Difference between revisions of "Germany Unification"

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{{grade%|98|Point taken off for a question wrong on the map(not on web), accuarcy of info (can't say Germany before unification), .5 off for not explaning blood and iron better, .5 off for summary of events, 1 point off for spelling - over all good job - '''[[:Image:Full Graded Package.pdf|Full Graded Package]]''' (with teacher markup and comments) - Graded and revised by 4/16/2006 - (for changes see page history)}}
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'''Germany Unification History Timeline Project Due: 3/10/06'''
 
'''Germany Unification History Timeline Project Due: 3/10/06'''
  
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[[German Unification Maps]] - [[:Image:Map Scan.png|My Map]]
  
==German Confederation - 1815==
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[[Image:German Overview Timeline.xls]]
Created by Metternich in Congress of Vienna
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In 1815, at the Congress of Vienna, Metternich and others set up the loosely organized German Confederation.  This united the 39 countries that made up Germany.  Every year, the states would send repre4detivies to a meeting in Frankfurt, called the Frankfurt Diet.  Prussia and Austria dominated the meeting, which couldn't do anything unless all 39 states agreed.  However, Prussia and Austria did not agree frequently and nothing was ever done.  However people looked to this meeting as a sign of what could come.
 
  
I liked the German Confederation set up by the leader of my arch-rival Austria. It set the stage in the minds of some nationalists of a unified Germany. One that I hoped to create and have Prussia rule over all. Other then that, nothing happened much in the convention. Austria was the leader at the time in Germany. However their citizens were from many different backgrounds and cultures.  Also, we were more industrialized the Austria.  We formed a Zollverein trade group with all of the real German nations.  You see "Germany is clearly too small for both of us [Austria and Prussia}".
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My 2 pictures:
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[http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/docs-pix/otto-bismarck.jpg|thumb|right|300px]
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[http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/oip/Images/photo-albums/germany/germany-flag.gif|thumb|left|200px]
  
==Wilhelm I becomes king and selects Bismark - 1861==
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==German Confederation - 1815==
In 1861, Wilhelm I became the king of Prussia.  He was strong minded and wanted to reform and double the armyHowever, a liberal parliament that was set up by his predecessor refused his reformsThe Junkers, a conservative, wealthy class that supported the king, also opposed the liberal parliament that they believed challenged the authority of the kingIn 1862, Wilhelm I appointed Junker Otto van Bismark to the post of Prime Minister.
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In 1815, at the '''Congress of Vienna,''' Klemens von '''Metternich''', a very important diplomat and the leader of the convention, and others set up the loosely organized '''German Confederation.''' This united the 39 countries that made up GermanyEvery year, the German states would send representatives to a meeting in Frankfurt, called the '''Federal Diet.'''  '''Prussia''' and '''Austria''' dominated this meeting, which didn't do anything unless all 39 states agreedHowever, Prussia and Austria did not agree frequently and not much was ever accomplished.  However, people looked to this meeting as a sign of what could come.
  
That me!  This is the event when I first seriously come into the picture of European History! King Wilhelm I was a really nice guyHe wanted to double the size of the army and set Prussia even farther ahead with our industrializationOf course the parliament wouldn't hear anything about this (more on that latter), so desperate measures had to be takenThe Junkers, which I was a member of was committed to keeping our conservative valuesSo he picked lots of us for the high posts of government and the army. He picked me as his prime minister to help the country! 
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I liked the German Confederation set up by the leader of my arch-rival Austria. It set the stage in the minds of nationalists of a unified GermanyThis was one that I hoped to create and have Prussia rule over central EuropeOther then that, nothing much happened in the conventionAustria was the leader at the time in Rine.  However their citizens were from many different backgrounds and cultures.  Also, we (Prussia) were more industrialized than Austria.  We formed a Zollverein trade group with all of the real German nationsYou see, "Germany is clearly too small for both of us [Austria and Prussia]".
  
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==Wilhelm I becomes king and selects Bismarck - 1861==
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In 1861, '''Wilhelm I''' became the king of Prussia.  He was strong minded and wanted to reform and double the army.  However, a liberal parliament that was set up by his predecessor refused his reforms.  '''The Junkers,''' a conservative, wealthy class that supported the king, also opposed the liberal parliament that they believed challenged the authority of the king.  In 1862, Wilhelm I appointed Junker '''Otto von Bismarck''' to the post of Prime Minister. 
  
==Bismark says he will rule without Parliament - 1862==
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That's me! This is the event when I first seriously come into the picture of European history! King Wilhelm I was a really nice guyHe wanted to double the size of the army and set Prussia even farther ahead then others with our industrializationOf course the parliament wouldn't hear anything about this, (more on that later) so desperate measures had to be taken.  The Junkers, which I was a member of, was committed to keeping the conservative values of our country strongSo Wilhelm I picked lots of us for the high posts in the government and in the army. He picked me as his Prime Minister and secretary of foreign affairs to help the country!
Otto van Bismark was a strong and commanding figure. He believed strongly in the the idea of realpolitik. (describe below)  The Prussian parliament refused to grant his and Wilhelm I's desiresSo Otto decides that he would rule w/o the consent of parliament and defied the budget they had set for himThese acts were in direct violation of the new constitutionIn parliament he told the Parliament "The great question of the day will not be settled by speeches or by majority decisions - that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849 - but by blood and iron." he rejected the idealism of romanticism in favor of a more realistic reality.  
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So my friend, Wilhelm I, king of Prussia, was having a little trouble with a liberal paraliment the previous king foolishly agreed toThey wouldn't accept anything we tried to doDesperate measures had to be taken, and frankly, I couldn't stand all of thoes liying liberals.  So Wilhelm and I decided that we would announce that we were going forward with other thoes snubby paraliment's approvalI don't care if it was in direct violation of the consititutionI wanted power to expand Prussia for the betterTo do that, Innede to remove Austria from the equationAnd I head the perfect plan ....
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==Bismarck says he will rule without Parliament - 1862==
 
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Otto von Bismarck was a strong and commanding figureHe believed strongly in the the idea of '''realpolitik.''' (describe below)  The Prussian parliament refused to grant his and Wilhelm I's desires.  So Bismarck decided that he would rule without the consent of parliament and defy the budget they had set for himThese acts were in direct violation of the new constitutionIn parliament, he told them, "The great questions of the day will not be settled by speeches or by majority decisions - that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849 - but by '''blood and iron.'''" Bismarck soundly rejected the idealism of romanticism in favor of a more realistic reality in tune to the here and the nowBlood and iron is in line with this concept.  Von Bismarck believed that war and action was the answer, not ideas and words.
  
==Him and Austria fought Denmark and launched tension - 1864==
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So my friend, Wilhelm I, king of Prussia, was having a little trouble with a liberal parliament the previous king foolishly agreed to.  They wouldn't accept anything we tried to do.  Desperate measures had to be taken, and frankly, I couldn't stand all of those lying liberals.  So Wilhelm and I decided that we would announce that we were going forward without that snobby parliament's approvalI don't care if it was in direct violation of the constitution, that Wilhelm I's predecessor was forced to set up.  I wanted the power to expand Prussia for the better.  To do that, I needed to remove Austria from the equation.  And I had the perfect plan ....
each got a neighboring territory and fought about that.  Bismark liked this fighting
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Bismark needed to disable Austria if he wanted any hope of uniting Germany.  In 1864, he came up with a clever plan to harm Austria's feelings and get land from Denmark at the same time.  He forged an alliance with his rival Austria and suggested they attack Denmark.  The quick victory rose pride in the country and won Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark.  However, Bismark arranged so that Prussia would control Schleswig, while Austria controlled Holstein.  Bismark correctly predicted that this would cause tension between the two countries.   
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==Bismarck and Austria fought for Denmark to launch tension - 1864==
 
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Bismarck needed to disable Austria if he wanted any hope of truly uniting Germany.  In 1864, he came up with a clever plan to harm Austria's feelings and gain land from Denmark at the same time.  He forged an alliance with his rival Austria and suggested they attack Denmark.  The quick victory rose pride in the country and won Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark.  However, Bismarck arranged it so that Prussia would control Schleswig, while Austria controlled Holstein.  Bismarck correctly predicted that this would cause tension between the two countries.   
Ha, Ha.  I had the prefect plan and Austria walked right into my trap.  I had set it up that we would temporally get an alliance together, me and Austria.  Then we would win against Denmark and raise pride as well as gain land.  But I knew that Austria would not like living right next to me and our shared piece of Denmark.  This led to tension between us and them.  I perfectly predicted exactly what Austria would do...
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Ha, Ha.  I had the perfect plan and Austria walked right into my trap.  I had set it up that Austria and I would temporally align in order to get land from Denmark.  Our stunning plan succeeded and I also managed to boost nationalistic pride in Prussia.  But I knew that Austria would not like living right next to me and splitting our shared piece of Denmark.  They were getting mad.  I perfectly  predicted exactly what Austria would do next...
  
 
==Seven's Weeks War - 1866==
 
==Seven's Weeks War - 1866==
w/ Austria as a result of Denmark border conflict
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In 1866, the border conflict of Denmark land between Austria and Prussia turned to war.  Austria couldn't take it anymore and declared war on Prussia.  However, that was a big mistake for the Austrians.  The Prussians had a highly skilled military and an industrialized support system that led them to a speedy victory in the '''Seven's Week War.'''  The Austrians lost Venetia to the Italians and a lot of territory to the Prussians.  In 1867, the north German states joined the North German Confederation which Prussia controlled completely, practically putting them under the control of Bismarck and Wilhelm I. 
Prussian is industrialized, helps them greatly
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weaken them ?and split up
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In 1866, the border conflict of Denmark land between Austria and Prussia turned to war.  Austria couldn't take it anymore and declared war on Prussia.  However, that was a big mistake for the Austrians. The Prussians had a highly skilled military and an industrialized support system that led them to a speedy victory.  The Austrians lost Venetia to the Italians and a lot of territory to Prussia.  In 1867, the north German states joined the North German Confederation which Prussia controlled, practically putting them under the control of Bismark and Wilhelm I. 
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Who's the king now? Who?  Who?  Oh, not me sadly.  I'm just the prime minister, but I did manage to orchestrate this grand scheme to get more land.  I, me, joined for the first time the eastern and western parts of the Prussian kingdom.  I humiliated Austria and increased the pride and nationalistic feelings among my people.  I did all this.  Of course the superior training of the army and the wonderful, industrialized economy supported my troops very well.  I think that is what led my troops to victory, no wait, I think it was my stunning courage and bravery that did it.  You decide.  (Decide properly or I will hunt you down.)
 
+
Who is the king now?  Who?  Oh, not me sadly.  I'm just the prime minister, but I did manage to orchestrate this grand scheme to get more land.  I, me, joined for the first time the eastern and western parts of the Prussian kingdom.  I humiliated Austria and increased the pride and nationalistic feelings among my people.  I did all this.  Of course the superior training of the army and the wonderful, industrialized economy supported my troops very well.  I think that is what led my troops to victory, no wait, I think it was my stunning courage and bravery that did it.  You decide.  (Decide properly of I will hunt you down.)
+
  
 
==Franco-Prussian War - 1870==
 
==Franco-Prussian War - 1870==
changes telegram to get France mad at him so that he could get the southerns to support him (they are catholics and he/ Prussia is protestant.
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By 1867, a few southern German states remained independent of the growing Prussia.  However, these southern Germans were of the Catholic faith and did not want to be ruled by the Protestant Prussia.  So Bismarck did what he did best and created another "incident."  Bismarck reworded a telegram description of a meeting between Wilhelm I and a French ambassador.  In the telegram it sounded as if Wilhelm I had insulted the French.  France took offence and attacked Prussia.  This again was a dumb mistake made by '''Napoleon III''' to try and restore France's glory.  Prussia again used their superior training and economy to surround 80,000 prisoners in Sedan, France.  Also the Germans sieged Paris for four months until the French food supply ran out.  On January 18, 1871, Bismarck captured Versailles and Wilhelm I was crowned '''kaiser''' or emperor.  This was the end to the '''Franco-Prussian War.'''  The southern Germans were convinced not to hold out longer.  Bismarck has succeeded in taking over Germany with blood and iron.  Some people called this empire the '''Second Reich.'''
he attacked France in Sept. 1870
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captured versailles in Jan 18, 1871
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Again, another success.  I am doing even better then Napoleon I.  He didn't understand the concept and power of '''nationalism.'''  I, however, have not failed once.  Take that, Napoleon.  So yes, I was able, again, to trick a country to attack me, and again our superior industrial system wiped them out quickly.  It is a perfect system, and guess who came up with it.  That's right, me!  Now I gained even more land for Prussia.  My plan is complete. With only a little bit of help from nationalism, I have united Germany for Prussia!  I won!  So there you have it.  That's the story of the world's greatest (and most successful) political figure, me, Otto von Bismarck!
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==How did nationalism impact the unification of Germany?==
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Nationalism greatly helped Bismarck unify Germany, even if he wouldn't admit it in his journal. Nationalism is the feeling that ones greatest loyalty should not be to the king or ruler of the time, but to the people who share a common culture.  The common culture and background, as well as the similar geographic regions and resources brought Germans together.  Bismarck knew how to exploit these feelings to his advantage.  He manufactured a telegram to get the French mad at him.  He then used Prussia's superior army and industrial might to end the war in his favor.  These incidents persuaded the southern Germans to join him and Prussia into one country. 
  
By 1867, a few southern German states remained independent of the growing PrussiaHowever, these southern Germans were Catholic and did not want to be ruled by the Protestant Prussia.  So Bismark did what he did best and created another "incident."  Bismark reworded a telegram description of a meetingIn the telegram it sounded as if Wilhelm I had insulted the French.  France took offence and attacked PrussiaThis again was a dumb mistake made by Napoleon III to try and restore France's gloryPrussia again used their superior training and economy to surround 80,000 prisoners in Sedan, France.  Also the Germans sieged Paris for four months until the French food supply ran out.  On January 18, 1871, Bismark captured Versailles and was crowned '''kaiser''' or emperor.    Bismark has succeeded in taking over Germany with blood and iron.
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The North German Confederation united many northern German states.  Bismarck got independent states to join under his leadership in order to reach their goals of a unified German statesThis was all supposedly through the power of nationalism.  I also suspect the nations were threatened by Bismarck and his military mightThe entire confederation was ruled by Bismarck and Wilhelm IBismarck was able to unite Germany both with nationalism as the starting, beginning force, but then using blood and iron to force people to comply and unite with his wishes.
  
Again, another success.  I am even doing better then Napoleon I.  He didn't understand the concept and power of nationalism.  I, however, have not failed once.  Take that, Napoleon.  So yes, I was able, again, to trick a country to attack me, and again our superior industrial system wiped them out quickly.  It is a perfect system, and guess who came up with it.  That's right, me!  Now I gained even more land for Prussia.  My plan was complete.  With only a little bit of help from nationalism, I had united Germany for Prussia!  I won!  So there you have it.  The story of the world's greatest (and most successful) political figure!
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[[Category:Western Civ]]

Latest revision as of 23:31, 25 May 2006

Grade:98%

Point taken off for a question wrong on the map(not on web), accuarcy of info (can't say Germany before unification), .5 off for not explaning blood and iron better, .5 off for summary of events, 1 point off for spelling - over all good job - Full Graded Package (with teacher markup and comments) - Graded and revised by 4/16/2006 - (for changes see page history)

Germany Unification History Timeline Project Due: 3/10/06

German Unification Maps - My Map

File:German Overview Timeline.xls


My 2 pictures: [1] [2]

Contents

German Confederation - 1815

In 1815, at the Congress of Vienna, Klemens von Metternich, a very important diplomat and the leader of the convention, and others set up the loosely organized German Confederation. This united the 39 countries that made up Germany. Every year, the German states would send representatives to a meeting in Frankfurt, called the Federal Diet. Prussia and Austria dominated this meeting, which didn't do anything unless all 39 states agreed. However, Prussia and Austria did not agree frequently and not much was ever accomplished. However, people looked to this meeting as a sign of what could come.

I liked the German Confederation set up by the leader of my arch-rival Austria. It set the stage in the minds of nationalists of a unified Germany. This was one that I hoped to create and have Prussia rule over central Europe. Other then that, nothing much happened in the convention. Austria was the leader at the time in Rine. However their citizens were from many different backgrounds and cultures. Also, we (Prussia) were more industrialized than Austria. We formed a Zollverein trade group with all of the real German nations. You see, "Germany is clearly too small for both of us [Austria and Prussia]".

Wilhelm I becomes king and selects Bismarck - 1861

In 1861, Wilhelm I became the king of Prussia. He was strong minded and wanted to reform and double the army. However, a liberal parliament that was set up by his predecessor refused his reforms. The Junkers, a conservative, wealthy class that supported the king, also opposed the liberal parliament that they believed challenged the authority of the king. In 1862, Wilhelm I appointed Junker Otto von Bismarck to the post of Prime Minister.

That's me! This is the event when I first seriously come into the picture of European history! King Wilhelm I was a really nice guy. He wanted to double the size of the army and set Prussia even farther ahead then others with our industrialization. Of course the parliament wouldn't hear anything about this, (more on that later) so desperate measures had to be taken. The Junkers, which I was a member of, was committed to keeping the conservative values of our country strong. So Wilhelm I picked lots of us for the high posts in the government and in the army. He picked me as his Prime Minister and secretary of foreign affairs to help the country!

Bismarck says he will rule without Parliament - 1862

Otto von Bismarck was a strong and commanding figure. He believed strongly in the the idea of realpolitik. (describe below) The Prussian parliament refused to grant his and Wilhelm I's desires. So Bismarck decided that he would rule without the consent of parliament and defy the budget they had set for him. These acts were in direct violation of the new constitution. In parliament, he told them, "The great questions of the day will not be settled by speeches or by majority decisions - that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849 - but by blood and iron." Bismarck soundly rejected the idealism of romanticism in favor of a more realistic reality in tune to the here and the now. Blood and iron is in line with this concept. Von Bismarck believed that war and action was the answer, not ideas and words.

So my friend, Wilhelm I, king of Prussia, was having a little trouble with a liberal parliament the previous king foolishly agreed to. They wouldn't accept anything we tried to do. Desperate measures had to be taken, and frankly, I couldn't stand all of those lying liberals. So Wilhelm and I decided that we would announce that we were going forward without that snobby parliament's approval. I don't care if it was in direct violation of the constitution, that Wilhelm I's predecessor was forced to set up. I wanted the power to expand Prussia for the better. To do that, I needed to remove Austria from the equation. And I had the perfect plan ....

Bismarck and Austria fought for Denmark to launch tension - 1864

Bismarck needed to disable Austria if he wanted any hope of truly uniting Germany. In 1864, he came up with a clever plan to harm Austria's feelings and gain land from Denmark at the same time. He forged an alliance with his rival Austria and suggested they attack Denmark. The quick victory rose pride in the country and won Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark. However, Bismarck arranged it so that Prussia would control Schleswig, while Austria controlled Holstein. Bismarck correctly predicted that this would cause tension between the two countries.

Ha, Ha. I had the perfect plan and Austria walked right into my trap. I had set it up that Austria and I would temporally align in order to get land from Denmark. Our stunning plan succeeded and I also managed to boost nationalistic pride in Prussia. But I knew that Austria would not like living right next to me and splitting our shared piece of Denmark. They were getting mad. I perfectly predicted exactly what Austria would do next...

Seven's Weeks War - 1866

In 1866, the border conflict of Denmark land between Austria and Prussia turned to war. Austria couldn't take it anymore and declared war on Prussia. However, that was a big mistake for the Austrians. The Prussians had a highly skilled military and an industrialized support system that led them to a speedy victory in the Seven's Week War. The Austrians lost Venetia to the Italians and a lot of territory to the Prussians. In 1867, the north German states joined the North German Confederation which Prussia controlled completely, practically putting them under the control of Bismarck and Wilhelm I.

Who's the king now? Who? Who? Oh, not me sadly. I'm just the prime minister, but I did manage to orchestrate this grand scheme to get more land. I, me, joined for the first time the eastern and western parts of the Prussian kingdom. I humiliated Austria and increased the pride and nationalistic feelings among my people. I did all this. Of course the superior training of the army and the wonderful, industrialized economy supported my troops very well. I think that is what led my troops to victory, no wait, I think it was my stunning courage and bravery that did it. You decide. (Decide properly or I will hunt you down.)

Franco-Prussian War - 1870

By 1867, a few southern German states remained independent of the growing Prussia. However, these southern Germans were of the Catholic faith and did not want to be ruled by the Protestant Prussia. So Bismarck did what he did best and created another "incident." Bismarck reworded a telegram description of a meeting between Wilhelm I and a French ambassador. In the telegram it sounded as if Wilhelm I had insulted the French. France took offence and attacked Prussia. This again was a dumb mistake made by Napoleon III to try and restore France's glory. Prussia again used their superior training and economy to surround 80,000 prisoners in Sedan, France. Also the Germans sieged Paris for four months until the French food supply ran out. On January 18, 1871, Bismarck captured Versailles and Wilhelm I was crowned kaiser or emperor. This was the end to the Franco-Prussian War. The southern Germans were convinced not to hold out longer. Bismarck has succeeded in taking over Germany with blood and iron. Some people called this empire the Second Reich.

Again, another success. I am doing even better then Napoleon I. He didn't understand the concept and power of nationalism. I, however, have not failed once. Take that, Napoleon. So yes, I was able, again, to trick a country to attack me, and again our superior industrial system wiped them out quickly. It is a perfect system, and guess who came up with it. That's right, me! Now I gained even more land for Prussia. My plan is complete. With only a little bit of help from nationalism, I have united Germany for Prussia! I won! So there you have it. That's the story of the world's greatest (and most successful) political figure, me, Otto von Bismarck!

How did nationalism impact the unification of Germany?

Nationalism greatly helped Bismarck unify Germany, even if he wouldn't admit it in his journal. Nationalism is the feeling that ones greatest loyalty should not be to the king or ruler of the time, but to the people who share a common culture. The common culture and background, as well as the similar geographic regions and resources brought Germans together. Bismarck knew how to exploit these feelings to his advantage. He manufactured a telegram to get the French mad at him. He then used Prussia's superior army and industrial might to end the war in his favor. These incidents persuaded the southern Germans to join him and Prussia into one country.

The North German Confederation united many northern German states. Bismarck got independent states to join under his leadership in order to reach their goals of a unified German states. This was all supposedly through the power of nationalism. I also suspect the nations were threatened by Bismarck and his military might. The entire confederation was ruled by Bismarck and Wilhelm I. Bismarck was able to unite Germany both with nationalism as the starting, beginning force, but then using blood and iron to force people to comply and unite with his wishes.