Unification of Germany (jan 27, 1865 – jan 19, 1871)
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Between 1807 and 1812, Napoleon made territorial changes to German-speaking lands and moved German states into the Rhine Confederation. Some Germans appreciated Napoleon for his changes, but others fought against to free his rule from their lands. Even after Napoleon’s defeat, at the Congress of Vienna, Metternich brought up that a unified Germany would bring the need for a change in every states’ government. In the 1830s, Prussia made an economic union, known as the Zollverein, that brought down tariff barriers held between multiple German states. In 1848, the Frankfurt Assembly demanded for German political unity. They gave Frederick William IV of Prussia the throne to a united German state but he rejected the offer. Then in 1862, King William I made Otto von Bismarck the chancellor and within a decade, German states under Prussian rule united. Bismarck was successful at uniting the state because of his mastery in Realpolitik. Bismarck changed his goal to build up the Prussian army, but liberals refused to vote funds given towards the military. So, Bismarck strengthen the military with the money collected for other purposes and led Prussia into three wars. The first two wars brought an alliance with Austria in 1864, but in 1866 Bismarck attacked Austria in the Austrian-Prussian War and gained control over German states from victory, Prussia then went to war against France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and made Napoleon III surrender within a few weeks. Princes from German states and The Northern German Confederation wanted William I of Prussia to be the emperor. The Second Reich was formed In the January of 1871 and a constitution for s two-house legislature was drafted by Bismarck after.
Added to timeline:
Aria Davari's 19th Century Nationalism Timeline
For: First Period Modern World History Project
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