Napoleon III

Napoleon III Emperor of France

This French 5 francs coin issued by Napoleon III has a major historic connection to Germany. Sounds like a bit of a stretch until one realizes that Bismarck’s plans for the unification of the German states would not have been possible if Napoleon III had not let himself be pressured into declaring war on Prussia and making France the first combatant in that war to invade enemy territory. The French opening gambit was short lived and the rest is history.