Germany

Germany before Bismarck The unsuccessful attempt of Frederick William IV of Prussia (r ) to unify Germany. The growing tension between Austria and Prussia. German customs union – Zollverein developing under Prussian leadership after 1818 and founded officially in 1834 to stimulate trade and increase the revenues of member states.

William I William I was convinced of the need for major army reforms – bigger defense budget and higher taxes. Liberal middle class wanted the society to be less militaristic. Their goal was to establish that the parliament, not the king, had the ultimate political power.

Otto von Bismarck takes command Bismarck was born in He was a diplomat in the Prussian assembly in 1848 Ambassador to the German Confederation from 1851 to 1859 fighting against Austria His main goal was to build up Prussia’s strength and consolidate Prussia’s precarious Great Power status.

1 Working with Austria to divide up the smaller German states lying between them 2 Combining with foreign powers – France, Italy or Russia – in a war against Austria 3 Allying with the forces of German nationalism to defeat and expel Austria from German affairs.

The Austro-Prussian War, 1866 Motives for commencing a war – Prussia wants to control completely the northern, predominately Protestant part of the German Confederation. The war lasted seven weeks. Prussian army overran northern Germany and defeated Austria at the Battle of Sadowa in Bohemia. Bismarck offered Austria generous peace terms – Austria paid no reparations and lost no territory to Prussia.

After the War Austria agreed to withdraw from German affairs The states north of the Main River were grouped in the new North German Confederation The mainly Catholic states of the south remained independent while forming alliances with Prussia

The taming of the parliament In the aftermath of victory, Bismarck fashioned a federal constitution for the new North German Confederation. Each state has its own local government but the king of Prussia became president of the confederation and the chancellor – Bismarck - was responsible only to the president. They controlled the army and foreign affairs.

The legislature Consisting of two houses sharing equally in the making of laws. Upper house were appointed by the different states Lower house members were elected by universal, single – class, male suffrage. In 1866 German unity was in sight!

The Franco-Prussian War, As soon as war against France began in 1870, Bismarck had the support of the south German states. Bismarck’s generosity to Austria in 1866 was paying big dividends. Defeating the main French army at Sedan on September 1, After five months, in January 1871, Paris surrendered, and France went on to accept Bismarck’s harsh peace terms.

The imposed peace terms on France France was forced to pay a colossal indemnity of 5 billion francs. France had to cede the rich eastern province of Alsace and part of Lorraine to Germany.

The German Empire The new German Empire was a federal union of Prussia and twenty four smaller states. Until 1878, Bismarck relied mainly on the National Liberals supporting legislation useful for further economic and legal unification of the country. In 1878, Bismarck and the Catholic Center party allied. The reasons were largely economic. Bismarck went along with a new protective tariff in 1879.

Bismarck winning the support of working-class people In 1883 he pushed through the Reichstag the first of several modern social security laws to help wage earners: , laws established national sickness and accident insurance. 1889, law established old-age pensions and retirement benefits.

The new emperor – William II (r ) In 1890, the emperor opposed Bismarck’s attempt to renew the law outlawing the Social Democratic party. William II force Bismarck to resign.