Liberalism and Nationalism in Germany

The napoleonic war

A conflict between Napoleon Bonaparte France and Alliances of various European states, which began in 1803 and ended with Napoleons defeat in 1815

Confederation

A loose association of states which retain some control over their own polices

Liberalism

A belief that government should be reformed allow as much personal and economic freedom as possible. Nineteenth-century liberals also favored the concept of representative assemblies, although these would not necessarily be elected by all adults

Nationalism

A belief that people are with a common language, culture or history should have the right to govern themselves, and that the boundaries between states should be based on this idea

Guilds

Associations of merchants or craftspeople, often dating back to medieval times, set up to protect the interests of their members. By the 19th century, they were widely seen as outdated and restricting free competition

Republican

A form of government in which the head of state is not a hereditary ruler, such as a king, but a leader chosen directly or indirectly by those people in the state who have the right to vote

Radicals

People who want far-reaching changes to a political or social system

Burschenschaften

Student organizations which developed after 1815 to promote ideas of German nationality, freedom and civil rights

Sovereignty

Ultimate political authority within a state

Indirect voting

A system in which voters choose delegates who then elect the representatives to sit in a central assembly or parliament

Customs union / Zollverein

An association of states which retain agree to abolish tariffs between themselves, and to operate a common set of tariffs on imports from other countries

Suffrage(or franchise)

The right to vote

Reich

A German term for a realm or empire.

Elector

A title used by some German princes, deprived from the fact that they elected the Holy Roman emperor until the dissolution of the empire by Napoleon 1 in 1806

General staff

A group of army officers who assist a senior commander in planning and carrying out military operations

Venetia

An area of northern Italy including the city of Venice, which was not yet part of the Italian kingdom. Italy, like Germany, was in the process of being unified in the 1860s, and its king, Victor Emmanuel ll, was keen to enlarge his new state by acquiring this region

Indemnity bill

A law passed to protect people who might otherwise face penalties for illegal conduct

Reparations

Money that one country has to pay another as compensation for war damage

Buffer zone

A protective area separating two potentially hostile copy

How did congress of Vienna(1815) affect nationalism?

It created the German Confederation of 39 states under Austria leadership, hindering national unity

What were the Carlsbad Decrees(1819)?

Repressive measures by Austria’s Metternich to censor the press, ban nationalist groups, and suppress liberal ideas in German universities.

What event symbolized growing liberal and nationalist sentiment in 1832?

The Hambach Festival, where 30,000 gathered to call for national unity and constitutional reform.

Why was Austria excluded from the Zollverein?

To limit Austrian influence and promote Prussia’s leadership in German affairs.

What triggered the 1848 revolutions in Germany?

Economic hardship, demand for civil rights, and calls for national unity inspired by the French Revolution of 1848.

What was the Frankfurt Parliament (1848–49)?

An assembly of German liberals and nationalists that tried to draft a constitution for a united Germany.

Why did the Frankfurt Parliament fail?

Lack of military support, internal divisions, and King Frederick William IV’s refusal of the “crown from the gutter.”

What was the impact of the 1848 revolutions on German unification?

Although they failed, they increased nationalist sentiment and showed the need for strong leadership (eventually by Prussia).

Who was Otto von Bismarck?

Prussian chancellor (from 1862) who led the unification of Germany through “blood and iron.”

What did Bismarck mean by “blood and iron”?

That national unity would be achieved through war and industrial strength, not speeches or liberal reform.

What was the Schleswig-Holstein Crisis (1864)?

A war where Prussia and Austria defeated Denmark; later led to conflict between Prussia and Austria over the spoils.

What was the Austro-Prussian War (1866)?

A war provoked by Bismarck; Prussia defeated Austria and established the North German Confederation, excluding Austria.

What was the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871)?

A war provoked by Bismarck that united the southern German states with Prussia against France.

What was the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War?

France was defeated, and the German Empire was proclaimed at Versailles in 1871, with Wilhelm I as Kaiser.

When was Germany unified?

January 18, 1871, after the Franco-Prussian War.

What was the political structure of the new German Empire?

A federal monarchy dominated by Prussia; the Kaiser and Chancellor held most power, limiting liberal influence.

How did liberalism change after unification?

Many liberals accepted Bismarck’s authoritarian leadership as a trade-off for national unity.

Albrecht Von Roon

Prussian Minister of War

Junker

Prussian Landowner

Napoleon lll

Emperor of France 

Denmark

Country that lost to Austria and Prussia in 1864

Provinces gained by Prussia/Germany in 1871

Alsace and Lorraine 

Prussian king in 1840, replaced by brother

Fredrick Wilhelm lV

Helmuth Von motlke 

Prussian Chief of General Staff

Franco-Prussian

War started over altered Telegram

Leopold

Prince offered crown of Spain

Wilhelm l

First kaiser of Germany

Otto von Bismark

The ‘architect” of German unification

Three

Number of ward of unification 

Ems

Location of Wilhelm when he sent telegram to Bismark 

Schleswig and Holstein

Territories that led to Danish and 7 weeks War

Grossdeutschland

Large Germany

Blood and Iron

nickname for famous Bismark speech

Realpolitik

a system of politics or principles based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations.

What did Wilhelm IV say when offered the crown by Frankfurt parliament

“By the grace of butchers and bakers”