Jack of Harts

After the fall of Napoleon, France reeled from being the preeminent power on Continental Europe to what could effectively be called a third rate power.  The French monarchy collapsed into the Second Republic, and then Napoleon III reclaimed the throne.  He allied with the still powerful Austrian Empire, but when the Germanies defeated it in open war, the writing was on the wall.  Soon another French government fell, and France continued to stumble into the future.