German Unification German Unification Hohenzollern fam Kleindeutsch Plan

German Unification

• German Unification – Hohenzollern fam – Kleindeutsch Plan – unified Germany without Austria – Tension largely due to Zollverein

• Otto von Bismarck – key indiv. For Prussian-based Germany • “Gap Theory” is key king is source of constitution & makes final decisions • Defy parliament “blood & iron”

• Three key wars lead to German Unification – Prussian-Danish War – Austro-Prussian – Franco Prussian War 6

• Prussian-Danish – Germany + Austria work together, win – Now control Schleswig + Holstein – Power struggle over terr. leads to war 7

• Austro-Prussian War – Bismarck negotiates with France, Italy, Russia not to join – Fights Austria, unifies Germany – Germans have superior trains, rifles 8

• 1867 - Northern German Confed. est. with President Bismarck • bicameral parliament Reichstag – bundesrat (upper) & bundestag (lower) • bypasses middle class 9

• Franco - Prussian War • Bismark issues Ems Dispatch, provokes France • Uses war to bring southern states into Northern Confederation • Treaty of Frankfurt Alsace + Lorraine ceded to Germany 10

Emperor Wilhelm I Bismark 11

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• Jan 18, 1871 - German Empire united • most powerful in Europe • Was conservative autocracy - parliament did little, Kaiser had most power 13