Chapter 25: Nation Building in Germany

Chapter 25:Nation Building in Germany McKay 829-832, Palmer 13.65

German Unification Napoleon Forms Confederation on the Rhine -Revolutions in Vienna, Prague, Berlin -Frankfurt Assembly fails to create a United Germany Franco-Prussian War Wilhelm I appoints Otto Von Bismarck chancellor North German Confederation formed (1867) 1806 1815 1848 1862 1866 1871 Zollverien created (1834) Crimean War (1853-56) Ems Dispatch (1870 Congress of Vienna creates German Confederation German Empire declared German Constitution created in Prussia Seven Weeks War Danish War (1864)

The German States after 1848 • Revolutions of 1848 unseated several gov of Germany • Private citizens assembled at Frankfurt in hope of creating a united Germany via constitutional methods • Frankfurt Assembly failed because it had no power (Prussian Military) • not revolutionary enough • Liberal, law-abiding orderly, sober, respectful • Frederick William IV placated liberals by granting the Constitution of 1850 • Creates an “estates system” of voting • 39 state German Confederation (Bund) restored 1850

Prussian Power Declining • Had always been the smallest and most precarious of the great powers • owed its international influence and character to its military • Used the army to expand by conquest or diplomacy • Silesia in 1740 • Poland in the late 1770s, 90s • Sentinel of the Rhine after 1815 • Received land on France’s border to keep eye on them • Power had declined by 1850 • Gov. was shaken by Revolution • Crimean War and Congress of Paris 1856 Prussia was ignored • Military strength had declined • Italy was unified to the south without any Prussian yes or no

Prussian Parliament • Prussia’s parliament was led by the wealthy liberals • Had power of the purse • Nationalistic • Still dreamed of a unified German state • Wanted Parliamentary supremacy • Control of military (Junkers) • Wanted to emulate Piedmont Sardinia’s liberalism • Believed it would attract other German states • William I (New Kaiser) asked Parliament for $$ to build up military (1861) • Liberals Parliament refused appropriations($$)

Otto Von Bismarck • Appointed Chancellor 1862 • Junker-class yet intellectual • Pro Prussia • Conservative at heart • Stressed duty, service, order (ordun) • “there has to be order” • Pro modernization • Saw Prussian power waning as other unified nations grew strong • Realpolitik incarnate • Machiavellian • Had no ideology, No set principles • would act like a liberal/republican/socialist if it served him • Not necessarily a German nationalist • German unification is a means to elevating Prussian power

Blood and Iron Speech • Parliament refused to pass taxes for military • Bismarck sent civil servants to collect them anyway • People paid them (orderliness) • Docile population who had exaggerated respect for officialdom • Liberals lack of power was exposed • Parliament called his policies unconstitutional • Liberal Parliament hoped Prussia’s liberalism would attract other German states • Bismarck gave speech in Sept 1862 • Said that the German unification would be achieved not by Prussian liberalism but by its military power • German states would be attracted to Prussian power

Blood and Iron Speech • The position of Prussia in Germany will not be determined by its liberalism but by its power ... Prussia must concentrate its strength and hold it for the favourable moment, which has already come and gone several times. Since the treaties of Vienna, our frontiers have been ill-designed for a healthy body politic. Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided - that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849 - but by iron and blood.

The Danish War (1864) • Tension remained high between Parliament and Bismarck until Otto saw an opportunity • Danes wanted to make the duchy of Schleswig part of Denmark • Population was mixed (Dane and German) • German Confederation called for all-German war on Danes • Bismarck (not wanting to strengthen the Diet) joined only with Austria and invaded Schleswig and Holstein • Bismarck arranged that Prussia would occupy Schles and Austria Holstein • Austrian troops had to pass through Prussian territory to occupy Holstein • Harassed by Prussian soldiers

Austro-Prussian War (1866) • Austria was isolated as Bismarck nurtured a relationship with Napoleon III • Had charmed Nap at Biarritz • Russia had its own problems and liked Bismarck • Had supported them during a Polish uprising • England was following nonintervention policy • Bis secretly offered Venetia to Italy • Bismarck (under the pretense of democracy) proposed to reform the German Confederation (universal male-suffrage) • He knew that most Germans weren’t loyal to their existing governments and used democracy as his wedge Clip for Clip

Seven Weeks’ War (Austro-Prussian War) • Austria brought quarrel over Schleswig-Holstein to German federal diet (Bund) • Bismarck said that this was an aggressive move, the diet had no authority, and moved in Holstein • Austria appealed to all Germany (Baden, Württemberg, Bavaria) • Prussian army showed its superiority • Defeated the combined force at Sadowa • Needles guns (allowed infantryman to deliver five rounds a minute) • Used RR • German von Moltke led capable army to victory in seven weeks

Result of 7 Weeks’ War • Prussia annexed Schleswig-Holstein, Hanover, Nassau, Hesse-Cassel, Frankfurt • German federal union disappeared & was replaced by Northern Confederation (21 small states) • German states south of river Main (Austria, Baden, Bavaria, Wurttemberg, Hesse-Darmastadt were outside the North Confed • Italy got Venetia for its neutrality • But not territory was taken from Austria • Did not want to create a permanent enemy

Constitution of 1867 • Bismarck proposed new constitution • Lower house (Reichstag) was elected by universal suffrage • This seemed crazy to the conservative Junkers • Bismarck believed that he could use the masses as a key ally against private interests • Could bypass the Liberals • He worked with socialists to improve working class conditions • Socialist followed Ferdinand Lassalle who unlike Marx said that improvement could be attained via parliamentary means • Bismarck the Socialist-Republican?? Ferdinand Lassalle

Political Zeitgeist (1867-1871) • Who would the small south German states gravitate to (France, Prussia, or Austria) • Napoleon III was under heavy pressure in France for: • His Mexico intervention • Allowing a united Italy to emerge • Allowing a large German state to emerge • More liberal reform • Bismarck believed war with France would bring southern German states into the confederation and leave Austria out of the loop • Napoleon III felt a victory against Prussia would revive his position in France

The Ems Dispatch • Revolution in Spain drove reigning queen into exile • Provisional gov invited Prince Leopold (a Hohenzollern), king of Prussia’s cousin, to be king of Spain • He declined offer (2 times) • Bismarck persuaded Spanish to ask once more • French ambassador to Prussia, Benedetti • met king of Prussia at resort (Ems) • Asked Leo to decline • He already had • Asked for commitment from Hohenzollerns never to rule Spain • King politely refused • King telegrammed conversation to Bismarck • Ems dispatch • Bismarck cleverly edited dispatch • He saw a chance “to wave a red flag before the Gallic bull” • Made it seem that King was insulted (Germany was insulted) • Made it seem that the ambassador of France was snubbed • War parties gathered in both countries • 7/19/1870 Napoleon declares war on Prussia Ems Telegram

Unedited Ems Dispatch • His Majesty the King has written to me(namely, Heinrich Abeken, of the Foreign office)"Count Benedetti intercepted me on the promenade and ended by demanding of me in a very importunate manner that I should authorize him to telegraph at once that I bound myself in perpetuity never again to give my consent if the Hohenzollerns renewed their candidature. I rejected this demand somewhat sternly as it is neither right nor possible to undertake engagements of this kind [for ever and ever]. Naturally I told him that I had not yet received any news and since he had been better informed via Paris and Madrid than I was, he must surely see that my government was not concerned in the matter." [The King, on the advice of one of his ministers] "decided in view of the above-mentioned demands not to receive Count Benedetti any more, but to have him informed by an adjutant that His Majesty had now received from [Leopold] confirmation of the news which Benedetti had already had from Paris and had nothing further to say to the ambassador. His Majesty suggests to Your Excellency that Benedetti's new demand and its rejection might well be communicated both to our ambassadors and to the Press."

Bismarck’s edited version • "After the news of the renunciation of the Prince von Hohenzollern had been communicated to the Imperial French government by the Royal Spanish government, the French Ambassador in Ems made a further demand on His Majesty the King that he should authorize him to telegraph to Paris that His Majesty the King undertook for all time never again to give his assent should the Hohenzollerns once more take up their candidature. His Majesty the King thereupon refused to receive the Ambassador again and had the latter informed by the adjutant of the day that His Majesty had no further communication to make to the Ambassador."

England -Bismarck published document that Nap III had previously wanted Luxembourg & Belgium Russia -waiting for a chance to get a naval presence in the Black Sea -Remembered Bismarck’s support to Russia during Polish rebellion & Crimean War France is Alone Italians -Not happy for losing Nice and Savoy -Not happy that Nap had made his own peace with Austria (Villafranca) -Wanted to seize Rome (1870) Austria -Angry for the Austro-Piedmont War & loss of Lombardy

Franco-Prussian War • At Sedan the French were defeated • Napoleon III was taken prisoner • Riots in Paris deposed the government and declared the Third Republic • Prussia took Paris after laying siege for 4 months

Prussian Siege of Paris Commune

German victory parade in Paris. The Parisians were defiant in the face of defeat and were prepared to fight if the entry of the German army into the city . Before the Germans entered Paris, National Guards removed large numbers of cannons away from the Germans' path and store them in "safe" districts. This was to be one of the factors leading to the Paris Commune .

The Paris suburb of St. Cloud after the siege

Siegfried (Germany) defeatsJoan of Arc (France) in the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71

The German Empire, 1871 • The German rulers assembled at Versailles • The Prussian King is proclaimed Emperor, German Empire is proclaimed • Paris surrendered (starving) • No government existed for Germany to negotiate with • Bismarck called for the election of a Constituent Assembly (by universal suffrage) • Demanded reparations of 5 billion gold francs • Seized Alsace and Lorraine (They were not asked) Clip for a unique summary

Victorious German troops march through the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on June 16, 1871. Ever since this day it was traditional for German troops to march through the gate on their return from war .

The Strength of the German State • War reversed the dictum of the Peace of Vienna (1815) and Westphalia (1648) • Germany became at its birth the strongest state on the continent • Continued its rapid industrialization • Bis had outsmarted everyone (even the Germans) • Bismarck and the Parliament made amends • He admitted to high handedness during the constitutional struggles and they passed his taxes (ex post facto) • Liberalism was derailed by nationalism • German Empire was a federation of monarchies (divine right) • But the Reichstag was elected by universal male suffrage • Ministers were responsible to the emperor, not the elected chamber • The rulers, not the people joined the empire • Each state kept its own laws and gov • Emperor (the king of Prussia) had legal control over foreign and military policy • The Emperor was the king of Prussia and magnified Prussian influence

Chapter 25: Nation Building in Germany