TCT Test 1 (i'm so tired)

Revolutions of 1848

Democratic and nationalist revolutions that swept across Europe during a time after the Congress of Vienna when conservative monarchs were trying to maintain their power. The monarchy in France was overthrown. In Germany, Austria, Italy, and Hungary the revolutions failed.

Napoleon III

(1852-1870) Former Louis Napoleon, who became president of the Second Republic of France in 1848 and engineered a coup d'état, ultimately making himself head of the Second Empire.

Friedrich Wilhelm IV

(1840-1861) Prussian king; preferred to use military force to respond to popular demonstrations; only in mid-March 1848 did he yield to the force of the revolutionary crowds building barricades in Berlin by ordering his troops to leave the city + by promising to create a national Prussian assembly; now a prisoner of the revolution; when offered the crown of the new Germany, he refused to accept saying that it was a "crown from the gutter"; but he accepts and now needs to look modern otherwise he will get a revolution or a constitutional monarchy on him.

Frankfurt Assembly

(1807-82) Attempted to unify Germany. Debate between Grossdeutch (big Germany) and Kleindeutsch (small Germany) and pick small Germany. They offer the crown of Germany to Friedrich Wilhelm the 4th who throws a temper tantrum because he doesn't want a crown from the gutter.

Prussian Constitution of 1850

Frederick William IV dissolved the Prussian Constitutional Assembly in December 1848 and in 1850 he issued his own constitution. Lasted to 1918. Provided for 2 house parliament. Upper house seated the Junker nobility. Lower house was elected by universal suffrage but the three-class voting law enabled the wealthiest 20% to elect 2/3 of the members. King retained ABSOLUTE veto over legislation and authority to suspend civil liberties. This system works of 8 years as the high and middle class often have the same opinion. However, when the middle class and low class come to resent the taxes imposed on them, FW IV loses power and Bismarck starts getting on the scene.

Prussian budget impasse 1858-1866

The Prussian population/land size doubled, so it was suggested that the Prussian army also double. The Military Appropriations bill was then suggested in 1858 (drags to 1862 because impasse) The plan was to raise taxes and increase years of service on the lower class, but the middle and lower class vote to veto. The lower class knows the appropriations come at the expense of them and the middle class resents the upper class as their sons can't be officers. However, since the budget isn't passed, they revert to the budget from last year and everything stays the same.

Danish War

(1864) Essentially, the new Danish King Christian IX declared that he has complicated hereditary rights to Schleswig and Holstein (which are both more than 50 percent German). Bismarck considers declaring war on the Danes but he as to consider Danish alliances. He makes an alliance with Austria and after three months of fighting, Denmark surrendered to Prussia and Austria. Prussia would administer Schleswig and Austria would administer Holstein.

Austro-Prussian War (1866)

Also known as the Seven Weeks' War. Austria suggested that they would give Holstein to Prussia in exchange for Silesia, but that is not happening. Austria then fell into the trap of getting German confederation states on their side to coerce Prussia. Since the conditions of the alliance were violated, Austria and Prussia go to war, with Italy helping Prussia. It was over control of the German Confederation. Prussia won and created the North German Confederation as their puppet state from the original German Confederation (puppet state of the Austrians). Italy received Venetia and is allied with Prussia.

Ausgleich

The "Compromise" of 1867 that created the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. After Austria was weakened by the Austro-Prussian War, Hungary contemplated independence. Austria and Hungary each had its own capital, constitution, and legislative assembly, but were united under one monarch (conservative).
Treaty of Nikolsburg with Prussia sets up future alliance with Austria-Hungary.

North German Confederation

The German Confederation was dissolved after the Austro-Prussian War and Austria agreed to withdraw from German affairs. The states north of the main river were grouped in the new North German Confederation, led by an expanded Prussia. In the aftermath of victory, Bismarck fashioned a federal constitution for the new North German Confederation. Each state retained its own local government, but the King of Prussia became president of the confederation and chancellor Bismarck was responsible only to the president. The federal government (William I and Bismarck) controlled the army and foreign affairs. There was also a legislature consisting of two houses that shared equally in the making of laws. Delegates to the upper house were appointed by the different states, but members of the lower house were elected by universal, single-class, male suffrage.

Leopold's Candidacy

Queen Isabella II of Spain is thrown out, so Spain needs a new monarch. They choose Leopold von Hohenzollern Sigmarin (nephew of Wilhelm, Prussian, liberal) as a candidate. Napoleon III is furious as this could lead to encirclement of his empire and threatens war with Spain.

Ems Telegram

A telegram sent to Bismarck from William.
Wilhelm goes to Bad-Ems for minerals, so Napoleon sends an ambassador over to him to make an alliance against Leopold's candidacy away from Bismarck. Wilhelm tells ambassador verbally that they won't support Leopold, so the ambassador returns and comes back to get it in writing. Wilhelm denies writing down what he said and sends the EMS telegram to Bismarck for his counsel. Furious over the peaceful resolution of the controversy of Spanish succession and eager to go to war with France, Bismarck revised the telegram to make it seem that Wilhelm insulted the ambassador. France took Bismarck's bait and plunged into the Franco-Prussian War.

Franco-Prussian War

This was a major war between the French and the Prussians/German Confederation from 1870-1871 that brought about the unification of Germany. Prussia destroys Napoleon's army, captures him as a war prisoner, and gets Paris, so they win. Germany is then unified.

Treaty of Frankfurt

The Germans charge the French 5 billion francs for the cost of the war and remain on French soil until they pay out. This eventually leads to the pitting of the French against the Germans in rivanche (revenge).
The Germans also get Alsace and Lorraine, which have a ton of coal. This eventually leads to the Germans outpacing the British in development.
Wilhelm becomes the Kaiser in unified Germany

German Constitution of 1871

Aristocracy dominates as William and Otto want a conservative state; the 2 houses are the Reichstag (want universal male suffrage; get very little power) and Bundesrat (upper house, Junkers)
Hierarchy of legislature goes: Kaiser, Bundesrat (58 and 17 Prussian seats), Reichstag, SPD (socialists), German Progressives, German Liberal Party. In the center is the Catholic center, free conservatives and the conservative party Junkers.

Kulturkampf (1871-1878)

War on Catholics dure to underlying question on whether Catholics were good Germans. Bismarck's anticlerical campaign to expel Jesuits from Germany and break off relations with Vatican. Eventually, after little success, Bismarck halted these policies.

1st Dreikaiser Bund

1873: The three empires league (Germany, Austria Hungary, and Russia) that works to stomp nationalism, liberalism, etc.

Pan-Slavism

A movement to promote the independence of Slav people. Roughly started with the Congress in Prague; supported by Russia as they wanted access to the Mediterranean Sea (warm water port) because their other ports are Vladivostok (far and cold), and St. Petersburg. Led to the Russo-Turkish War of 1877.

Rot in the Balkans

1875: Slavic nationalism (Bosnians, Serbians, Bulgarians) leads to uprising against Turks

Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78

This war had its origins in a rise in nationalism in the Balkans as well as in the Russian goal of recovering territorial losses it had suffered during the Crimean War, reestablishing itself in the Black Sea, and following the political movement attempting to free Balkan nations from the Ottoman Empire.

Treaty of San Stefano

Treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in 1878 where Russia gained Bulgaria. Russia said that they were 'saving people' from Ottoman rule.

Congress of Berlin

(1878) Assembly of representatives from Germany, Russia, Hungary, Britain, France, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire. Meeting was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans - led to greater nationalism.

Dual Alliance (1879)

Bismarck's (Germany's) secret treaty with Austria which provided for support if attacked by Russia. Bismarck wanted to alienate France as it would be a threat to Germany if France fights with another country.

Triple Alliance

Alliance among Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy at the end of the 19th century; part of European alliance system and balance of power prior to World War I.