2. CONTEXT
KeyWords
TermsAboutGermany
Intruduction
German Nationalism
Prior to Unification
What role did nationalism play in the unification of Germany?
The dilemma faced by the Frankfurt Assembly over the Identification of a German
union.
Who was Otto von Bismarc? What role did he play in Prussian government ?
Realpolitik
1864 – War with Denmark
Austro-Prussian War (1866)
Franco- Prussian War (1870-1871)
The German Empire
3. KEY WORDS
State: A political system with sovereignty.
Nation: A group of people with a common idendity,
often built upon common language, history, race, culture
or by occupying the same territory.
Nation-State: A political system in which a group of
people who have sovereign political authority also share a
common identity.
Ethnicity: It is the common identity of a group that may be
based on physical traits, languages, culture , or history but
also may be based on a subjective belief in those common
traits.
Political Culture: The attitudes, beliefs and values of the
people in a country.
4. TERMS ABOUT GERMANY
Volkgeist: German for ‘ spirit of the people’; racist
cannotations
Lebensraum: German for ‘living space’ for entire
nation.
Matternichian System: Conrived conservative system
that tried to restore pre-Napoleon European
monarchy and stability.
Reich: German for empire
Realpolitic: Politics of realism
5. INTRODUCTION
Nation States saw a major resurgence during the post
industrial revolution period of the 1860’s and 1870’s.
The key factor in this, inspired by the Revolution in
France and Napoleonic age was the feeling of
nationalism.
The nation of Germany will use these sentiments to
forge its own unification, not so much independence.
The movements will be lead by fierce nationalist
Chief Minister Otto Von Bismarck.
6. German nationalism slowly
began to rise in the early 1800’s.
Germany was divided into a
number of small states and
desired unification within them.
Their goalwas to become
completely independent.
7. Prior to Unification
Before the process of German unification, German
speaking people lived in small, separate states, as well
as in the Austrian Hapsburg Empire, and in Prussia.
When Napoleon began his invasions throughout
Europe in 1807, many territorial changes throughout
the German states were made.
8. What role did nationalism play in the
unification of Germany?
Nationalism experienced a reawakening at the turn of
the nineteenth century as a result of Napoleonic
occupation. Germans began to create stories, myths,
legends and music that defined Germans. This gave
them a strong sense of pride and helped to develop a
sense of culture and nationalism.
9. The dilemma faced by the
Frankfurt Assembly over the İdentification
of a German union.
The Frankfurt Assembly sought to unify the German
states but it was not supported by the general public.
Politically, the Frankfurt Assembly was not very
powerful. It was dependent on the people who were
to be conquered or absorbed. Another problem
surrounded the question of which areas to include in
a unified Germany.
10. The supporters of “Greater Germany” wanted to
include Austria, Bohemia, and all of Prussia. It would
be led by the Austrian Hapsburg monarchy. The
supporters of “Little Germany” wanted to exclude
Austria because they were too culturally diverse.
Prussia would lead “Little Germany’’
11. He was a Junker (aristocracy)
who was appointed prime
minister of Prussia in 1862. He
was a conservative, Protestant
and an intellectual. He was a
Prussian, rejected German
nationalism and wanted to
strengthen Prussia.
Who was Otto von Bismarc?
What role did he play in Prussian government ?
12. Otto von Bismarck is known as
the founder of the German
Empire.
He was Prussia's prime minister
from 1862 to 1873 and was
Germany’s first chancellor from
1871 to 1890.
He led the Germans to victory in
the Austro-Prussian war of 1866
and in the Franco-Prussian war of
1870.
13. King Wilhelm I appoints Bismarck as Prime Minister
of Prussia.
Parliament refused to approve budget until their army
reforms were approved by the king.
Bismarck and government continue to collect taxes
and fund the army as before.
Sought a government that would be parliamentary but
at the same time allow authoritarian policies.
Solution of crisis:
– Liberals wanted German unity and freedom.
14. Realpolitik
The politics of reality.
The term used to describe tough power politics with
no room for idealism.
With realpolitik as his style, Bismarck would become
one of the commanding figures of German history.
15. 1864 – War with Denmark
Danish king rules over Schleswig and Holstein as
duke.
– These provinces were ethnically German
Denmark annexes Schleswig into the country
– Nationalist sentiment in German states outraged.
16. Results of War
After brief fight, Denmark gave territory to Austria,
Prussia.
Prussia controlled Schleswig, Austria controlled
Holstein.
Austria now held small bit of territory inside Prussia.
Bismarck knew to unite Germany, war with Austria
inevitable.
17. Austro-Prussian War (1866)
The Seven Weeks War.
Border tension stirred up by Bismarck.
Prussia’s superior training and equipment humiliated
Austria.
Austrian Army destroyed at the Battle of Königgrätz.
18. Franco- Prussian War (1870-1871)
All German states joined in a war against France.
Overwhelming German victory.
Results of War:
French Empire collapses
Third Republic declared
France loses Alsace-Lorraine
France pays Germany 5,000,000,000 francs
France accepts an army of occupation
19.
20. January 18, 1871
Wilhelm I proclaimed
Kaiser (Emperor) of the
Germans at Versailles.
German’s called their
empire the Second Reich.
The German Empire
21. So…What was the First Reich?
The definition of Reich is "German State", in this
definition the word "German" is not related to what is
today the Country of Germany, but the Germanic
Lands.
The First Reich, was also known as The Holy Roman
Empire (a continuation of the Roman Empire in
Europe), that started in the lands ruled by
Charlemagne (Germany, Austria, Slovenia,
Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic,
eastern France, Northern Italy and western Poland),
with a period beginning in the 9th century and
finishing in the 19th century.
22. The Second Reich, was in the areas known as
Prussia and Brandenburg, from 1871 to 1919, they
fell with the ending of World War I. During this Reich
the "Iron Chancellor" Otto Von Bismarck united
Germany, and set the roots for World War I.
The Second Reich, also known as The
German Empire, was ruled by the
Hohenzollern dynasty
23. The Third Reich (1933-1945),
Nazi Germany
Hitler called it the Third Reich because he thought
that under his leadership Germany could reunite the
old Holy Roman Empire, bringing Germany back to its
glorious days. This Reich was terminated with the fall
of Germany at the end of World War II.
24. How did the balance of power
shift with German Unification?
German unification was the single most important
political development in Europe between 1848-1914.
It transformed the balance of economic, military and
international power.
1815 the Congress of Vienna had created 5 great
powers in Europe.
Britain, France, Russia, Prussia, and Austria they were
nearly equal in strength.
By 1871, Britain and Germany were clearly the most
powerful militarily and economically.
