Chapter 23 Nationalism Triumphs in Europe Section 1 Building a German Nation

Setting the Scene The Prussian legislators waited restlessly for Otto von Bismarck to speak. They knew he wanted them to vote more money to build up the Prussian army. Liberal members of the parliament, however, opposed the move. At last, Bismarck rose and dismissed their concerns: "Germany does not look to Prussia's liberalism, but to her power.... The great questions of the day are not to be decided by speeches and majority resolutions—that was the mistake of 1848 and 1849—but by blood and iron!" Bismarck delivered his "blood and iron" speech in It set the tone for his policies in the years ahead. Bismarck was determined to build a strong, unified German state, with Prussia at its head.

I. Steps Toward Unity In the early 1800s, German-speaking people lived in a number of kingdoms including Prussia and the Austrian Hapsburg empire

I. Steps Toward Unity Between 1807 and 1812, Napoleon organized many German states into the Confederation of the Rhine

I. Steps Toward Unity The Congress of Vienna created the German Confederation, a weak alliance of the 39 German states headed by Austria

I. Steps Toward Unity In the 1830s, Prussia created an economic union between German states called the Zollverein

I. Steps Toward Unity 1848 – The Frankfurt Assembly demanded a united Germany under Prussia, and offered the throne to Frederick William IV but he turned it down

II. Bismarck and German Unity Otto von Bismarck, a diplomat from Prussia's Junker class, was named as chancellor (prime minister) Chancellor of Germany Period in office: 1871– Date of birth: 1 April April1815 Date of death: 30 July July1898

II. Bismarck and German Unity As Chancellor, Bismarck would succeed in uniting the German states under Prussian rule

II. Bismarck and German Unity Bismarck was a master of Realpolitik–realistic politics based on the needs of the state This 1887 American political cartoon depicts Bismarck balancing the figures of war and peace on a teeter-totter made up of a powder keg and a board named "European politics". At the same time, he is juggling the great powers of Europe. An artillery piece lies in the foreground. Bismarck

II. Bismarck and German Unity Bismarck built up the army and fought three wars, increasing Prussian power and paving the way for German unity Franco-Prussian War

II. Bismarck and German Unity Bismarck formed an alliance with Austria and they seized the provinces of Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark. Prussia gained Schleswig and Austria gained Holstein.

II. Bismarck and German Unity 1866-The Austro-Prussian War (Seven Weeks’ War) was fought between Prussia and Austria. Prussia was victorious and annexed Holstein and several other north German states

II. Bismarck and German Unity Bismarck dissolved the German Confederation and created the North German Confederation dominated by Prussia

II. Bismarck and German Unity A growing rivalry between France and Prussia led to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870

II. Bismarck and German Unity Napoleon III declared war on Prussia due to the vacant Spanish throne and the “Ems dispatch” but France was defeated within a few weeks Stone of Benedetti - Ems dispatch A memorial stone reminding of the fatal correspondence between King Wilhelm I of Prussia and the French ambassador Earl Benedetti. The telegraphic message of the Prussian king to Berlin, which entered history books under the name of "Ems Dispatch" and the shortened version of the contents, which was published in the press by Bismarck on July 13, 1870, led to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War 1870/1871.

II. Bismarck and German Unity Results of the Franco-Prussian War Treaty of Frankfurt, Feb France surrenders the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine  national humiliation for France -France must pay Germany a large indemnity ** France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the loss of Alsace and Lorraine  France would desire revenge on Germany  one of the causes of the outbreak of WWI in 1914**

III. The German Empire January William I of Prussia took the title Kaiser or emperor and German nationalists celebrated the birth of the Second Reich On the 18th January 1871, in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, King William I of Prussia was proclaimed by all the states of Germany to be their emperor.

III. The German Empire A constitution was drafted which set up a two-house legislature - the appointed Bundesrat (upper house) and the elected Reichstag (lower house)