2. » Prior to this time period, Germany was a collection
of 39 independent states that helped each other
out.
˃They shared cultural and language
˃Two most important: Austria and Prussia

3. » Most Prussians were Germans.
» It had a big army.
» It had a liberal (based on Enlightenment
principles) constitution.

4. » Wilhelm was in charge of Prussia. He was
supported by a conservative (supported old
ideals) group called the Junkers.
» Wilhelm appointed Otto Von Bismark the prime
minister. (position similar to the president)
» Bismark believed in realpolitik (real life politics).
This means he wasn’t a supporter of
idealistic, enlightened politics.

5. » Bismark vowed to govern Germany using blood
and iron, not speeches. In other words, talk is
cheap but he was going to be a man of action.
» He embarked on a path of German unification.
(What does unification mean?)

6. » Bismark convinced
Austria to help
Prussia take German
lands from Denmark.
» He then manipulated
Austria into a fight
with Prussia and its
allies, weakening
Austria.

7. » Bismark’s final move to
unify Germany was to
provide an external
enemy.
» He lured France, led by
Napoleon III, to declare
war on the German
states. This convinced
them it was time to
become one country.

8. » After the defeat of
Napoleon III in the
Franco-Prussian
War, German
unification was
complete.
» Austria was left on
the cold.