The Unification of Germany (1861-1871)
Forces Against Unity in Germany
 Cultural differences within the German states :
Protestant and Catholics; rural and urban livelihood;
conservative and liberal
 Long history of independence of German states and
princes
 Hapsburg Austria and France opposed German
unification
Prussian Leadership
 After Frankfurt Assembly failure in 1848, leadership
for German unification passed to Prussia and the
Hohenzollern kings
 Strongest military in German states
 Established the Zollverein—a large, free trade zone
within German states
Economically unified already
 Support for unification came from the Junkers
(nobility)
 Unification will be achieved through force
The Main Players of German Unification
Otto von Bismarck
Class
“by blood and iron”
Preferred gov’t
Reason behind Iron
Chancellor
Wilhelm I
Helmuth von Moltke
Main Players
 William (Wilhelm) I—King of
Prussia (1861)
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Wanted to enlarge the army, but
lacked support from the liberal
Prussian parliament
1861—King of Prussia
1871—Emperor of Germany
Supported unification of Germany
minus Austria
Otto von Bismarck
 Appointed as Chancellor of Prussia in
1862
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Junker
 Ignored the parliament and enlarged and
reformed the army

Built railroads for transportation of soldiers
 Worked to isolate Austria from the
German Confederation
 “Blood and Iron” speech—unification
will occur only through force
 Realpolitik—German emphasis on
law, order, and hard work
Wars of Unification
 Refer to your handout, identify in your notebook the
three wars fought during the unification process and
what each war accomplished.
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The Danish War (1864) no space
Space before Austro-Prussian War (1866)
Result: Creation of North German Confederation and contents
no space
Space before Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
Bismarck’s Wars and Government
 The Danish War (1864) – Prussia together with
Austria easily defeats Denmark to take over northern
states of Schleswig (Prussia) and Holstein (Austria)
Map 22–2 THE UNIFICATION OF GERMANY Under Bismarck’s leadership, and with the strong
support of its royal house, Prussia used diplomatic and military means, on both the German and
international stages, to forcibly unify the German states into a strong national entity.
The Austro-Prussian War (1866)
 diplomacy
gains Russian sympathy by supporting the suppression of Poland
 persuaded Napoleon III to stay neutral in Austrian-Prussian conflicts
 promised Italy, Venetia if they supported Prussia
 Austria defeated – Italy gets Venetia and Austrian Hapsburgs excluded
from German affairs
 The North German Confederation – Prussia now had a federation
with two houses
 Bundesrat – federal council composed of members appointed by
governments of the states
 Reichstag – chosen by universal male suffrage / had very little
power
 nationalism overtakes the concerns of liberalism and Germany in
effect becomes a military monarchy
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Map 22–2 THE UNIFICATION OF GERMANY Under Bismarck’s leadership, and with the strong
support of its royal house, Prussia used diplomatic and military means, on both the German and
international stages, to forcibly unify the German states into a strong national entity.
The Franc0-Prussia War
 Spanish throne became vacant and was offered to a member of
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Hohenzollern family; Napoleon III objected
On vacation, William I sent a message to Bismarck about the
situation
Bismarck doctored the telegram to make it appear France was
threatening Prussia
France either had to back down in diplomatic defeat or declare
war
France declares war on Prussia when Bismarck makes it appear
that William I of Prussia had insulted France (Ems
Dispatch)
 Prussia crushes France and captures Napoleon IIITreaty of
Frankfurt (1871)
 William (Wilhelm I) becomes emperor of united Germany
 German unification is a blow to liberalism, France, and the
Hapsburg empire
The Prussian victory at the battle of Sedan in September l870 brought about the collapse of the
regime of Louis Napoleon in France and sealed the Prussian accomplishment of the unification of
Germany. In this contemporary photograph the Prussian infantry is making an advance.
Getty Images Inc.—Hulton Archive Photos
The German Empire
 Following the war against France, the four South
German states—Baden, Bavaria, Hesse, and
Wurttemberg joined the North German
Confederation
 The German Empire was born in Jan. 1871 with
Kaiser Wilhelm I as emperor
 Two houses of legislature, BUT all real power was in
the hands of the kaiser and Bismarck
 Germany was an autocracy not a democracy
Map 22–2 THE UNIFICATION OF GERMANY Under Bismarck’s leadership, and with the strong
support of its royal house, Prussia used diplomatic and military means, on both the German and
international stages, to forcibly unify the German states into a strong national entity.
The proclamation of the German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, January 18, 1871,
after the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War. Kaiser Wilhelm I is standing at the top of
the steps under the flags. Bismarck is in the center in a white uniform.
Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz
Timeline: The Unifications
(seven events min. per country)
Italy (1848—1870)
Germany (1848—1871)