Title: GERMAN
1GERMAN UNIFICATION
2- 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?)
3- Buffer state against French expansion
- Had an assembly (diet) in Frankfurt
- Confederation was dominated by Austria
- Austria was in direct conflict with Prussia
4- -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
-
5- -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?)
62) 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
7The 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
8- -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
9-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
10- 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
11- 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
12The 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
13- -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)
14Treaty 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 -
15The 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
16The 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
17-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
18- 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
19- -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
20-1877 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)
21- 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
22Bismarck 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
23- 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