The Franco-Prussian War

The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War , often referred to in France as the War of 1870 (19 July 1870 – 10 May 1871), was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the German states of the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. The conflict was caused by Prussian ambitions to extend German unification. Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck planned to provoke a French attack in order to draw the southern German states—Baden, Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse-Darmstadt—into an alliance with the North German Confederation dominated by Prussia.

The Austro-Prussian War

The Austro-Prussian War or Seven Weeks' War (also known as the Unification War, Prussian–German War, German Civil War, or Fraternal War and in Germany as German War) was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the other, that resulted in Prussian dominance over the German states.

Crisis & Revolution in Russia (1905)

The 1870 Battle of Sedan and the surrender of an Emperor

The History Guy remembers the Battle of Sedan and the surrender of an Emperor, which brought down one empire and gave rise to another.

Joseph Petrosino and the Black Hand

In turn of the century New York City, criminals calling themselves "the Black Hand" preyed upon Italian immigrants who were afraid to report the crimes. One determined officer took on what has been called the precursor to the mafia.