Franco-Prussian

War of 1870-71 was caused directly by the offer of the Spanish Crown to Prince Leopold of Hohenzollem; but the efficiency and organization of the German army proved that the first cause of war would have been seized upon, though the actual declaration of war came from the French. Napoleon III. led the French, and King William of Pru ia led the Germans. The latter were in three armies, and the victories of the Third Army at We is sen burg and Worth drove the French back on Nancy; and the fatal battle of Grave lotte made Marshal Bazaine withdraw inside Metz. In attempting to relieve him, Marshal MacMahon was surrounded at Sedan on September 1 and on the following day both the fortre and the; army surrendered, Napoleon himself, 50 generals, 5000 subordinate officers, and 84,000 soldiers of the line becoming prisoners. The immediate result was a revolution in Paris, and Gambetta’s proclamation of a Republic the ultimate result was the capitulation of Metz by; Bazaine and 01 Strasburg. This set free enough German troops to closely blockade Paris, which surrendered after a siege of several months. The terms of peace were the ce ion of nearly all Alsace and nearly a quarter of Lorraine, an indemnity of £200,000,000 and temporary occupation of part of France till the indemnity was paid—which was on September 3, 1873, an extraordinarily short time for such a huge sum. bearing trees, the F. used in religious ceremonies coming from India. statesman, was bom in 1706. He was a clever man and made some important discoveries in electricity, but was not a man of high morality. in 1786, and died near Lancaster Sound in 1847. He was in the battles of Copenhagen and Trafalgar, and accompanied Captain Flinders on his Australian voyage. He began his Arctic work in 1819, and was knighted in 1827 after his second voyage. He was governor of Tasmania from 1836 to 1843, and then in 1845 started with the Erclnis and the Terror for a third polar voyage. From the end of 1845 till 1859 no news was ever heard of the expedition, but in the latter year M'Lintock discovered a paper detailing the fate of the expedition and its leader. born in 1121, and became Emperor on the death of his uncle in 1152. His principal aim was to extend the German power in Italy, and between 1154 and 1166 Italy was practically at his mercy, and he was even crowned at Rome but in 1166 a terrible plague decimated his whole; army, and he had to hastily retreat out of the country. Eventually he lost practically all that he had ever won in Italy, by the Battle of Lcgnano. He died in Syria in 1190 at the head of 150,000 Crusaders. ceeded to the throne of Pru ia in 1740. lie conquered Silesia, and then set to work to develop his country and improve her defences. He died in 1785, leaving to his nephew a kingdom increased by 29,000 square miles, a full treasury, a most efficient army of 200,000 men, and a people distinguished for industry, honesty, and wealth. He had the good fortune to have his life written by Thomas Carlyle.