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UNIFICATION OF GERMANY

On the eve of the French Revolution of 1789, Germany was divided into different states and these
states were under the Holy Roman Empire. But the people of Germany were not satisfied with the
administrative system of the Holy Roman Empire and they were inspired by the principles of French
Revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte destroyed the Holy Roman Empire by the treaty of Austerlitz signed on
December 26, 1805. He created a Confederation of 39 states in 1806 excluding Austria and Prussia. It
was called the Rhine Confederation and this infused a spirit of unity among the Germans.
Vienna Settlement of 1815
But the Congress of Vienna replaced the Rhine Confederation with a loose confederation of 38
states. For administration, a Federal Diet was established under the Presidentship of Austria. The
constitution of the Federal Diet provided membership to foreign countries like England, Luxemburg,
Denmark, Austria and Saxony.
Rise of Nationalism
The people of Germany were greatly dissatisfied with the Vienna Settlement and they demanded
a Parliament and constitution for each state. They desired unity and the abolition of absolutism. The main
centres of national agitation were the Universities in Germany. The University professors, teachers and
students formed Secret Committees known as Burschenchaft and branches of the committee were
established in 16 universities of Germany.
Patriotic Festival
In order to strengthen the ideal of nationalism in the whole of Germany, a patriotic festival on
Martin Luther was held on October 18, 1817 at Wartburg. The festival was organized by the students of
the different universities of Germany. In this festival, the patriots expressed their views in favour of
liberation and against the principle of reaction.
Carlsbad Decrees (1819)
Metternich was alarmed by the events happening in Germany. He secured the cooperation of
Frederick III, the King of Prussia and convened a meeting of the members of the German states at
Carlsbad in August 1819. The laws passed in the meeting were known as Carlsbad Decrees. The Carlsbad
Decrees stated that Separate constitutions of popular character should not be framed for the states. The
teachers who criticized Metternich should be removed from service. Burschenchaft was banned. The
Carlsbad Decrees imposed severe restrictions on the press.
Revolution of 1830 and the German states
The success of the July Revolution of 1830 in France inspired the patriots of Germany. The rulers
of all states except Austria and Prussia were compelled to introduce liberal constitutions. Charles, the
king of Brunswick was divested of his throne and the revolutionaries established a liberal constitution
there. The small states also followed the path of the people of Brunswick. The southern states were
inclined to establish a military league in the place of Federal Diet. Carlsbad Decrees were renewed in
1832 and its provisions were strictly implemented everywhere. In April 1833 some revolutionaries made
an attack upon the Federal Diet, but it was suppressed.
Zollverein (Customs Union)
In 1834, Prussia established a customs union called the Zollverein. It sprouted from the concept
of Frederich List who advocated economic nationalism. Zollverein abolished the check posts and internal
tariffs, and provided the facility of free trade. The import and export duties were removed from the
transportation of goods. This organization became so popular that almost all the states of the German
Confederation joined Zollverein. Austria was not included in that organization. Zollverein established
economic uniformity among the German states. Prussia emerged as the leader of the German states.
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Revolution of 1848 and the German states

The successful revolution of 1848 in France and the downfall of Metternich, the reactionary
chancellor of Austria inspired the German nationalists. A fierce revolt took place in Berlin, the capital of
Prussia on March 13, 1848. Frederick William IV, the king of Prussia accepted the demands of the
revolutionaries and promised a liberal constitution. In this way liberal constitutions were granted by the
rulers of the different German states.
The Parliament of Frankfurt
In May 1848 the German nationalists convened a national parliament in Frankfurt for establishing
a Federation of all German states. The parliament drafted a constitution for the Federation in 1849. The
imperial crown of a united Germany was offered to Frederick William IV, the King of Prussia on 28
March 1849. But he considered it as the ‘Crown of shame ‘and refused the offer of the Parliament. He
declared, “I don’t want to be the seat of Revolution”. After the failure of the Frankfurt Parliament, the old
constitution of the German states established in 1815 was restored in 1851. It shattered the hopes of the
liberalists and the nationalists.
Frederick William I
Frederick William IV showed symptoms of insanity and so he was replaced by his brother
William as regent. After the death of Frederick William IV in 1861, William, the son of Queen Louise
became the King of Prussia and he took the title Frederick William I. Although Frederick William I
ascended the throne at the age of 64, he was industrious, honest, practical and above all a man of firm
determination. He felt that the destiny of Prussia depended upon its army and so started reorganizing it
appointing Van Roun War Minister and Van Moltke Commander-in-Chief. He also ordered to raise 39
new infantry and 9 cavalry regiments. But the Chamber of Deputies in the parliament bitterly opposed the
military reforms of William I. So Frederick William I dissolved the parliament and declared fresh
elections. The liberalists again secured majority in the parliament and this put William I in an awkward
position. Van Roun advised the king to appoint Otto Von Bismarck the Chancellor of Prussia.
Otto Von Bismarck ( 1815-1898)
In 1862, Frederick William I appointed Otto Von Bismarck as his Chief Minister. The plan of
William was to unite the various semi-independent German states under Prussian leadership by using
military force. Bismarck brought this plan to a successful end by a policy of hard realism. Otto Von
Bismarck was born in the class of Junkers or land of aristocrats. Bismarck had his education in the
Universities of Gottingen and Berlin where he distinguished himself as an indifferent student, capable
duelist and rake. After his education, he entered the government service, but due to his irregular and
dissolute habits, he was soon dismissed from service. Then his marriage to pious daughter of a
neighbouring noble was a turning point in his life. Under her influence he became converted into a
stalwart defender of religion and an intense reactionary in politics. During the Revolution of 1848 he was
a member of the Prussian Parliament and a redoubtable champion of the divine right monarchy. He
belonged to the group of aristocrats who urged the Prussian King not to accept the “Crown of Shame”
from the Frankfurt Assembly. Later he organized the conservative Party dedicated to protecting the
interests of the aristocracy, the established Church and the army. Militarism was the keynote of his policy.
A hard rider and a hard drinker he was known as “Mad Bismarck”. He decaled, “ Not by speeches and
majority votes are the great questions of the day decided – that was the greatest blunder of 1848 and
1849- but by blood and iron”. He richly deserves the title” Iron Chancellor”. His great aim was to unite
all the German speaking territories in Europe under the rule of Prussia and realized that this goal can be
achieved only excluding Austria from German politics. The unification of Germany was accomplished by
means of the\three wars. They were the war with Denmark, the war with Austria and the war with France.
War with Denmark, 1864.
The duchies of Schleswig and Holstein touched the borders of Denmark and Germany and they
had been a bone of contention between them. The Treaty of London (1853) placed these duchies under
the rule of the King of Denmark but he was not authorized to annex them. Under the new constitution of
Denmark these Duchies were regarded as part of Denmark and annexed them. Bismarck appealed for
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Austria’s help to recover Schleswig and Holstein. Austria offered support and the combined army of
Austria and Prussia defeated the Danish forces in 1864. King Christian X of Denmark was forced to
surrender Schleswig and Holstein to the victors.
Austro-Prussian War, 1866
A question arose as to who should have the control over these duchies. Austria proposed that the
Duke of Augustenburg should assume their control. But Bismarck was not willing. A settlement was
made at the Gastein Convention held on August 20, 1865. It was agreed that Prussia was to rule over
Schleswig and Austria was to administer Holstein. The final settlement was pending. Austria placed the
problem before the Federal Diet but Prussia objected it. Bismarck had been making diplomatic
preparations to isolate Austria. He secured Russia’s friendship and made an alliance with Italy promising
her Venetia if he succeeded in a war with Austria. Napoleon III of France assured Bismarck of France’s
neutrality if Austro-Prussian War broke out. In June 1866, Prussia declared on Austria. The Prussian
army under the command of Von Moltke defeated the Austrian forces in the Battle of Sadowa in 1866.
The Peace of Prague was signed between Austria and Prussia. By this Austria was excluded from
Germany and Prussia became the head of the German Confederation. Austria ceded Venetia to Italy. The
southern states still remained outside the union. These states were incorporated into Germany by the
Franco-Prussian War.
Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71
Bismarck desired a war with France to excite the patriotic enthusiasm of the South German States
and induce them to join with Prussia and the North German Confederation. Napoleon III of France
considered the rise of the German States under the leadership of Prussia a menace to France. Hence he
demanded that Prussia should give up to France some territory along the Rhine. But Bismarck rejected the
demand. Besides, on the question of succession to the Spanish throne, Napoleon demanded an assurance
of William I that Prussia would not support the candidature of Prince Leopold. But the King of Prussia
refused to give such assurance. The French ambassador, Count Vincent Benedetti requested for another
interview with William I at Ems. The king stated he was leaving Ems that night and could not receive
him. He telegraphed the news to Bismarck who released the king’s dispatch to the public press. The
matter was edited in a form to convey the impression to the Germans that the Prussian king had been
insulted by the French ambassador and to the Frenchmen that their ambassador had been insulted by the
Prussian king. The telegram had the effect of a “red rag on a Gallic bull” as Bismarck himself remarked.
Napoleon III declared war against Prussia in 1870. German troops were more than a match to the
French soldiers. Napoleon III was crushingly defeated in Battle of Sedan on September 2, 1870. King
William I of Prussia was proclaimed the Kaiser (German Emperor) in the presence of other German
princes in the Hall of Mirrors in the Place of Versailles on January 18, 1871. The French forces
surrendered on January 28, 1871. Bismarck dictated the Treaty of Frankfurt which was signed on May 10,
1871. France was forced to surrender Alsace and Lorraine and pay 200 million pounds as war indemnity
to Germany. The great German victory aroused the intense patriotism among the people of South
German States and this enabled Bismarck to complete the union of the German States. The Constitution
of the North German Federation was broadened to include the South German States also, and it was
transformed into a Federal German Empire under the hereditary presidency of the Prussian King. Thus the
Prussianisation and unification of Germany were completed. Undoubtedly Bismarck was the architect of
German Unification.
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