German Unification The Germanic States In the early 1800s, present-day Germany was made up of many independent Germanic states or kingdoms. In the 1800s, poets, philosophers, and students spread the idea of unifying German “blood” which caused German nationalism to rise.

As with Italy, Napoleon’s invasion caused many Germans to desire a unified nation. However, instead of forming one German nation, the Congress of Vienna created a weak “German Confederation” of 39 states led by Austria.

Prussia was the richest German state because it had the largest coal deposits in Europe, which fueled Prussia’s iron and steel industries. Prussia also had a highly skilled workforce and extensive goods for trade. Prussia’s king, parliament, and chancellor were all talented leaders.

Prussia was a military state with an army that was strong, discipline, and well-equipped. Militarism: Glorification of the military and the buildup of arms

Otto von Bismarck In 1861, Wilhelm I became King of Prussia and appointed the strong and skillful Otto von Bismarck as Prime Minister to lead German unification. By the 1870s, Bismarck earned the title of “Chancellor”, or the highest official of a monarch.

Bismarck was a military genius and former diplomat for Prussia, who cared little for parliament. Instead he believed in Wilhelm’s conservative Prussian monarchy.

Bismarck insisted unification would be achieved “not with speeches and majority decisions, but with blood and iron.”

Bismarck’s Realpolitik, or “realistic politics” argued for the most practical path to unification, even if that meant dishonest alliances or starting wars.

Bismarck believed in Machiavelli’s idea that “the ends justify the means,” or that wrong actions can be used to reach good outcomes. Bismarck not only built up the Prussian army, but led Prussia through three wars to unite Germany.

Danish War In 1864, Bismarck allied with Austria, Prussia’s rival, to defeat Denmark in a brief war to gain land. Austria gained the province of Holstein, while Prussia gained Schleswig.

Austro-Prussian War Although allies against Denmark, the Austrian Empire opposed Prussian-led German unification. To instigate a war, Bismarck invaded Austria’s newly acquired territory of Holstein in 1866. Austria declared war and Prussia defeated its rival, gaining several German states.

Bismarck ended the Austrian-led “German Confederation” and created the new Prussian-led North German Confederation. Now only France stood between Bismarck and total German unification.

Franco – Prussian War To start this war, Bismarck edited the “Ems dispatch,” which made it seem as though Prussia’s King Wilhelm I insulted France. Napoleon III declared war in 1870 and Bismarck convinced the southern German states to join Prussia.

Prussia defeated the French and France was forced to give up the industrial border territories of Alsace and Lorrain, and pay huge reparations, or fines.

In 1871, Bismarck assembled the German princes in France’s Versailles Palace, where they declared Wilhelm I Kaiser, or emperor, of the newly unified powerful German Reich (Empire).