Reasons for Unification

What did the 1848 revolutions fail to lead to?

German Unification

What continued to grow throughout the 1850s and 1860s?

German Nationalism

Who did Prussia beat in the Wars of Unification?

Denmark, Austria and France

When and where was a unified Germany proclaimed?

1871 Palace of Versailles

Who did Bismarck organise a military alliance with in the case of war with France?

The southern German states

What led to a rise in nationalism in 1870?

When the southern German states united with the northern German states to defeat France, creating a more united Germany

What was Bismarck seen as by historians?

First and foremost a Prussian nationalist, whose objective was to expand Prussia rather than unite Germany

What did Bismarck say justifying that it was only after time had moved on, unification was looking more likely?

"Man cannot create the current of events. He can only float with it and steer"

In the 1860s, what did General Von Room oversee?

The expansion of the Prussian army with improvements in training and equipment

What did General Von Moltke oversee in the 1860s?

Developing mobilisation plans to effectively use railways to deploy Prussian troops

Why were General Von Room and Moltke important to unification?

Their improvements allowed Prussia to win wars against Denmark and also Austria in 1866, uniting Germans and removing the previous biggest obstacle to unification

How many states did the victory over Austria unite?

Only 22 northern states in the North German Confederation, with the southern states refusing to create a similar setup

Why was Prussian military strength less of a reason for unification?

Although the main obstacle of Austria had been removed, north and south religious differences could not be put aside

What was the Zollverein, created in 1834?

A Prussian dominated customs union involving 25 out of the 39 states

Why was the Zollverein 1834 important to unification?

The states involved became wealthier, encouraging nationalist feeling and the idea that a unified Germany would benefit all

Who resented Prussia's dominance in the Zollverein 1834 , leading to them supporting Austria?

The smaller states

Why was the Zollverein 1834 less important to German unification?

It led to tensions and divisions between the states, making unification under Prussian rule less likely

What was Austria distracted by?

Problems in it's empire and being defeated in the Italian Independence War 1859

Why was Austria losing to Italy important to unification?

Proved Austria's declining military, gave Prussia the confidence that they could overcome Austria too, removing biggest obstacle

What did Austria fighting alongside Prussia to defeat Denmark (over Schleswig-Holstein) prove?

They still had significant military strength in the 1860s

Why was Austrian decline less important in unification?

Once again raised the Gross or Klein debate, causing more divisions and making unification unlikely

Why did Britain generally welcome the idea of a stronger Prussia?

More trade and served as a counterbalance to Russia and France

Why was Britain's approval important to unification?

Allowed Prussia to expand influence and win wars of unification without interference from Britian, who could have easily put a stop to unification

Who was suspicious of Bismarck's motives and warned Austria?

British MP's like Benjamin Disraeli

What would Britain have done if Prussia had overextended itself?

Intervened and stop unification with the help of European countries

What was Bismarck able to do through his use of realpolitik?

Ensure Prussian victories in Wars of Unification and convince Prussian King Wilhelm to rule a unified Germany, giving German empire a head of state