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Bismarcks Rise to power
In 1861 Bismark was appointed to the head of the Prussian cabinet by Otto Von. Bismarck opposed domocracy and the ideaof a parlament. he wanted to expand Prussia, and that Prussia destany was to lead the German people to Unifactaion.When the goverment rufused to approve money for military build up, Bismarck callected taxes on his own without approval. He ignore the consitiution, out raging the liberals. -
The Danish War
In the states of Schleswig and Holstein, the Danish king ruled them both even though their constitution made them separate from Denmark. King Christian IX took power and declared a new constitution and tried to annex Schleswig from Denmark. Prussia and Austria protested the new constitution and wanted it revoked. Denmark refused, Prussia and Austria declared war and after three months, Denmark surrendered. The duchies were formed into single states within the German Confederation. -
The Seven Weeks' War
Bismarck finally provoked Austria to declare war on Prussia in 1866. Prussia Defeated Austria in only seven weeks. The Treaty of Prauge ended the seven weeks' in war in 1866. Under the terms of the treaty, the German canfederation was gone. Austira surrendered Holstein to Prussia. As the largest most powerful state, Prussia dominated the legislature of the Confederation -
The Franco-Prussia War
Bismarck had to persuade the independent states in southern Germany to join the North German confederation. Bismark recieved a telegram from King William. He edited it to make it look as though the King had insulted the French Ambassador.Then the French got angry and declared war on Prussia. The war was short but affective. The Prussian army defeated the French in a few months of fighting. Then Napolean III surrendered and his government then fell. Much of France was occupied by German troops. -
Formation of the German Empire
In 1871, representatives of the allied German states met in the hall of mirrors and declared the formation of the German Empire. King William 1st was German emperor and Bismarck was named chancellors and he accepts the constitution that united the 25 German states. Each states had its own ruler and rights to handle its own domestic matters. The legeslative branch consisted of two houses. The Bundesrat and the Reichstag, they made a constitution that strongly favored the interests of Prussia
