German Unification

 CLIL HISTORY LESSON -

GERMAN STATES 1815 ---- THE RISE OF A NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS

In 1815 Europe had just defeated Napoleon. Germany, as we know it, did not exist. There were 39 German states, each ruled by its own prince. They joined in the German Confederation (Bund) with a parliament or Diet but it was powerless.

Throughout the nineteenth century, the populations of these separate states began to develop a sense they were not just citizens of their own individual states but part of a German volk (people). They realised they had much in common.

ECONOMIC NATIONALISM

Industrialisation was gaining pace in Germany. Businessmen wanted to increase the markets available for their goods to maximise profits.

 In 1834, with the support of the Prussian crown, was established the customs and trade union known as the Zollverein which freed trade between most of the German states.

POLITICAL TURMOIL IN GERMANY

Throughout the 1840s many German states were under pressure from nationalist and liberal demonstrators wanting greater political representation and reform.

During the Revolution of 1848, liberals met in the Frankfurt Assembly to discuss reforms and attempt to draft a constitution for a unified Germany and the Crown was offered to Prussia's Frederick William IV, but he refused to accept the crown because it had not been offered by the other German Princes.

After the failure of the Frankfurt Parliament, Prussia put forward a plan to unify the German states under Prussian control. The question was whether a united Germany should contain Austria (Grossdeutschland) or leave it out (Kleindeutschland).

The Prussians, as rivals of Austria, argued for Austria's exclusion.

THE MASTER PLAN?

The man who did most to unite the German states was Otto von Bismarck. He was the Prussian Chancellor and his main goal was to strengthen even further the position of Prussia in Europe. His primary aims were to:

• unify the north German states under Prussian control

• weaken Prussia's main rival, Austria, by removing it from the Bund

• make Berlin the centre of German affairs - not Vienna

strengthen the position of the King of Prussia, William I, to counter the demands for reform from the Liberals in the Prussian parliament (the Reichstag).

ARMY REFORMS

Bismarck wanted to build up Prussia's army in case his unification plans led to war. To do this he needed money. The Prussian parliament refused to allow money to be raised for Bismarck's military reforms.

Bismarck ignored the Reichstag and simply collected the money for army reforms through general taxation. He never bothered to obtain permission from the Reichstag.

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN

Two small German states, Schleswig and Holstein were under the control of Denmark but not technically a part of it. In 1863, the King of Denmark declared Schleswig and Holstein to be a part of Denmark; Prussia declared war on Denmark and won easily

ISOLATING AUSTRIA

Austria had lost key allies and was losing influence in Europe.

Prussia strengthened and had become the most industrialised state in Germany. She was now a force to be reckoned with in Europe.

Bismarck knew Austria was a major obstacle to unification. To succeed in his aims war seemed inevitable. Before he fought the powerful Austrian empire, however, he needed to weaken its position in Europe.

In fact, he also struck a deal with Italy. Italy promised to help Prussia in any war against Austria, providing Austria were the aggressor and Italy gained Venezia in return.

In 1866, the Austrians were quickly defeated by the Prussian army in the battle of Sadowa. There was the help of Italy, but in the two battles of Lissa and Custoza the Italian army was defeated.

The Treaty of Prague:

Bismarck's plan to isolate Austria was working :

• Prussia kept all the territories it had captured.

• A North German Confederation was set up under the control of Prussia.

• Austria promised to stay out of German affairs.

ISOLATING FRANCE

With Austria weakened, Bismarck now turned his attention to France. France had watched Prussia's growing power with alarm. Bismarck tried to weaken France as much as possible before war started.

FRANCO PRUSSIAN WAR 1870 - 71

Bismarck found his excuse for war when Spain offered its vacant crown to a relative of the Prussian King, William I.

• France was outraged since it didn't want Prussia to become more powerful. The French insisted King William make his relative refuse the crown. King William refused to guarantee this.

• Bismarck used the King's refusal as a way to provoke the French. He published a heavily edited and provocative telegram, known as The Ems Telegram, of the King's refusal, making it seem he had insulted the French ambassador. The French Emperor, responding to fury from the French press and public, declared war on Prussia.

In the Franco-Prussian war, France was heavily defeated in the battle of Sedan(September 1870), and its ruler, Napoleon III, was overthrown by a French rebellion

UNIFICATION ACHIEVED

In the build up to war, the southern confederate German states voluntarily joined the Prussian-controlled Northern German Confederation. Germany was now unified. As a result of the Franco-Prussian war, with the Treaty of Frankfurt France lost the territory of Alsace-Lorraine on its border with Germany. It also had to pay Germany five billion franc in compensation. A new imperial constitution was set up within the now unified German states, with William I as Emperor (Kaiser) and Prussia firmly in control.