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Period: to
German Unification
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German Confederation/Congress of Vienna
primary source
Congress of Vienna turned Napoleon's Confederation of the Rhine into the German Confederation with additional memebers that included Prussia. -
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Zollverein
secondary source
The Zollverein was created. This included most of the German states except Austria. The abolishment of tariffs lead to this. This is a customs union. The establishment did not bring about immediate political unity. -
Otto von Bismarck
primary source
Bismarck was the head of Prussian cabinet. He built the prussian army into a powerful war machine. He opposed democracy and idea of parliament. He was name the Iron Chancellor for his Iron and Blood speech. -
The Danish War
image/video source
Austria and Prussia invade Denmark because under the new rule of King Chritian IX, there was a new constitution. Austria and Prussia both protested the new constitution and wanted it revoked. But when Denmark refused, they declared war. -
The Seven Weeks' War
secondary sourceT
he war 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. -
The Franco-Prussian War
secondary source
The aftermath of the Seven Weeks' War left new power in the hands of German and destablized the balance of power in Europe. In Prussia, a war against France was deemed both inevitable and necessary to arouse German nationalism in those states that would allow the unification of a great German empire. -
Formation of German Empire
image/video source
Representatives of the allied German states met in the Hall of Mirrors of the palace of Versailles near Paris. There they issued a proclamation declaring the formation of the German Empire, which included all German states except for Austria. -
Kaiser
primary source
The emperor, who was called the kaiser, headed the government. They held tremendous power. He appointed the chancellor, commanded army and navy, declared a defensive war on his own, and could order offensive war with the agreement of the upper house of legislature. -
Bundesrat and Reichstag
secondary source
Bundesrat-upper house, federal council, consisted of 58 appointed members
Reichstag-legislative assemby, made up lower house, nearly 400 members were elected by universal male sufferage.
