Chapter 25.2 The Unification of Germany (John & Ked)

By codbeast734

  • Bismarck's Rise to Power

    After William the First became King of Prussia, he appointed Otto von Bismarck to head the Prussian cabinet. Bismarck was a conservative Junker politician he built the Prussian army into a powerful force. Bismarck didn't like the idea of Parliament and democracy. He believed that the people shouldn't have authority and that the state should. Bismarck believed that Prussia was destined to lead the German people to unification.

  • The Danish War

    The duchies of Schlewig and Holestein were two small states that were located on the border of Denmark. In 1863 King Christian IX took the Danish thrown He proclaimed a new constitution in which he tried to annex schleswig for Denmark. Both prussia and Austria protested the new Danish Constitution. They declared war on Denmark because Denmark refused the protest. In 1864, after 3 months of fighting, Denmark finally surrendered.

  • The Seven Weeks War

    Bismarck provoked Austria into declaring war on Prussia over the Schleswig and Holstein dispute the Prussians took advantage of technology by using trains, communicating by telegraph and using advanced weapons. They defeated the Austrians, in only SEVEN WEEKS! The Treaty of Prague ended the Seven Weeks War in 1866.

  • The Franco-Prussian War

    To complete the unification of Germany, Bismarck had to convince the independent states in Southern Germany to combine the North German Confederation. His advantage came in 1870 When he recieved a telegram from the King William. Bismarck edited the telegram so that it sounded as though the king insulted the French ambassador. When the telegram was recieved, it made the French mad that in July of 1870 they declared war on Prussia, and the war ended on January, 1871.

  • The Formation of the German Empire

    For Germany the treaty ended the Franco-Prussian War and it was not as important asan event that took place before its signing. in January 18, 1871 their representatives of the ally German states met in the Hall of Versailles near Paris. The Prussian capital of Berlin became the empires capital. King William I of Prussia was proclaimed German emperor. Bismarck was named chancellor/chief minister of the empire. Each state had its own ruler, as well as the right to handle its own domestic matters.