GERMAN

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GERMAN UNIFICATION
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• Last to achieve unification in Europe
• in 1815 was a group of 39 independent states
• In 1815 a German Confederation was formed at the
  Congress of Vienna (why?)

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• Buffer state against French expansion
• Had an assembly (diet) in Frankfurt
• Confederation was dominated by Austria
• Austria was in direct conflict with Prussia

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• -Prussia was a German state with the most
  dominant economy, so other states feared them
• -Prussia doesnt want a unified Germany and
  neither does Austria (why?)
• Smaller German states want to see a united
  Germany
• -fear Austria and Prussia
• -Unity brings them strength

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• -economic conditions prevented the Germans from
  uniting until
• The Junkers (yun-kers)- members of the rising
  business class, demanded a share of political
  power
• Prussian Junkers created the ZOLLVEREIN- an
  economic union founded in 1834 that reduces trade
  barriers between the German states
• (modern day example?)

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2) Standardized units and measures 3) The
economic union caused Prussia to win political
dominance over Austria -Prussia is now leader of
Germans much like Sardinia was with Italy
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The Rise of Bismarck -In 1861 William I (right)
becomes king of Prussia (succeeding Frederick
William II) -opposes liberal ideas -Supports the
military and works to expand the army -seeks to
take Germany by military force -Liberal Germans,
however, see no need for a strong military and
want a democratic Germany -As a result, liberal
deputies in the Prussian assembly overwhelmingly
defeat new taxes to support army
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• -frustrated with the Prussian assemblys actions,
  William I appoints a new prime minister who
  supports his views on the military
• OTTO VON BISMARCK (left)
• -a Junker
• -served in the Prussian assembly
• -Ambassador to Russia and France
• A brilliant negotiator/politician
• A supporter of REALPOLITIK (the right of the
  nation-state to pursue its own advantages by any
  means, including war and the repudiation of
  treaties

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-in September of 1862 Bismarck defied the finance
committee when the Prussian Assembly refused to
collect taxes for the army- Bismarck collects the
taxes without authorization -BLOOD and
IRON Germany does not look to Prussias
liberalism, but to her power.The great questions
of the day are not to be decided by speeches and
majority resolutions-that was the mistake of 1848
and 1849-but by blood and Iron -Otto Von
Bismarck 1862
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• Bismarck had 3 major goals
• Raise for army expansion
• Reduce Austrias influence among the German
  states
• Unify Germany w/o Austria or Switzerland, but
  keep them under Prussian domination
• -Went to war three different times to accomplish
  these goals

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• War with Denmark
• By inheritance, king of Denmark ruled the
  territories of Schleswig and Holstein
• Schleswig had a German and Danish population
  Holstein was entirely German

-in 1863 King Christian IX claims Schleswig a
Danish providence and Germans in both territories
appeal to the German states for support -to
prevent Danish annexation, Bismarck persuades
Austria to go in/w Prussia in declaring war
against Denmark in 1864 -Prussia/Austria win and
divide territories (leading to future
strife) -Prussia gets control of
Schleswig -Austria gets control of Holstein
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The Seven Weeks War -Between Austria and Prussia
over the Schleswig and Holstein
territories -Bismarck prepares for war by
stripping Austria of its potential allies

• Gives aid to Russia to help against Polish rebels
  in 1863
• Promises France compensation for its neutrality
• Supports Italy in its claim to the Austrian
  territory of Venetia
• -Gains public support for his actions when
  Austria sided with the Duke of Augestenburg, who
  claimed tithe to Schleswig and Holstein
• -To prevent this alliance Bismarck orders troops
  into Holstein

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• -In response to this, Austria asks German
  Confederation to take military action against
  Prussia for their invasion and Bismarck declares
  war with Austria
• -War begins June 15, 1866 and, 7 weeks later, is
  over- - Prussia wins
• Purpose of the war was to separate Austria from
  Germany
• Prussians win so quickly because of the breach
  loading rifle (invented in 1841 by Johann
  Nikolaus von Dreyse) they had which enabled them
  to lie down and reload
• Austrians still used Muzzle loaders (so they had
  to stand up to reload)

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Treaty of Prauge -Ends Seven Weeks War -Bismarck
goes easy on Austria (why?) -Treaty made Bismarck
a hero amongst the German Nationalists What it
did

• Dissolved German Confederation
• Gave Holstein to Prussia
• Created a new organization of Germany w/o Austria
  (called the North German Confederation

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The North German Confederation -Established in
1867 -Each state could manage their own
affairs -Foreign policy and defense was put in
the hands of the Prussians -Legislative
authority-Federal Council of Representatives-elect
ed by universal male suffrage
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The Franco-Prussian War -Southern German states
remained outside of the confederation -Napoleon
III doesnt want a unified Germany unless France
receives territory (for neutrality in 7 weeks
war)
-Bismarck wants to go to war with France, but has
to lure them into it for public sentiment
reasons -in 1868 a revolution in Spain overthrew
their queen and Prince Leopold (a cousin of
William I) was offered the throne -France fears a
Spanish/Prussian alliance, so demands promise
from William that the Spanish throne will never
be occupied by someone with Prussian ties
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-William I is vacationing and meets with the
French ambassador, to which he refuses the
offer -William writes a telegram to Bismarck
detailing the meeting with French ambassador
-Bismarck alters the telegram to make it seem as
if William I was insulting the French and leaks
it to the press -French take exception to the
insult and Napoleon III declares war on
Prussia -Fighting begins on July 19,
1870 -Southern Germany allies with
Prussia -Prussia wins within a few weeks
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• Bismarck and the Church
• -Kulturkampf (culture war between church and
  state)
• Catholics organized politically to counter
  prominent Protestants
• Bismarck said Catholics were Anti-Nation
• 1870 Rome- Papal Infallibility-doctrine in which
  the pope, when speaking on matters of faith and
  morals, is free from error

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• -Bismarck says the Jesuits were working to
  destroy the empire
• -expels Jesuits in 1872
• -Passed many laws to destroy the Catholic
  influence in Germany
• (Catholic bishops lost power, Catholic weddings
  not valid unless performed by a Protestant or
  secular official)
• Pope Pius IX declared laws invalid and broke
  diplomatic ties with Germany
• Bismarcks repressive measures strengthened the
  Catholic cause

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-1877 The Center Party (Catholic Party) gained
more seats -The Junkers (conservatives) begin to
oppose Bismarck -Socialism on the rise in
Germany, Bismarck needs to make peace with the
Catholics
-1878 Pope Pius IX dies and new pope makes
peace with Germany -1881-Most of laws repealed
(Kulturkampf over)
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• Socialism in Germany
• Poor wages and long days make socialism
  attractive to Germans
• Ferdinand LaSalle-1863 founds Universal German
  Workingmans Association
• he was a disciple of Marx
• Differed in that he didnt teach revolution
• Lectured on the plight of workers

• 1864 killed in a duel
• 1875 his workers party grew into the Social
  Democratic Party-a major political force

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Bismarck and Socialism -Socialism was a threat to
the empire -1878 Bismarck banned all Socialist
gatherings and publications -Changes policies to
show that
Govt has the answers, not socialism, by passing
several laws -sickness insurance law-
compensation for missing work -1889-Old Age
Insurance Law- retirement -Socialism party still
popular- Win 35 seats in 1890 elections -
Anti-socialist laws are removed
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• The Fall of Bismarck
• In 1888 William I dies, eventually having William
  II take over
• William II is 29, Conservative, Favored
  militarism, and the absolute authority of the
  Emperor

• Leads to conflict with Bismarck
• Bismarck liked to get his way through threatening
  to resign with William I
• In 1890 he offered his resignation as a bluff and
  the Kaiser accepted it