German unification

• until 1871 the German Empire consisted of separate states, the largest was Prussia.

→ Chancellor of Prussia Bismarck wants one large German state

→ HOW? WAR!

• first wars with Austria and Denmark → North-Germany and South-Germany

(there is still one war to reunite northern and southern Germany)

• 1870-1871: French-German war

→ Bismarck provokes france

→ germans beat France quickly due to their better organization and stronger army

→ the french emperor surrenders but the people of Paris still fight on.

→ Paris is surrounded and starving.

→ The misery was so great that even the elephants in zoos were eaten

→ Paris must surrender

in Versailles the German Empire is proclaimed and the King of Prussia is crowned Kaiser Wilhelm I.

The man on the right in white is Bismarck. He looks on with satisfaction because he has finally achieved what he has long wanted. Namely German unification

From 1871 Germany becomes a great power

1. Political level

→ big state

→ In the middle of Europe with a large population

→ other countries are taking into account the question of how this empire will now develop

2) Military level

→ big and modern army

→ many railway lines

→ troops could now move faster

→ in the military field, the Germans had to be taken into account

3) Economic level

how did they get bigger en better on military field?

→ fast industrialization

→ Prussia and Germany were industrializing rapidly both before and after 1871

How will a new European balance of power emerge now that a new superpower has been added? (other chapter)