Why PrussiaTake the responsibility of unification of Germany?
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The Unification of Germany into a German Empire with tight political and administrative integration, replacing the decentralized German Confederation and Holy Roman Empire, was officially proclaimed on 18 January 1871, in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France. Princes of the German states, excluding Austria-Hungary and its House of Habsburg-Lorraine (the dynasty that formerly ruled over the German princes during the German Confederation and Holy Roman Empire), gathered there to proclaim William I of Prussia and the House of Hohenzollern as German Emperor, following the French capitulation in the Franco-Prussian War.
A confederated realm of German princedoms had been in existence for over a thousand years, dating to the Treaty of Verdun in 843. However, there was no German national identity in development as late as 1800, mainly due to the autonomous nature of the princely states; most inhabitants of Holy Roman Empire territories, outside of those ruled by the emperor directly, identified themselves mainly with their prince, and not with the emperor or the German realm as a whole. In the mountainous terrain of much of the territory, isolated peoples developed cultural, educational, linguistic, and religious differences over such a lengthy time period. This internal division became known as the "practice of kleinstaaterei", or the "practice of small-statery". By the nineteenth century, transportation and communications improvements brought these regions closer together.
This changed drastically after the Holy Roman Empire's defeat and dissolution by France in 1806, and even though a German Confederation was re-established in 1815 after the defeat of France, the beginnings of an unprecedented wave of German nationalism swept through Germany during the first half of the 19th century. By mid-century, Germany had already seen movements supporting centralization, with or without the traditionally ruling Austrian Habsburgs.
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Answer:
The following are the process of German Unification :
• After 1848, nationalism in Europe moved away its association with democracy and revolution.
• Nationalist sentiments were often mobilised by conservatives for promoting state power and achieving political domination over Europe.
• Nationalist feeling were widespread among middle-class Germans in 19 century.
• In 1848, they tried to unite the different regions of the German confederation into a nation state governed by an elected parliament.
• The first attempt for unification of Germany was made in 18th century through the establishment of constitutional monarchy under the leadership of King Friedrich Wilhelm, by conveying a parliament at Frankfurt. The Prussian king rejected the move and joined the other monarchs to oppose the elected assembly.
• The liberal initiative to nation building was repressed by the combined forces of the monarchy and the military, supported by the large landowners called Junkers of Prussia.
• Prussia took on the leadership of Otto Von Bismarck, who became the architect of this process.
He was known as the architect of German unification.
• He fought three wars over seven years with Austria, Denmark and France which ended in Prussian victory.
• Prussia won the territories of Bohemia, Sudetenland, Tyrol, Schleswig in Austro-Prussia war (1866), the territories of Thuringian states and Schewerin in Denmark - Prussia war and the territories of Rhineland, Ruhr and Westphalia in Franco-Prussia war (1871). This completed the process of unification of Germany. That is why Otto Von Bismarck was known as 'the man of blood and iron'.
• This win led to Bismarck becoming the chancellor of North Confederation in 1867.
• After the win, in the Royal Palace of Versailles, the King of Prussia was crowned as the German Emperor. It symbolised the birth of a united Germany.
• Prussian King Kaiser William I was proclaimed as German emperor at Versailles on January 1871. Then on 18th January, 1871 , a united German empire headed by Kaiser William I was proclaimed.
In this way the Unification of Germany was completed.