Write about the Unification of Germany .
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Answers
Explanation:
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 in 1806, and even though a German Confederation was later re-established after the wars, 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 ruling Austrian Habsburgs.
The rival German-speaking power, Prussia, a former vassal of the Habsburgs, attempted to weaken the German Confederation from both within (Prussia had representation in the German diet, a tradition carried over from the Holy Roman Empire era, thus could directly interfere into Austrian affairs in parliament) and from the outside (Prussia allied with the German Confederation in the Second Schleswig War for the purpose of creating a cassus belli between the two powers over the spoils, which would eventually occur in the Austrian-Prussian War of 1867). Economically, the creation of the Prussian Zollverein customs union in 1818, and its subsequent expansion to include other states of the nominally Austrian-led German Confederation, reduced competition between and within the states.
Explanation:
Key Points
One of the major outcomes of the Congress of Vienna was the creation of German Confederation, a loose association of 39 states designed to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries.
It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia to preserve the Concert of Europe.
Most historians have judged the Confederation as weak and ineffective, as well as an obstacle to German nationalist aspirations.
Further efforts to improve the Confederation began in 1834 with the establishment of a customs union, the Zollverein , to manage tariffs and economic policies.
It collapsed due to the rivalry between Prussia and Austria, warfare, the 1848 revolution, and the inability of the multiple members to compromise.
It was replaced by the North German Confederation in 1866.
Key Terms
German dualism: A long-standing conflict and rivalry for supremacy between Prussia and Austria in Central Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries. While wars were a part of the rivalry, it was also a race for prestige to be seen as the legitimate political force of the German-speaking peoples. The conflict first culminated in the Seven Years’ War.
Holy Roman Empire: A multi-ethnic complex of territories in central Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806. The largest territory of the empire after 962 was the Kingdom of Germany, though it also came to include the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Burgundy, the Kingdom of Italy, and numerous other territories.
Rights of Man: A book by Thomas Paine, including 31 articles, that posits that popular political revolution is permissible when a government does not safeguard the natural rights of its people. Using these points as a basis, it defends the French Revolution.
Zollverein: A coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories, formed during the German Confederation.
The German Confederation (German: Deutscher Bund) was an association of 39 German states in Central Europe, created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries and to replace the former Holy Roman Empire. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia. Britain approved of the confederation because London felt there was need for a stable, peaceful power in central Europe that could discourage aggressive moves by France or Russia. Most historians have judged the Confederation as weak and ineffective, as well as an obstacle to the creation of a German nation-state. It collapsed because of the rivalry between Prussia and Austria (known as German dualism), warfare, the 1848 revolution, and the inability of members to compromise. It was replaced by the North German Confederation in 1866.
In 1848, revolutions by liberals and nationalists were failed attempts to establish a unified German state. Talks between the German states failed in 1848, and the Confederation briefly dissolved but was reestablished in 1850. It decidedly fell apart only after the Prussian victory in the Seven Weeks’ War of 1866.
The dispute between the two dominant member states of the Confederation, Austria and Prussia, over which had the inherent right to rule German lands ended in favor of Prussia after the Seven Weeks’ War of 1866. This led to the creation of the North German Confederation under Prussian leadership in 1867. A number of South German states remained independent until they joined the North German Confederation, which was renamed the German Empire.