Unit 7 - German Unification

How did Bismarck use war as a tool for German unification?

  • Diplomacy and alliances to wage war against Austria and bolster Prussian support


DANISH WAR 1864

  • Bismarck did not contend for German vernacular conformity – instead, initially, promoted kleindeutsch (Small German) by excluding Austria to preserve diplomacy 

  • Two Danish duchies, Schleswig and Holstein, had Germans and Danes, with Holstein being predominate in Germans and controlled by German Confederation

  • Denmark planned to annex both duchies into Denmark, to which the German Confederation encouraged war to prevent this

  • Bismarck allies with Austria and defeats the Danish, giving Austria Holstein and Prussia Schleswig → his alliance with Austria was a maneuver in his plan to wage war against them

  • Bismarck rallied support from Russia (Polish Revolts), Napoleon III, and Italy by promising Venetia if they attacked Austria 


AUSTRO-PRUSSIAN WAR 1866

  • Tensions between the two regions provoked Austria to appeal to the German Confederation for intervention – offended Bismarck due to the earlier alliance and agreement → war

  • Prussia won, but Austria only lost Venetia, as it was ceded to Napoleon III and then to Italy (TREATY OF PRAGUE) excluded Austrian Habsburgs from German affairs, with Prussia as dominant state


NORTH GERMAN CONFEDERATION - group of German states north of the Main river

  • States could hold their governments, but military was federally controlled

  • Two bodies of legislation – federal council (administered by governments of the states) and smaller Reichstag (through male suffrage) 

  • Bismarck won over Prussian liberals by making the conservative monarchical government the most popular institution 


FRANCO PRUSSIAN WAR 1870

  • Hohenzollern heir to Spanish throne threatened France 

  • Bismarck revised a telegram message to insult France’s ambassador and provoke war

  • Smaller German states joined Prussia against France, capturing the French army and Napoleon in the Battle of Sedan and besieged Paris

  • Announced empire in the Hall of Mirrors

Bismarck utilized war as a strategic tool for German unification primarily through alliances and diplomacy.

  • Danish War (1864): Aimed to preserve German interests by promoting a 'kleindeutsch' (Small German) solution, Bismarck allied with Austria to defeat Denmark, gaining Holstein for Austria and Schleswig for Prussia.

  • Austro-Prussian War (1866): Bismarck provoked war due to Austrian interference with the German Confederation. Prussia triumphed, leading to Austria's exclusion from German politics, reinforcing Prussia’s dominance.

  • North German Confederation: Established a federation of northern German states under Prussian control, ensuring military unification while allowing local governments.

  • Franco-Prussian War (1870): The conflict initiated by a diplomatic insult to France resulted in a unified German front against French forces, culminating in the capture of Paris and the proclamation of the German Empire at Versailles.