

France declares war on Prussia, sparking a conflict that shatters the Second Empire and births the German nation-state in 1871. The defeat forces Napoleon III into exile and redraws the map of Europe by annexing Alsace-Lorraine to the new Reich.

July 19, 1870

156 years ago

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