The Unification of Germany

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What was Germany like before 1815?
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How was Germany affected by the Vienna settlement?
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What was the impact of Nationalism on the Germanic states?
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What was the significance of the Zollverein?
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What accounts for the rise of Prussian economic and military power?

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German speaking language- no corresponding territory to call “Germany”- most German speaking people were part of the Holy Roman Empire
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Ancient Empire- ruled by the Hapsburgs
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A collection of lands whose rulers owed allegiance to the Holy Roman Emperors (who were Austrian)
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A bewildering variety of tiny states ruled by margraves, dukes, princes, electors, etc…

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Most significant state within the empire was
Brandenburg-Prussia (north east)- ruled by the
Hohenzollerns (Prussians)
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Saxony
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Bavaria
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Baden
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Wurttemberg

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1792- 250 states linked by language and membership of the HRE
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The HRE did not ‘rule’ in any temporal sense
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The people of the Germanic lands owed allegiance to their rulers- fierce loyaltytherefore localist and not nationalist
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Some German state ruled over non-Germans- Prussia and Poles, Austria ruled many
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No religious uniformity due to the reformation (1517)- split between Catholics and
Protestants (Peace of Augsburg 1555)
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Most Germans were involved in agriculture and small industries- one big city
(Vienna) and one major port (Hamburg)

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Discuss whether it seemed more likely in 1815 that
Germany or Italy would seek unification?

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Prussia- included small territories separated from each other
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Brandenburg- Hohenzollerns
(electors of Prussia)
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Upper class supporters-
Junkers (jung+Herr= young lord)
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Junkers ruled over their lands and peasants but gave service to the state

“Iron and Rye”

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Held their own courts on their lands, influential in the military and civil service
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Sign of a junker was the use of “von” in their names-
Otto von Bismarck- Schonhausen
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Effective administration- Frederick II (The Great), large powerful army (Napoleon’s tactics were developed with Frederick’s in mind)

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Eastern provinces- economically poor, poor soil in
Brandenburg, the estates in the east had no modern farming techniques
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18 th century Prussian tradition/culture- service to the state, hard work, religious devotion, respect for the army and the monarch
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“Parade ground of Europe”

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Most influential empire in continental Europe (1815-
1848)
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1.5 million Czechs, 3.3. million Magyars, Slovaks,
Croats, Italians, Poles, Romanians, Ruthenes, Serbs,
Slovenes and Belgians
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Official language and culture- German
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Technically ruled all of Germany (not Prussia) through the HRE

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Source A:
The century towards which the Hapsburgs were moving was to see the gradual triumphs of two concepts: democracy and nationalism. Each was in itself a threat to the survival of the dynasty. When the two joined hands, any hope of stability…was doomed.
Brook Shepherd, G. 1997. The Austrians. London, UK. HarperCollins. P. 30

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Prussia was concerned about the risk of the French
Revolution to its monarchy, therefore joins Austria
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Napoleon conquered much of German speaking central Europe- Prussia and Austria remained independent
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1806 HRE was abolished- Confederation of the
Rhine took its place

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Larger states were allowed to take over smaller ones
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Napoleonic rule produced major changes to German lands- no more HRE, introduction of small church states and free cities and the consolidation of many small states- 19 th century Germany would be less complex
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In response to French rule- patriotic resistance emerged- see “The German Fatherland”

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1807 serfdom abolished
Nobles were allowed to trade
Rich, non-nobles could acquire land
Military liberalism- promotion by merit
Conscription (Landwehr 1814)
Parliamentary government- dominated by nobles
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These changes brought greater unity and simplified laws and justice

Germany 1815- 1862

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Priority- protect Europe against France and maintain old monarchies
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Changes in German lands meant there was no way to restore the hundreds of small states- 39 new states emerged
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Confederation of 39 states headed by princes and kings oversaw by Austria called the Bund
(confederation/league)

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Bund assembly called the Diet- 17 members- Austria was a permanent member- representatives spoke on behalf of their states not as a ‘nation’
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Prussia gain land west of the German states on both sides of the Rhine- barrier to French expansion
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The Rhineland was full of coal and iron ore
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Prussia lost land in Poland
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The Bund would crush any form of German nationalism

Germany 1815- 1862

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Source A: Wells, Mike. Unification of Italy and
Germany. 2013. Cambridge, UK. Cambridge
University Press. P. 115
“It (Germany) had a rising population with more people living in cities. Its growing middle class was well educated…Economic growth was transforming central Germany as a whole and Prussia in particular.
All these developments indicate that future changes to the Vienna settlement were likely. “

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Cities grew, populations grew, new industrial techniques, modern farming methods and new transportation methods (train, canal)
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Regions experiencing rapid growth- best resources: metal ore, coal, power, markets and technical knowledge
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Germany- Prussia was able to grow due to this however Austria remained agricultural and static

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German confederation- ruled by Kings and Princes who favored their own interests
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Austria and Russia
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Conservative, traditional peasantry and small town merchants
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Local traditions- religion, distrust of bigger states by smaller
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Linguistic and cultural gap between north and south
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National unity associated with French rule (resentment of conscription and other
Napoleonic measures
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Grossdeutschland and Kleindeutschland

Germany 1815- 1862

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3 different forms:
Official organizations and supporters of greater unity
Cultural elements that brought Germany closer together
Economic factors that encouraged unification
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Gymnastics Clubs (1811)
Address to the German Nation (1807- 1808)
The Spirit of the Age (1806)
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Anti-Semitism elements- many of the literary nationalists were appalled by revolutionary ideas from France

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Most enthusiastic supporters were students- liberal and nationalist ideas- based on leading university towns
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1817 Wartburg (Festival) Castle
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Saxe-Weimar- ruled by a constitutional ruler
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1819 Karl Sand assassinated August von Kotzebue
(playwright- attacked nationalists and was supported by Russia))

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This was not widespread nationalism- more student activism…however…
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Metternich convinced the Bund to pass the Carlsbad Decrees (see handout)
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“a word spoken by Austria is an unbreakable law for Germany”
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Very successful laws- The Prussians in particular enjoyed this power over its citizens
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Then came the rebellions of the 1830s

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1830 revolution in France- triggered disturbances in Poland, Italy and Germany- constitutional demands, peasant unrest and worker discontent
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1832 25,000 nationalists marched to the castle of Handbach
(Bavaria)- King of Bavaria sent in the army- caused fear throughout
Germany
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Six articles and Ten Acts passed by Austria- supreme suppression of nationalist thoughts- even banned the ‘national flag’
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The 39 states were expected to co-operate in the repression of national unrest

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After 1832 all nationalist activity took place secretly/private meetings
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Disguised as Gymnastics Clubs or Musical Societies- 1847 85,000 members of Gymnastics clubs
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100,000 singing club members- patriotic songs- historical festivals- Arminius
(Mythical leader of the German tribes that defeated the Romans)
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Regardless it wasn’t until 1859 that a nationalist association
(Nationalverein) existed (no leading figure like Mazzini)
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Therefore nationalism took on the form of patriotic sentiment rather than a movement for nation building

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More important than nationalist expression- cultural appreciation of a Germanic type
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Greater awareness of “GERMAN” culture among the middle class- independent craftsmen, academics and businessmen
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The peasants…didn’t flock to opera so its likely they didn’t experience any of this patriotic sentiment- no time to go on nationalist walking tours

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Rediscovery of German folklore- Brothers Grimm
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Literary romanticism of Goethe and Schiller
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German music developed a contrasting style to
Italian Opera- Wagner (old Germanic legends for inspiration)
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Beethoven
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German history became the standard- Von Ranke
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Caspar David Friedrich

Germany 1815- 1862

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1818 Prussian tariff reform law- all raw materials were free from tariffs and within Prussian territories, all internal customs and duties were abolished (liberal)
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Free trade within the largest state in Germanytherefore other neighboring states wished to join to trade freely with Prussia
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Formal agreement in 1834- 17 states and 26 million people- Austria was never a member

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Assembly of members called the Zoll parliament
Unanimous consent for changes
Uniform tariff on all imported goods
Proceeds were divided between the states according to size and population
Raw materials and semi-manufactured good entered the union tax free
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Make it rain!!!!!

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1831 Holland
1844 Britain and Belgium
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1840 report for the British Government:
“the general feeling in Germany is that it is the first step towards the
Germanisation of the people”
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Almost every German state joined (minus Austria)
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Initiative came from Prussia, which suggested that they were the natural leader of the German states
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The Zollverein acted as a union- assembly

Germany 1815- 1862

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1815 acquisition of the Rhineland- coal and iron
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Increase in territory and population- growing market, add to it free internal trade
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1841/1847 375 km of railway to 2325 km
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Prussia owned 57% of all railways in Germany by 1847
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Prussian technical expertise and money/official backing to support developments
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Ample markets for produce, and the population rise provided labour and markets

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Economic growth- basis for military power
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However, having an increase in the army is fine- until 1860s there was no opportunity to show its skills
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Military planning developed- general staff 9body of highly trained senior officers)
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Superior artillery due to Prussian industrial power
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The Prussian changes reflected economic changes, but also a strong military tradition and the flexible approach of the Junker class
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Widespread support of the Landwehr

Germany 1815- 1862