What role did nationalism play in the unification of Germany?

1. What role did nationalism play in the unification of Germany? • Nationalism experienced a reawakening at the turn of the nineteenth century as a result of Napoleonic occupation. Germans began to create stories, myths, legends and music that defined Germans. This gave them a strong sense of pride and helped to develop a sense of culture and nationalism.

2. Explain the dilemma faced by the Frankfurt Assembly over the identification of a German union. • The Frankfurt Assembly sought to unify the German states but it was not supported by the general public. Politically, the Frankfurt Assembly was not very powerful. It was dependent on the people who were to be conquered or absorbed. Another problem surrounded the question of which areas to include in a unified Germany.

3. The supporters of “Greater Germany” wanted to include Austria, Bohemia, and all of Prussia. It would be led by the Austrian Hapsburg monarchy. The supporters of “Little Germany” wanted to exclude Austria because they were too culturally diverse. Prussia would lead “Little Germany”.

4. Who was Otto von Bismarck? What role did he play in the Prussian government? • He was a Junker (aristocracy) who was appointed prime minister of Prussia in 1862. He was a conservative, Protestant and an intellectual. He was a Prussian, rejected German nationalism and wanted to strengthen Prussia.

5. Trace the manner in which Bismarck manipulated Austria into a war against Denmark. What was the cause and result of the war? • The Danish King came to the throne intending to include Schleswig as part of Denmark. Bismarck protested based on the Treaty of London, which stated that the areas would loosely remain under Danish control. Bismarck encouraged Austria to join Prussia in war with Denmark.

6. After they defeated Denmark, it was agreed that Prussia would administer Schleswig and that Austria would administer Holstein. This heightened tension between the two states. The stage was clear for Prussia to isolate Austria. This was fairly simple as both France and Russia did not want to see a powerful Austria.

7. Why was the Treaty of Gastein considered a problem rather than a solution regarding Schleswig and Holstein? • It was a problem because it did not leave one dominant power among the German states. Both Prussia and Austria were still in positions of power and this settlement simply magnified the conflict. The two argued over rights of passage and issues of internal order.

8. What caused the war between Prussia and Austria in 1866? What was the result of this Seven Weeks’ War? • In 1866 the German parliament was elected by universal suffrage. Austrian conservatives were upset because the general German public chose nationalists and revolutionaries as their representatives. Austria and Prussia were still fighting over Schleswig and Holstein. Austria took the issue to the diet of the German confederation, but Bismarck declared that the body had no authority in the matter.

9. Bismarck attacked Austria and a war began. The superior Prussian army defeated the Austrians in seven weeks. As a result, Austria was no longer a presence in the German confederation. Schleswig and Holstein were annexed by Prussia and Austria had to acknowledge Prussian leadership among the German states. Bismarck formed the North German Confederation.

10. Analyze Bismarck’s insistence on excluding Austria, Austria’s multinational empire, and the German states south of the Main River from German unification. What advantages for Germany did Bismarck see in this policy? What disadvantages did he foresee if they were admitted? Speculate where the political and military power would have been centered if all the German states had been allowed to join. • Bismarck saw the North German Confederation as preferable to a complete German unification because this gave Prussia the opportunity to exercise total control over the others. They would have little trouble absorbing these states, as they were not as powerful in Germany as some other states.

11. Also, because of geography, Germans who lived in the north had more in common with each other than with those in the south. Also, the southern states were Catholic, as opposed to the northern Protestants, and they were conservative, much like Austria. If admitted, they would be more difficult to control. In gaining the northern states, Prussia could build until they were ready to completely unify German states.

12. Describe the organization of the North German Confederation. What was the effect of this organization on Austria and the south German states? • The North German Confederation was made up of 21 northern German states. This confederation affected the southern states and Austria by isolation. They could not ally, and therefore, were weak and divided. The Northern Confederation was far more powerful at this point, which worked to intimidate the southern states. In time of crisis, the southern states and Austria would look to Prussia for leadership.

13. What problems can you foresee in the creation of a new federal state such as Germany? What would be the reaction of the rulers of the smaller German states towards unification? • One of the major problems in the eventual unification of the German states involves a loss of power. Rulers of small states would have to surrender their power in favour of leadership from abroad. This was new to many Germans and would prove difficult.

14. Also, since the German states occupy a large geographic space, cultures, political beliefs and traditions vary greatly from one state to another. Obviously, rulers of small states would be unwilling to give up power. They would fight unification if possible.

15. Why did France declare war on Prussia on 19July 1870? What was the result? • When Queen Isabella fled into exile because of the revolution in Spain (1868), the Spanish throne was vacant. The provisional government offered it to Leopold, a Hohenzollern prince and cousin of Wilhelm. Though Leopold refused the throne several times, he eventually accepted.

16. This incensed the French and Napoleon III, who did not want a Hohenzollern on the Spanish throne. Leopold withdrew but Napoleon III insisted that no Hohenzollern ever occupy the throne. Though Wilhelm was insulted, he did not want to provoke the French. Bismarck did and edited Wilhelm’s reply to Napoleon III..

17. France declared war on Prussia and the South and North German states joined. The rest of the European community did not get involved and the Prussian army easily defeated the French. This paved the way for the final unification of the German Empire as well as German dominance in Europe