Outline

German Unification Outline

A. Liberals, Socialists, and Revolutions


 * In 1848, revolutions swept through Europe. The peasants, the middle class, and the urban working class were the old elite groups. Liberals and socialists spread. Their ideas were shared throughout university campuses and other intellectuals.
 * Liberals wanted to universalize the people in the army. They also wanted the right to vote, free elections, a national assembly, a constitution, and universal education and citizenship.
 * Socialists wanted to change economically and politically by giving more power and money to workers instead of owners.
 * The demands of Stephan Born’s group in Berlin were similar things Socialists wanted (ex. higher wages and maximum hours of work, the right to form unions, a progressive income tax, free education and libraries, reduction of the voting age to 24, regulation of the number of apprentices taken by one master, and abolition of travel restrictions for workers)
 * The “Junkers” (the upper class with nobility from the eastern provinces of Germany) wanted the privileges of nobility to themselves so they supported a monarchical government

B. Conflicting Interests


 * After Napoleon I’s defeat in 1815, Germany has been in 39 separate states under the leadership of the Austrian emperor by the Congress of Vienna.
 * Aside from Austria, most of those states joined the Zollverein (custom union to reduce tariffs and improve transportation among German states)
 * Many Germans wanted a political unification but didn’t agree on what kind of government Germany should have
 * Since Germany was separated instead of combined, revolutions had different governments in multiple place
 * In 1848, many German states with monarchies were overthrown. Prince Metternich, (most powerful political figure of all Europe, created the Congress of Vienna in 1815 ) of Austria, fell during this period of revolution
 * During 1848, The Frankfurt Parliament of representatives of German states met for a few months but failed in disarray.
 * Then chief minister in Prussia, Otto von Bismarck and their king, Wilhelm I, thought of German unification. Only Austria stood in their way

C. Growing Empire


 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Bismarck knew getting Germany to unify would require war. He started war with Denmark and enlisted Austria as an ally.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Prussia and Austria took Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark but disagreed over rights in the new provinces.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In 1866, Prussia waged the Austro-Prussian war against Austria which lasted 7 weeks. They defeated Austria and gained all control of Schleswig and Holstein
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The King and Bismarck ruled the North German Confederation. Only the southern catholic states weren’t included in the confederation.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In 1870, Bismarck called war on France. By winning the Franco-Prussian war, Germany won control of the southern provinces and control of Alsace and Lorraine (formerly French territory)
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The German Empire then replaced the North German Confederation and King Wilhelm I became emperor of Germany

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">D. Making Alliances


 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">By 1879, Germany was about to form an equal alliance with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In 1882, both allied with Italy and formed the Triple Alliance that lasted until World War I.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Germany’s industrial, political, and military power increased. By 1900, England became the major industrial power in Europe.
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In 1893, Russia and France formed an alliance, the Dual Entente
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In 1904, Great Britian and France formed the Entente Cordiale
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Europe was then divided between the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy and the Triple Entente of England, France, and Russia