Germany

Attempt at Unification

• After 1815, Prussia emerged as an alternative to a Habsburg-based Germany

• 1849 “Grossdeutsch Plan”– Unified Germany including Prussia and Austria– Austria had blocked an attempt of Frederick

William IV of Prussia to unify Germany• “Kleindeutsch Plan”– Unified Germany without Austria

Otto von Bismarck

• 1810-1898• Led the way for a Prussian based Hohenzollern

Germany• Used his power to unify German states into

the German Empire

Prussian-Danish War

• 1863• Germany & Austria defeated Denmark and

took control of the provinces of Schleswig and Holstein

• Provinces were jointly administrated by Prussia and Austria but conflict between the two would led to major war

Austro-Prussian War

• 1866• Bismarck sought a localized war– Made agreement with France, Italy and Russia for

noninterference• Prussia’s use of railroads to mass troops and use

of the breech-loading rifle proved superior to Austria’s military effort

• Prussia’s victory unified much of Germany without Austria

North German Confederation

• 1867• Established by Bismarck with King William I as

president• Included all the German states except Baden,

Wurttemburg, Bavaria, and Saxony• Each state retained its own local gov’t• Reichstag– Upper House/Lower House

Franco-Prussian War

• 1870-1871• Ems Dispatch– Bismarck baited France into war using false information

• Bismarck used the war to bring in the four remaining German states into the Northern German Confederation

• Prussia defeated France with ease capturing Napoleon III

• Treaty of Frankfurt, 1871

German Empire

• Germany now the most powerful nation in Europe

• William I became Emperor• Bismarck became Imperial Chancellor• Second Reich– 1871-1918– German Empire’s gov’t

Austro-Hungarian Empire

Ethnic Groups

• Hungarians and Czechs continued to demand self-determination

• Austria’s defeat by Germany weakened its power

Ausgleich (Compromise)

• Created the Austro-Hungarian Empire• Hungarians had their own assembly, cabinet,

and administration• Would support and participate with Austria in

the Imperial Army and in Imperial gov’t

Issues

• Gov’t was not integrated due to differences among ethnic groups

• Language used in school and gov’t was major issue

• Anti-Semitism toward Jews profound• Wealthy began to take control• Hapsburg leadership lost power in 1871

Nationalism

• Unlike most major countries, which used nationalism to strengthen the state after 1871, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was weakened and destroyed by it