Interesting European history topics from 1800 - 2000?

Europeans were the first known terrorists

1858- Italy:

Pope Pious IX authorized the kidnapping of a six-year-old Jewish boy (Edgardo Mortara) from his home in Bologna, Italy. He was then raised as a Catholic and later became a priest.

The boy, whose family maid thought was about to die, baptized the child. But he lived. The pope heard about the baptism and authorized the child's removal from his home and made him a ward of the Vatican. The pope had the legal authority to do this because he was the ruler of the Papal States at the time. Try as they might, the boy's family could never get him back.

The Troubles in Ireland is a good one. By the end of researching it most people end up on a side. It's interesting and was pretty well documented.

In chronological order;

The Napoleonic Era - Period of time following the French Revolution from 1804 - 1815, during which Napoleon reigned as the emperor of France and virtually controlled the whole continent for the span of a decade. He was ultimately defeated by his inability to conquer Britain and suppress the Russians.

Imperialism - How Europe was the powerhouse of the world for the larger part of the two centuries. European colonies extended from South East Asia all the way to the Americas.

The unification of Italy & Germany - Up until around 1860 for Italy and 1871 for Germany, the area where they exist today, was made up of a multitude of smaller nations/states. There's quite a bit to research on and it's definitely one of the most interesting topics.

The Crimean War - Russia vs. Western Europe for control of the fading Ottoman Empire's past territories.

Berlin Conference - Where the European powers carved up Africa into spheres of their own influence

World War I, World War II

Communism - The rise of the Soviet Union to power, it's rivalry with the Western powers etc.

There is obviously much more but I've hit on most of the most famous and intriguing topics during the time period. Good luck!