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Napoleon Invades German Lands
The Napoleonic wars took place between 1799 and 1815. During these wars Napoleon divided Prussia. At first Napoleon was welcomed because he brought modern politics and enlightened ideas. He also freed serfs, eased trade, and abolished laws against Jews. Although Napoleon was helpful to Germany, some people saw him as a foreign invader. Napoleon's conquest of Europe in the early 1800's caused a spark of nationalism in Germany. -
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Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a meeting held in Vienna, where the European leaders met to reestablish the peace and order in Europe after the wars caused by Napoleon's rule. The Assembly of the Federation planned on how to have a successful improvent in the city for the Jewish community in Germany. -
Otto Von Bismarck Birth
On April 1, 1815, Otto Von Bismarck was born in Schönhausen, Germany. -
Zollverein
The Zollverein was an economic union that was created by Prussia. It was formed by the members of the German Confederation and got rid of tariff barriers between the 39 German states. -
Frederick William IV is offered the Throne
Frederick William IV became King of Prussia on June 7, 1840. He declared religious freedom for independent Protestant groups and Rhineland Catholics and reduced press censorship. -
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Frankfurt Assembly Demands Unity
Plans for unification occured in 1848. Electives from different parts of central Europe were chosen to be part of the Frankfurt Assembly, which took place in May of that year. At the Assembly they wrote a constitution for Germany when it was united. -
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Economic Development
A lot of economic progress occured from 1850-1914 because of an abundance of natural resources, large iron and coal supplies, highly skilled and educated workforce, and a population boom. Also, Germany built up infrastructure and founded large companies in the 1850's and 1860's. -
Blood and Iron Speech
In 1870, Otto Von Bismarck gave a famous speech called 'Blood and Iron' after her became prime minister of Prussia. The speech described how Bismarck believed going to war was a more powerful way to solve problems. -
Bismarck Declares War on Denmark
In 1863, the king of Denmark announced a new constitution for Schleswig that would add the state to his monarchy. Prussia had an alliance with Austria, and they demanded him to get rid of the plan. When the king refused, Prussia and Austria declared war on Denmark, and won. -
Bismarck Declares War on Austria
In 1866, Bismarck ended the German alliance with Austria and attacked them. As a result of the war, Bismarck took Holstein and other North German States. -
Franco Prussian War
The Franco Prussian War began in 1870, when France declared war on Prussia. Bismarck edited the "Ems dispatch" to make it seem like William I insulted Napoleon III, which made France very angry and declare war. France was soon defeated by Prussia. -
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Campaign Against the Socialists
German Marxists created the Social Democratic party during the 1870's. They wanted laws to improve conditions for the working class. Bismarck worried that the socialists would start a revolution, so he passed laws that stopped socialist groups, shut down newspapers, and banned meetings. The working class unified to support their ideas. As a result, Bismarck sponsored laws to protect workers. By 1890, Germany had insurance for old age and accidents. -
Bismarck Becomes Chancellor
In 1871, after the German unification, Bismarck became the German chancellor, which is a senior state or legal official. -
William I of Prussia Becomes Emperor
In January of 1871, William I became known as the Kaiser in Germany. -
Second Reich is Created
The Second Reich was created in January of 1871. The upper house was referred to as the Bundesrat and the lower house was called the Reichstag. -
House of Krupp
The Krupp family created the first major steel-works in Germany. They became Germany's leading supplier of steel and weapons, and was put to use in the 1870's. -
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Campaign Against the Church (Kulturekampf)
Catholics made up 1/3 of the population in Germany. Bismarck began the Kulturekampf, or battle for civilization to end catholic threat. The state had the right to supervise Catholic teaching and approve engagement of priests. Bismarck's moves backfired, which caused the faithful to reunite behind the church. Bismarck decided to make peace with the church. -
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Population Growth of 1871-1914
From 1871-1914 there was a huge population boom. The population went from 41 million people in 1871 to 67 million people in 1914. This was due to economic growth, abundance of natural resources, and a highly skilled and educated work force in Germany. These factors helped the people of Germany gain jobs and stay healthier to survive. -
Constitution Drafted by Bismarck
The Reichstag, or Imperial Assembly was called together under the controlling constitution drafted by Otto von Bismarck. Meetings were held at an abandoned factory in Berlin. -
William II Becomes Kaiser
In 1888, William II took his grandfather's place and became kaiser in Germany. -
Bismarck Resigns
William II asked Bismarck to resign in 1890. He believed there should only be one master in the Reich, and that it should be him. Bismarck believed William II had the divine right to be rule and resigned
