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War
- i. = turning point in Prussian domestic affairs
- 1. After war, Bismarck wanted parliament to pass bill of indemnity, retroactively legalizing taxes he collected illegally
- a. Most liberals said yes because won over by Bismarck’s successful military
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Victory over Austria
- i. With victory over Austria and creation of north German Confederation, he proved that nationalism and authoritarian government could be combined
- 1. By using nationalism to win liberal support and prevent governmental reform, he showed that liberalism and nationalism could be separated
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North German COnfederation
- a. He also showed same flexibility in creation of new constitution for North German Confederation
- i. Each German state kept own local government, but king of Prussia was head of confederation, and chancellor (Bismarck) responsible to king
- ii. Both army and foreign policy in hands of king and chancellor
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Parliament's Two Bodies
- i. Parliament had two bodies: BUdesrat (federal council) composed of delegates nominated by states, and a lower house, the Reichstag, elected by universal male suffrage
- 1. Like Napoleon, Bismarck believed peasants and artisans of majority were conservative at heart and could help overcome liberal advantages
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Franco Prussian War (1870-1871)
- i. Bismarck and William I achieved major goal by ‘66
- 1. Prussia now dominated all of n. Germany, and Austria was excluded from German affairs
- ii. Unsettled businessà change and problems
- 1. Bismarck realized that France would never be content with a strong German state to its east because of potential threat to French security
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Napoleon III
- 1. At the same time, after a series of setbacks, Napoleon III needed a diplomatic triumph to offset his serious domestic problems
- a. French weren’t happy with events in Germany and wanted to embarrass Prussians
- ii. Successful revolution deposed Queen Isabella IIà throne of Spain offered to Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
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Bismarck and Leo
- 1. Bsmarck wanted this because if Leo were placed on throne of Spain, France would be surrounded by members of the Hohenzollern dynasty
- a. French objections caused King William I to force his relative to withdraw his candidacyà Bismarck upset but French overreached
- i. Not content with their diplomatic victory, they pushed William I to apologize to France and never allow Leopold to be candidate again
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Telegram
- 1. When Bismarck received the telegram from the king informing him of te French request, Bismarck edited it to make it appear even more insulting to French
- a. French declared war on Prussia
- ii. French were no match for organized Prussians
- 1. S. German states honored their military alliances with Prussia and joined war effort against the French
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Pruusian armies
- 1. Prussian armies advanced into France, and at Sedan, an entire French army and Napoleon III were capturedà collapse of Second French Empire but not war
- a. After 4 months of resistence, Paris capitulatied on Jan 28, 1871 and signed a peace treaty
- i. France paid indemnity of 5 billion francs and gave up Alsace and Lorraine to new German state
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S. Germana states
- i. Confederation
- 1. In Hall of Mirrors in Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles, William I, with Bsimarck, was named emperor of the Second German empire
- German unity achieved by Prussian monarchy/ army
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Germany had merged into Prussia
1. Prussian leadership of German unification meant triumph of authoritarian, militaristic values over liberal, constitutional sentiments in development of new German state= strongest power on Continent
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