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Bismarck's Rise to Power
In 1862, William I appointed Otto von Bismarck to head the Prussian Cabinet. Bismarck opposed democracy and the idea of Parliment. He believed that the state, no the people, should hold authority. When Parliment refused to approve money for a military build up, Bismarck collected the taxes without their approval; causing the liberals to be outraged. -
The Danish War
Both Prussia and Austria protested the new Danish Constitution. When Denmark refused to it being revoked, Prussia and Austria declared war on Denmark. Denmark hoped for help from France and Great Britian, but neither of the countries helped; causing Denmark to surrender after 3 months of fighting. -
The 7 Weeks War
Napolean III of France formed an alliance with the new nation Italy. Bismarck provoked Austria into declaring war on Prussia over the ongoing Schleswig and Holstein dispute. The treaty of Prague ended The 7 Weeks War in 1866 -
Franco-Prussian War
In 1870 Bismarck recieved a telegram from King William. Bismarck edited the telegram so that it sounded as if the king had insulted Bismarck. When the telegram was published the French found out and they declared war on Prussia, -
Formation of the German Empire
Representatives of the allied German states met in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. They declared the formation of the German Empire, that included all German states except Austria. The Prussian capital of Berlin became the empire's capital. A kaiser is another word for emperor and is the head of the government.
