the belief that people should be mainly loyal to their nation
Nationalists believe that a cultural unity should turn into a political reality
FOCUS: German
unification
Mid-1800s
Nationalism:
Unification of Germany
Iron and Blood
Factors Hindering Unification
• Religion (North-Protestant/South-Catholic)
• 39 different German states
• Loyalty to individual princes rather than central government
• Opposition of France and Austria
• Economic differences (East-Agriculture/West-Industry)
Germany Towards Unification: 39 States in German Confederation
Otto von Bismarck• Became Prussian chancellor (prime
minister) 1862 under William I
• Junker - German noble landowner
• Protestant conservative
• military reforms
• manipulative & confident
• brilliant diplomat
• Realpolitik
King William I of Prussia
Realpolitik
• Practical or pragmatic politics
• any action is acceptable if it serves the state’s (nation-state’s) interest
• making decisions based on usefulness rather than moral considerations
3 Wars for unification
Danish War Austro-PrussianWar
Franco-PrussianWar
1864 1866 1870
Prussia alliedwith Austria
Prussia alliedwith Italy
North GermanConfederationallied withSouthernGerman States
Danish War• Danish King intends to annex
Schleswig and Holstein• Austria & Prussia combine to defeat
Denmark easily• stage set for conflict manipulated
by Bismarck
1864
Austro-Prussian War
• Also called the Seven Weeks War (by the Prussians!) Prussians win easily
• Austria agrees to dissolve the German Confederation
• German states above the Main River join together in North German Confederation under Prussian King
• Austria contends with Hungarian revolt Austria becomes Austria-Hungary
1866-67
Franco-Prussian War
• Bismarck tricks the French into war• Southern Catholic German states join the
North German Confederation for protection
• French commander captured and surrenders to the Prussians
• Prussian victory helps build up German patriotism
Treaty of Frankfurt• Treaty that ends Franco-Prussian War• France pays Prussia lots of $$• Prussians will remain in France until paid
• France gives Alsace-Lorainne to Germany
• Rebels in Paris refuse to accept surrender• Paris bombarded and taken after inhabitants
resort to eating rats and zoo animals
Boundary of German Empire
1870-1871
Become part of Germany
Treaty of Frankfurt
• was very harsh towards French
• led to years of problems between France and Germany
• shown later in World War I and II
William I’s coronation in Hall of Mirrors at Versailles
German Empire• Centralization of Power
• Kulturkampf - Effort to reduce power of Catholic Church in Germany
• Foreign Policy...
Bismarck’s foreign policy• gain allies
– Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria, Italy
– Reinsurance Treaty: Germany and Russia
• Isolate France
• avoid war - Bismarck hosts 2 conferences to settle conflicts
Problems following Unification
• Alliance system
• Empire dominated by Prussia
• Suppression of Catholics
• Growth of Socialism
• Dismissal of Bismarck
Post-Bismarck Germany
• Kaiser Wilhelm II (1889-1918)
• Militarism• build-up of navy and
army
• forces Britain and France into alliance
• competes for colonies
Foreign Policy
• allows Russian alliance to lapse
• Russia and France make alliance which leads to Schlieffen Plan…..(we will mention this during WWI)
World War I
These alliances help set the stage for
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