German Unification

Steps Toward Unification

        -Germany not unitedàpatchwork of 39 independent states

                -Shared common culture, language

-Napoleon created a confederation with Austria included

                        -German Confederation (but still not united)

        -Revolutions in 1848 spread to Germany

                -King Frederick Wilhelm IV promised reforms

                        -Lied

                                -Banned pro-democracy groups, papers

        -Zollverein (1834)

-Customs union that eliminated tariffs on goods traded between German states

                -Slowly united the states economically

                -Promoted trade, created “alliances”

Otto von Bismarck

        -Prime Minister of Prussia (1862)

        -Was not a progressive; did NOT support revolutions

                -Believed Prussia was destined to unify Germany

        -Had a practical, realistic view of government

                -Not rosy or idealistic

                -Realpolitik

        -Believed it would take “blood and iron” to unify

                -Wanted to increase power, size of Prussian military

                        -Legislature refused

                                -Bismarck dismissed Parliament

                                        -Increased military anyway

                        -Military became a powerhouse

-Allied with Austria to get German land controlled by Denmark (1864)

-Denmark gives Austria and Prussia the land after a brief fight

-Bismarck realized he would have to fight Austria to get all German land unified

Unification

-Austria stood in the way of unification

-Austro-Prussian War (1866)

        -Prussia allied with Italy (both wanted Austrian land)

-Austria declared war on Prussia after Prussia invaded Austrian controlled Holstein

        -Prussians defeated Austrians

                -Increased Prussian/German nationalism

                        -Other states rallied around Prussia

        -Franco Prussian War (1870)

                -Three southern German states still not part of Prussia

-Many thought French area, Alsace-Lorraine, should be controlled by Germany (was once part of HRE)

        -Sparked nationalism in south

-3 southern states supported Prussia in taking it from France

                        -War!

                                -Prussia wins

                                        -Germany now unified

        -Germany declared an empire

                -Representatives from German states met in Versailles

                        -Named Wilhelm I (Prussian king) Kaiser (emperor)

                                -Bismarck named first chancellor

Changes in the Empire

        -Germany was becoming a powerhouse

                -Known as the Second Reich (empire) (HRE was 1^st)

        -Govt changes

                -States wanted to keep some power

                        -Power was shared between states and national

                -Political parties developed

        -New gov’t restricted Catholic Church

                -Thought Church was too powerful

        -Economy boomed in 1870s onward

                -France made reparations (repayment) after war

                        -Germany built railroads

        -Socialists wanted gov’t to take control of factories

                -Bad working conditions

                -Bismarck hated socialists

-Pushed through some reforms to quiet them, reduce their influence

                                -Benefits for old, disabled

        -Bismarck was happy with new German borders

                -Afraid of France

                        -Allied with Russia, A-H, Italy

        -Bismarck gets fired in 1888 by Kaiser Wilhelm II (grandson)

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