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Fourth Peace of Pressburg Signed (Treaty of Pressburg)
The treaty marked the effective end of the Holy Roman Empire. -
Period: to
The Rhine Confederation
A confederation of client states of the First French Empire. It was formed initially from 16 German states by Napoleon after he defeated Austria's Francis II and Russia's Alexander I in the Battle of Austerlitz. -
Napoleon
Begins making important changes in German speaking states. -
Zollverein
Economic union between German states created by Prussia. -
Period: to
Frankfurt Assembly
First freely elected parliament for all of Germany -
Blood and Iron Speech
Bismarck gives his famous "Blood and Iron" speech. -
Formation of Austria-Prussia Alliance
Bismark forms an alliance between Austria and Prussia. -
Period: to
Second Schleswig War
The second military conflict as a result of the Schleswig-Holstein Question. It began when Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig. -
Treaty of Vienna
Peace treaty signed on October 30, 1864 in Vienna between the Austrian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Kingdom of Denmark. The treaty ended the Second War of Schleswig. -
Period: to
Austro-Prussian War
War fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the other, that resulted in Prussian dominance over the German states. -
Peace of Prague
Peace treaty signed in Prague that ends the Austro-Prussian war. -
Schleswig Annexed by Prussia
Based on the terms of the Treaty of Vienna, Prussia would administer Schleswig while Austria would administer Holstein. -
Period: to
Franco-Prussian War
The complete Prussian and German victory brought about the final unification of Germany under King Wilhelm I of Prussia. It also marked the downfall of Napoleon III and the end of the Second French Empire, which was replaced by the French Third Republic. -
William I of Prussia Becomes Kaiser
King of Prussia and the first German Emperor. -
Period: to
1st Chancellor of the German Empire
Otto von Bismarck reigns as the 1st Chancellor of the German Empire during this time. -
Alsace-Lorraine
Territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. -
Treaty of Frankfurt
Peace treaty signed in Frankfurt on 10 May 1871, at the end of the Franco-Prussian War. -
Kulturkampf
Bismark enacts laws that limited the power of the church and allowing the government to oversee many church functions. -
Napoleon III Dies
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Bismarck Resigns
William II asks him to step down and he complies.