Unification Of Germany Ppt

The Unification of Germany The Age of Bismarck

Opposing Ideas Grossdeutschland A Germany including the Austrian Empire Kleindeutschland A Germany excluding the Austrian Empire

The German Confederation Replaced the Holy Roman Empire Loose political association of German states Most of the power remained in the hands of the individual German sovereigns No central executive or judiciary Diet met in Frankfurt to consider joint legislation

Revolutions of 1848 Nationalism reaches ascendancy German revolutions result in Frankfurt Parliament Call for unified Germany Austria said it would oppose a centralized government in Germany Prussian king offered the crown of the unified German Empire

Proposed German Unification Proposed country was one in which the parliament would have considerable power With limitation of the royal prerogative, Frederick William IV of Prussia turns down the offer of the throne Was opposed to any limitations on royal power Frankfurt Parliament disbands

Results of Revolutions A reactionary return Those who defied royal power were punished Many reforms granted due to revolutionary violence were abrogated

Moves to a Royalist Directed Unification Prussian Union Weak willed attempt by Prussia to have Germany unify around the Prussian monarch Attempt started while Austria still was preoccupied with issue of Hungarian separatism Prussian advantage not pressed

Moves to a Royalist Directed Unification After solution to Hungarian Question Austria opposes Prussian Union with support for a re-established German Confederation Russia supports moves of Austria Prussia blinks Prussian union dissolved and German Confederation fully re-established Most smaller German states supported Austria in this situation

Signs of Things to Come 1859 France and Piedmont defeat Austria in the Northern Italian War Maintenance of authoritarian regime in Vienna relied upon respect for military prowess Shaken by defeat Popular unrest grows throughout the empire To hold back unrest Franz Josef agrees to a constitution that establishes a parliament

Signs of Things to Come Frederick William IV of Prussia suffers a breakdown Brother, William takes the regency Announces reform Government turns away from reactionary politics

Realpolitik in Prussia Change in attitude of liberals Came to feel that their defeat ten years before was due to idealism and exuberance Fatal mistake was assumption that enthusiasm and selflessness could be translated into power and substituted for statesmanship

Realpolitik in Prussia Theory and rhetoric would not work Negotiation and compromise would lead to unity and freedom Hoped that giving the king sufficient time, he would lead them to where they wanted to be Parliamentary government Liberty

Conflict Progressive Party founded Pushed for increased liberalization of the government King thought he was being pushed too far Became more adamant and uncompromising King and Progressive Party waited for an issue to fight over

Army Reforms King wanted to increase the number of regular army regiments and decrease the militia Parliament demanded a modification of the plan Did not want an increase in the power of the conservative officer corps King refused Believed that parliament was trying to gain control of the royal army

Otto von Bismarck King appoints Bismarck as Prime Minister of Prussia Arch-conservative Parliament refused to approve budget until their army reforms were approved by the king Bismarck and government continues to collect taxes and fund the army as before

Otto von Bismarck Sought a government that would be parliamentary but at the same time allow authoritarian policies Solution of crisis Liberals wanted German unity and freedom Bismarck would use the prospect of unity to tamper the drive for freedom

Otto von Bismarck Compromise Bourgeoisie would obtain the benefits of economic consolidation King retained the advantages of political domination Saw answer to internal issues in foreign policy

Gross oder Klein With the debate over a large or small Germany continuing Bismarck saw that the Austrian question had to be answered He had to find a way to get Austria out of any possible solution to German unification

General European Situation Russian defeat in Crimean War keeps them out of continental politics Britain concerned about internal reform Napoleon III hopes that an internal German Civil War might let him expand the French Empire across the Rhine

1864 – War with Denmark Danish king rules over Schleswig and Holstein as a duke These provinces were ethnically German Denmark annexes Schleswig into the country Nationalist sentiment in Germany was outraged William I proposes joint action to Franz Josef

1864 – War with Denmark After a short was Denmark is defeated Schleswig and Holstein are jointly supervised by Prussia and Austria Austria wanted them to become an independent country in the German Confederation Prussia sought outright annexation

Schleswig-Holstein Compromise 1865 Compromise Holstein Governed by Austria Schleswig Governed by Prussia Joint sovereignty reaffirmed Tension between Austria and Prussia continued to grow

Steps to War Prussia sought and gained an alliance with the newly formed state of Italy Austria sought and gained French neutrality Austria sought aid from the minor states of Germany Most smaller German states allied with Austria Saw Austria as a protector against Prussian expansion

Austro-Prussian War 1866 The Seven Weeks War Austrian Army destroyed at the Battle of Königgrätz Prussian needle gun Destroyed the balance of power achieved at the Congress of Vienna, 50 years before

Treaty of Prague Austria retains all possessions except Venetia Promised to Italians by Prussians before the war Franz Josef forced to agree to Prussian land gains Bismarck did not want to destroy Austria

Treaty of Prague Prussia gains Hanover Nassau Hesse-Kassel Schleswig-Holstein Frankfurt am Main German Confederation dissolved Northern German Confederation established

Prussian Internal Politics Bismarck’s military triumph led to a constitutional triumph Bismarck did not seek to destroy liberalism but to come to an accommodation with it Triumph of nationalism led to the subjugation of liberalism

North German Confederation Federal Constitution Did not have Bill of Rights Ministerial Responsibility Civilian supervision of the army Did have Uniformity of currency, weights, measures, commercial practices Industrial laws Financial regulations

North German Confederation Federal constitution Created economic unity the middle class had been looking for Helped reconcile the middle class to the defeat of its hopes for greater political freedom

Conflict with France A powerful new nation now existed in Central Europe France had hoped for a war between Austria and Prussia Napoleon III had hoped that they would each emerge from the conflict exhausted Then France could expand to the east

Conflict with France France now faced a strong German state France wanted compensation in the Rhineland, Luxembourg, or Belgium Berlin kept this from happening It became obvious to all that France and Prussia were on the road to war

Conflict with France Bismarck was willing to accept the coming war Wanted to bring the southern German states into the Prussian fold Knew that it would take a common patriotic struggle against foreign aggression

Prelude to War Prince Leopold, a relative of the Prussian king, was invited to take the Spanish throne He accepted Paris demands that he be ordered to withdraw his acceptance His father renounces his acceptance for him Paris demands that William I forever renounce any attempt to put a Hohenzollern on the throne of Spain

Prelude to War French demand presented to the king at Ems William I refused to promise, but conference ended in a friendly fashion Bismarck doctored the report of the conference to make it sound like the king refused to see the ambassador again French used this as an excuse to declare war

Franco-Prussian War All German states joined in a war against France Overwhelming German victory Results of War French Empire collapses Third Republic declared France loses Alsace-Lorraine France pays Germany 5,000,000,000 francs France accspts an army of occupation

The German Empire January 18, 1871 William I proclaimed Emperor of the Germans at Versailles

Proclamation of the German Empire

Unification Of Germany Ppt

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Unification Of Germany Ppt