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Bismarck's rise to power
Bismarck became the Prime Minister of Germany one year after William I became King of Prussia. He was the leader of the the Prussian cabinet, and he was against democracy who believed that the government should be all powerful, without parliament. One of his goals was to make all the German states into one giant empire. -
3 Wars of Unification: The Danish War
Not too long after Bismarck came into power, Prussia and Austria together started a war with Denmark. They started it because they wanted control of two states, Holstein, and Schleswig. They eventually defeated the Danish in 3 months, and the two states that were gained were controlled by Prussia and Austria together. But, because of conflicting ideas each country only got one state each. -
3 Wars of Unification: The 7 Weeks' War
The 7 Weeks' War was officialy started by Austria declaring war on Prussia, but it only started because Bismarck provoked Austria into declaring war because he had a powerful ally in Italy, and he had convinced France to remain stay neutral. The reason he wanted war was because of the dispute over who should have power over Schleswig and Holstein. The Prussian's suprisingly defeated the Austrians and the German Confederation was dissolved, and in its place the North German Confederation. -
3 Wars of Unification: The Franco-Prussian War
The 3rd, and final war of unification, was fought between the French, and the Prussian. It was another war caused by Bismarck because he provoked the French into starting the war. When the Prussians looked defeated, the Catholic states came to their side, showig German Nationalism. -
Formation of the German Empire
After the wars of unification, all of Germany set aside what little differences they had, and came together as one great empire under William I, the kaiser of Germany
