2020 Maps

Note about countries: 

Although today we think of Germany as a large European country, for most of its history Germany was not a united country. Each city or state was its own independent kingdom, electorate, or principality. It wasn’t until after the victory by Prussia, then the largest of the German states, in the Franco-Prussian War that the various groups became a united country under the leadership of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1871. 

Likewise, Italy was a collection of independent city states and kingdoms for most of its history. It was established as a country under the leadership of King Victor Emmanuel II in 1861 following a long and hard fought struggle. 

Many other countries in Europe have different names from the current map as a result of wars, peace treaties, and independence movements. 

Throughout these biographies, the countries will be referred to by the name the person would have known them as, with the modern day equivalent given in parentheses.