NEW UNIT: THE FORMATION OF MODERN EUROPE (AND THE WESTERN WORLD) GERMAN UNIFICATION FRIDAY APRIL 13, 2012 Vocab: 1. Nationalism 2. Otto Von Bismarck 3. William I 4. Franco-Prussian War Guiding Questions: 1. How was the German Empire formed?
PRIOR TO UNIFICATION Germany had never been a united country Made up of a confederation: Included Prussia, Saxony, Westphalia, Hanover and many other states Had been the source of conquest for hundreds of years (the Romans, Austrians, Prussians, French, etc) Been called the Holy Roman Empire, the Confederation of the Rhine and German Confederation Growing sense of Nationalism: Pride in ones’ country or ethnicity
GERMAN UNIFICATION The Frankfurt Assembly failed to unite Germany under one leader in 1848 and 1849 Germans thought the Prussians could unite them Prussia had a strong authoritarian government Very militaristic King William I wanted to raise a new army to better control the land Prussia legislature said no William appointed a new Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck
OTTO VON BISMARCK Bismarck was a believer in realpolitik or politics of reality not theory Raised taxes and built a huge military Went to war with Austria in 1866 Won and organized the North eastern states into the North German Confederation
FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR France was also a problem Southern German states were Catholic (Prussia is Protestant) BUT they were scared of France so they signed an alliance with Prussia France declared war on Prussia in 1870 Prussian forces were very strong Paris surrendered in 1871 France had to pay a billion dollars to give up the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine to the Prussians
THE GERMAN EMPIRE Two weeks before the war ended, German princes and nobles met in Versailles United Germany and declared William I to be the Kaiser or emperor of the Second German Empire The first German Empire was the Holy Roman Empire Bismarck became Chancellor Known as the “iron chancellor” The German Empire would quickly become the most powerful power in Europe