German Unification. & Bismarck

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1 German Unification & Bismarck

2 Background hundreds of small states and principalities were loosely united as the Holy Roman Empire.

3 1806 Napoleon reduced number of states and created the Confederation of the Rhine Congress of Vienna maintained most of the changes. 39 independent states were loosely connected in the German Confederation (dominated by Prussia and Austria) 1818 The Zollverein (Customs Union) was established. This harmonized the economic policies of the German states removing tariffs etc. Excluded Austria. Huge step towards political unity and prominence of Prussia in Germanies.

4 1848 Frankfurt Assembly Revolutions throughout Germany pushed for liberalization and unification of the German Confederation. They failed on both fronts: The rulers had little interest in reform, and when the danger of 1848 fizzled out they abandoned Assembly. Any German nation state would have to be dominated by either Austria or Prussia. Both were ultra-conservative and rejected the Assembly. No one could agree on which states would be included in a united Germany..there were two ideas:

5 Grossdeutschland Include all German speaking territories, including Austria, Bohemia, and Danish territories. ocontroversial because: Competition between Prussia and Austria for dominance. Religious divisions (southern states Catholic, northern states Protestant) Some fringe areas included many other nationalities.

6 Grossdeutschland

7 Kleindeutschland Include only the northern German states (with Prussia as the dominant entity) the old system prevailed. A period of conservative reaction occurred politically in the Germanies but industrialization and scientific achievement was booming Piedmont-Sardinia had succeeded in unifying most of Italy, this re-awakened German nationalism but NOT liberalism. Most Germans saw Prussia as the state most likely to play the KPS role in Germany.

8 Prussia

9 Had a limited constitution (an elected legislature but mostly subordinate to the Kaiser). It had an efficient bureaucracy and a strong militaristic tradition (bolstered by conscription). The Prussian aristocracy (Junkers) shared power with the bourgeois in the cities. This alliance kept Prussia conservative. Junkers/Bourgeois sought unification to extend Prussian power and economic influence in central Europe.

10 The Rise of Otto Von Bismarck Became Chancellor (like P.M.) in 1862 appointed by Kaiser Wilhelm I. Was a Junker and was a supporter of absolutism and militarism. Openly opposed the revolutions of 1848 claimed that the great questions of the day will not be settled by speeches and majority votes but by blood and iron.

11 A passionate politician and speaker he was a conservative Prussian first, a German nationalist second. A brilliant manipulator of events used realpolitik to achieve his goals. Bismarck was convinced that Prussia must challenge and overcome Austria militarily to take the dominant role in Germany.

12 Bismarck s Goals as Chancellor 1) Expand the power and territory of Prussia at the expense of Austria. 2) Unite the Germanies under conservative Prussian leadership. 3) Create an alliance system that would strengthen Prussia and isolate her enemies. 4) Crush left wing radicals and curb the influence of Catholics in Germany.

13 The Wars of German Unification Achieving unification under Prussian rule was accomplished through three successful wars. 1) The Danish War of 1864 This conflict centered on the possession of two duchies Schleswig and Holstein Schleswig was ruled by a Danish Duke and was made up of a fairly even mix of Danes and Germans. Fuelled by nationalism, the Danes wished to annex the territory into their Kingdom.

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15 Holstein was majority German and part of the German Confederation but was ruled by a Danish Duke. When Denmark announced that they planned to annex Schleswig in 1864 Austria and Prussia declared war. Danes were overrun quickly. Treaty of Vienna (1864) Denmark ceded the territories to the German Confederation. In the Gastein Convention (1865) Austria agreed to take Holstein and Prussia took Schleswig.

16 2) Seven Weeks War 1866 Bismarck had engineered the agreement at Gastein to provoke a future conflict with Austria over access to Holstein. He also made an alliance with the Kingdom of Italy setting up for conflict with Austria. In 1866 war broke out with most of the small German states supporting Austria.

17 The Austrians were defeated soundly. Superior firepower (needle gun), railways, and leadership (Von Moltke) were the difference. Prussia s modern and efficient army had outclassed the out-dated Austrian model.

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19 Result of the War Bismarck urged the Kaiser not to march on Vienna for fear of creating a forever hostile neighbour to the south. Instead, the Peace of Prague is negotiated. Schleswig-Holstein annexed by Prussia. German Confederation is dissolved. Replaced by a smaller North German Confederation. Austria lost Venetia to Italy. This was really the beginning of the decline of Austria as a major power. In 1867 the Dual Monarchy was created with Hungary forming a semi-autonomous region under Habsburg rule.

20 Southern German states still outside of Prussian control. Napoleon III now greatly feared a complete unification of Germany. Began to work feverishly to prop up Austria and ally himself with southern German states.

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22 3) Franco-Prussian War In 1868, the ineffective Queen Isabella of Spain was overthrown by a coalition of liberals and republicans. The Spaniards established a constitutional monarchy but they needed a monarch! They offered the throne to a Hohenzollern prince named Leopold Sigmaringen.

23 Response Napoleon III was outraged he already feared the growing strength of Prussia in Germany; a German monarch in Spain seemed to be encirclement. Bismarck encouraged Leopold to take the throne but he refused. France made a further demand that Kaiser Wilhelm I make assurances that he would NEVER endorse a Hohenzollern for the throne of a foreign nation. This demand created tension between the two countries.

24 Road to War Both Bismarck and Napoleon III wanted war: Bismarck Wanted to provoke an attack by France because he believed it would draw the southern German states into unification. He believed they would join Prussia in a nationalistic effort to defend German territory from French invaders. Napoleon III His hold on power was crumbling needed a victory to consolidate his rule. Wanted to weaken Prussia.

25 Bismarck used the Ems Telegram (see handout) to provoke a national outrage in France that led to a declaration of war. Napoleon III believed that the Austrians and Southern German states would join him (all Catholic and wary of Prussia). However, Austria was not ready for war after their defeat in 1866 and the southern German states were inspired by nationalism, not religion. The unprepared and outclassed French army was humiliated at the Battle of Metz and the Battle of Sedan where 86,000 soldiers were forced to surrender.

26 Napoleon III abdicated but the new French Republic (Third) fought on. Led to a brutal siege of Paris that lasted 16 months before surrender.

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30 Declaration of German Empire 1871 The German states elect to become a united empire under the Prussian Kaiser. In Jan. 18, 1871 the Second Reich is declared at the Palace of Versailles.

31 Treaty of Frankfurt 1871 France was forced to pay an indemnity of five billion Francs (one billion dollars) The territory of Alsace-Lorraine was annexed by the German Empire. Becomes a French obsession to get it back.

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34 A South German cartoon from the autumn of 1866 with the title Germany s Future. Underneath is the caption: Does it go under one hat? I believe, rather, it goes under a spiked helmet.

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37 Bismarck s Foreign Policies His goal was to maintain the new balance of power in Europe that favoured Germany. His plan to achieve this was twofold: 1) Establish beneficial alliances. 2) Avoid a major European war. He was largely successful due to his diplomatic skills he dominated European affairs (Age of Bismarck).

38 Challenges 1) Anti-German sentiment France rapidly re-armed after 1870 and were seeking an opportunity to reclaim Alsace-Lorraine. Keeping France diplomatically isolated was very important to Bismarck. Some elements of the British government were anti-german. They feared their growing power. Bismarck tried to steer Germany away from acquiring overseas colonies that would threaten Britain.

39 2) Domestic Opposition There was opposition from socialists and liberals to his militaristic policies. Many industrialists and liberals were procolonial they wanted Germany to establish colonies. Bismarck: My map of Africa lies in Europe. Here is Russia and here is France with Germany in the middle; that is my map of Africa.

40 3) The Eastern Question The decline of the Ottoman Empire had been provoking imperialist conflict between the European powers for over a century. Tension between Russia and Austria (both German allies) threatened war, Bismarck s alliance system, and peace in Europe. As a result, Bismarck became the mediator of conflicts in the Balkans and in colonial Africa. see handout: Congress of Berlin (1878) and Berlin Conference ( )

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46 Bismarck s Alliance System 1) Dreikaiserbund ( & ) Germany, Austria, Russia It was mainly a defensive alliance but the signatories also pledged to help curb socialism in their respective realms. It kept France isolated avoided encirclement of Germany. Was hard to maintain dissolved several times as Austria and Russia quarrelled in the Balkans or over Bulgaria.

47 The Three Emperors League

48 2) Dual Alliance ( ) A secret defensive alliance between Austria and Germany. The unreliability of the Dreikaiserbund led Bismarck to pursue a closer relationship with Austria, but he did not want Russia to know. 3) Triple Alliance ( ) Italy joined this secured Germany s southern front in a potential war.

49 4) Reinsurance Treaty ( ) In 1887, Russia pulled out of the Dreikaiserbund. Bismarck feared that a Franco-Russian alliance was now possible so he looked to make a new agreement with Russia. This was a secret treaty between Russia and Germany that called for neutrality if: France attacked Germany Austria attacked Russia If Germany or Russia was the aggressor, it did not apply.

50 Final Analysis Bismarck had succeeded in protecting Germany through a complicated web of alliances. When he was dismissed in 1890 the Germans pursued a new pro-austrian course. They abandoned the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia in 1890 beginning the descent into the alliance system of WW1.

51 1890 Dropping the Pilot

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53 Some argue that he made war inevitable by establishing a system of secretive diplomacy and mistrust. Others say that his policy in the Balkans left Russia unsatisfied, propped up the decaying Austrians and Ottomans, and frustrated Slavic nationalists - leading to the explosion of 1914.