ECONOMIC FACTORS
EVIDENCE:
 Zollverein (details of membership, transport etc from nationalism essay)
 Acquired Rhineland from Austria in 1814/15: provided Prussia with most profitable piece of land filled
with supplies of iron deposits.
 Make point clear that economic strength was needed to fund technology, transport, military etc.
N.B. Economy, military and Bismarck are essentially inter-linked. All played a part in each factor leading
to unification.
ANALYSIS:
ENCOURAGED:
OTHER FACTORS:
 German – especially Prussian – industrial
 Highlight the importance of other factors.
strength is regarded as crucial to German
 E.G. Economy being used correctly etc. So,
unification.
Bismarck’s guidance – forcing Landtag to
 Zollverein provided Prussia with technical &
increase taxes. Had this never happened, then
military superiority over its enemies in the wars
would the economy have continued to thrive in
of 1864-1871
the way that it did?
 Economic strength allowed Prussia to dominate
 Importance also of urbanisation – cities
the Zollverein – an essential preliminary to its
required people to man factories to increase
subsequent domination of Germany.
industrialisation
 Isolated Austria and got southern states to join
north confederation.
HISTORIOGRAPHY
No historian disputes the importance of the economy. They all recognise it as crucial to Prussia’s
development.
William Carr: The Zollverein was the “mighty lever of unification”.
JM Keynes “unification was gained only through coal and iron”
BISMARCK
EVIDENCE:
 Bismarck’s ultimate aim: to increase power and strength of Prussia by whatever means possible!
 Bismarck was a junker, conservative, anti-nationalist. According to Aronson “Contrary to what he was
to claim later in life, the unification of Germany was never one of his original ambitions.”
 Bismarck had great influence on Prussian King (as Chancellor from 1862) – seen with the dispute with
Landtag army dispute.
ANALYSIS:
ENCOURAGED:
OPPORTUNIST; SO OTHER FACTORS STILL
IMPORTANT:
 Engineered a war with Denmark over the
Schleswig-Holstein question gaining support and  Economic development was taking place – could
giving the opportunity to quarrel with Austria
have led to unification without Bismarck?
 Picked moment to argue with Austria and
But…Bismarck made sure it happened.
defeated her in war – BUT, did not claim much
 Decline of Austrian power and influence in the
from her as hoped for neutrality
1850s – falling behind Prussia in particular.
 Ems Telegram & French war
Isolating Austria:
 Deal with Italy – Italy would help against Austria
if Prussia helped Italy gain Venezia in return.
 Alliance with France - promised Napoleon III to
invade & control Belgium
 Alliance with Russia – Bis. refused to help
Poland when it rebelled against Russia.
BISMARCK
HISTORIOGRAPHY
O Pflanze “Only under the stimulation provided by Bismarck for his own political ends did German
nationalism begin to move the masses.”
Craig: “If he never risen to the top in Prussian politics, unification of Germany would never have take
place anyway.”
Williamson “Bismarck did not fashion German unity alone. He exploited powerful forces, which already
existed; the industrial revolution in Germany, the growth of if liberalism and nationalism …the increasing
determination of Prussia…to reassert her influence over Germany”
Sheeves “Bismarck was fortunate, when he came to power the economic, diplomatic, military and
intellectual foundations for German unity had already been laid.”
‘WARS OF UNIFICATION’: DENMARK, 1864
EVIDENCE:

Showed Bismarck to be both opportunist and master planner
 First step in Bismarck weakening Austria’s power – move towards Kleindeutsch
 The recently formed Prussian army was tested in an ‘easy’ war before taking on Austria
 Territorial dispute over 2 small German states – Schleswig and Holstein. These were both
under control of Denmark. King of Denmark declared that in 1863.
 1864: Prussia and Austria teamed up & declared war on Denmark. Easy win!
 Bismarck had engineered a treaty with Austria (Treaty of Gastein - which he knew wouldn’t
work. Prussia was to control Schleswig and Austria control Holstein.
ANALYSIS:
ENCOURAGED:
OTHER FACTORS:
 Treaty of Gastein was designed by Bismarck to
 Military factors just as important. Bismarck just
encourage hostility as it meant that Austrians
used what was available to him. Without the
would have to go through Prussia to get to
skill of the army, Bismarck’s career would have
Holstein!
been over and potential that unification would
not have been achieved in same way – with
Prussian dominance.
HISTORIOGRAPHY
Bismarck on fighting with Austria: “I hitched the Duke as an ox to the plough to get it moving, once it
was moving I unhitched the ox” – shows he was using them for Prussian advantage.
Treaty of Gastein referred to as: “paper over the cracks”
Medlicott: “Had the Prussian army not been as good as Bismarck believed it to be, he would have been
a dead man before the day of the battle was over.” – highlights military power as unifying factor.
Why did Germany
unite?
‘WARS OF UNIFICATION’: AUSTRIA, July 1866
EVIDENCE:
 Bismarck used the unresolved situation left afer Gastein – Schleswig/Holstein to complain that Austria
was not running Holstein properly! He complained that Austria was stirring up anti-Prussian feelings in
Schleswig.
 So…Prussian troops marched into Holstein.
 When Austria was given support from southern states against Prussia, Bismarck used it as an excuse
to attack.
 When Prussia defeated Austria at Koniggratz, Bismarck suddenly declared end to war. He did only
what was required to achieve his aim – nothing more.
ANALYSIS:
ENCOURAGED:
OTHER FACTORS:
 Treaty of Prague created a North German
 Military strength
Confederation - mainly Prussian territory.
 Prussian domination of Austria.
 Kleindeutsch had been created – a north
Germany without Austrian influence
 Germany seemed close to unity.
 Pre-planner? Removed Austria from German
affairs!
HISTORIOGRAPHY
Bismarck: “Blood and iron”
Bismarck: “We have to avoid wounding Austria too severely.”
Waller: “If he played his hand with great skills, it was a good one in the first place.”
‘WARS OF UNIFICATION’: FRANCE
EVIDENCE:
 Revolution in Spain led to search for new ruler & the Hohenzollern Candidature in 1868
 Distant relative of Spanish was found – Leopold of Hohenzollern – he was Prussian which worried the
French because if there was a future conflict she would be trapped between Prussia and Spain!
 The French protested about it and insisted that the Hohenzollerns give up their claim to the throne

ANALYSIS:
ENCOURAGED:
OTHER FACTORS:
 Bismarck altered the telegram William intended
 Wouldn’t have won without strong military –
to send to the French and sent his version
military wouldn’t have existed had it not been
for economy
 Bismarck’s telegram resulted in the French

Von Moltke and Von Roon had been
declaring war. Bismarck got what he wanted.
strengthening the military before Bismarck!
 Prussian victory led to German unification being
 Situation of the Spanish throne – chance!
declared in Hall of Mirrors (Versailles), 18th
January 1871


HISTORIOGRAPHY
Mosses: “German unification on Bismarck’s part was a series of favourable situations.”
Stiles: “Bismarck did not make Germany, Germany made Bismarck”