Zusammenfassung der Ressource
UNIFICATION OF GERMANY
- THE DANISH WAR 1864
- Denmark's attempt to annex
Schleswig-Holstein, which was largely
inhabited by Germans, led first to an
alliance with Austria.
- Denmark was quickly defeated by
Prussia, Holstein was given to
Austria, and Schleswig was given to
Prussia.
- Prussia and Austria disagreed
over the adminis tration of these
provinces. This set the stage for
the next step in Bismarck's plan.
- AUSTRO.PRUSSIAN WAR 1866
- Bismarck was able to provoke
Austria into declaring war on
Prussia.
- Austria had to pay a small
indemnity and recognize Prussia's
dominance of the German states.
- In 1867, Bismarck dissolved the German
Confederation. Prussia and 21 other
German states formed the North German
Confederation, ruled by the Prussian king
and a bicameral legislature.
- Bismarck, being practical and wanting
to avoid any desire for revenge on the
part of Austria, allowed Austria and the
four southern states to remain
independent.
- THE FRANCO PRUSSIAN WAR
1870-1871
- Napoleon III declared war on
Prussia in July 1870
- Bismarck provoked a war with France.
The immediate cause was a dispute
over the Spanish throne.
- By the Treaty of Frankfurt in May 1871,
France ceded Alsace and Lorraine to
Germany and agreed to pay a huge
indemnity to Germany.
- The harshness of the treaty laid the
foundation of hate and anger that
would poison Franco-German relations
for the next generation and planted the
seeds for World War I.