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Otto von Bismarck Enters Politics
Coming from the Junker class (aristocratic estate owner) he was very conservative representative in the newly created Prussian legislature. Bismarck believed that the elites needed to ally themselves with the new nationalist movements, since nationalism usually went hand-in-hand with liberalism. He was going to change that. -
Rioting Begins in Berlin
All over Europe there were riots in 1848. In Prussia, King Frederick William IV preferred to use force against the revolutionary crowds in Berlin. However, weeks later he realized that he had to yield to the crowds who started to put up barricades. He promised to create a national Prussian assembly. When he heard of the protests in Austria, Frederick granted some reforms and promised a liberal constitution. -
German Reformers Begin to Work Together for Unification
Many German rulers quickly gave into liberal demands. A group reformers called for a popularly elected assembly representing all German states to meet at Frankfurt where they would have the job of framing of a constitution and the unification of Germany. The group was composed mostly of the middle class with civil servants, lawyers and intellectuals predominating. -
Frankfurt Assembly Creates a Constitution
The constitution drawn up by the Frankfurt Parliament was a skillful compromise. The draft provided for a constitutional monarchy, a mixed form of government in which all the good features of monarchical, aristocratic, and democratic rule were present. The democratic feature was that the representatives were to be chosen by universal, equal, direct, and secret ballot. -
Frankfurt Assembly Offers Frederick William IV the Crown
The crown of the new nation was offered to Frederick William IV of Prussia who was the head of the largest and most powerful German state. Unhappy with his capitulation to the revolutionary crowd in March 1848, he refused to accept a "crown from the gutter" and would only consider accepting a crown from princes -
Prussia Uses Zollverein to Undermine Austria Economically
Since 1819, the major German states traded with each other through the Zollverein (tariff union), broke down physical and financial barriers. By 1842, under Prussian leadership, it included most of central and northern Germany. Railways linked their economies. Prussia realized that Austria would continue to dominate central Europe. Therefore, Prussia undermined Austrian power by wielding the trade agreement of the Zollverein as a way to exclude Austria from German economic affairs. -
William I Becomes King of Prussia
Like many Prussians kings before him, William sought to strengthen the army when he first came to power. The Prussian Parliament, created by the Constitution of 1850, refused to approve the necessary taxes. The liberals, who dominated parliamentary body, called the Diet, didn't want to see the monarch become any more powerful. For 2 years they were deadlocked. -
Otto von Bismarck is Appointed Minister
Bismarck became minister-president of the Prussian cabinet as well as the foreign minister. It was at this time that William I was at a standstill over military reorganization. Bismarck overrode the Diet by reorganizing the Prussian army without a formally approved budget. -
Prussia and Austria Go to War with Denmark
Bismarck created an alliance between Austria and Prussia for the purpose of invading Schleswig, a predominantly German-speaking territory controlled by the king of Denmark. Within 5 days of the invasion, Denmark gave up the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein to be ruled jointly by Austria and Prussia. -
Prussia Goes to War with Austria
Bismarck skillfully provoked a crisis between Austria and Prussia over management of the territories. Counting on the neutrality of France and Great Britain, the support of Piedmont-Sardinia and good relations with Russia, Bismarck attacked. In this Seven Weeks’ War, Austrian forces were no match for the Prussian army. Prussia didn’t want to destroy Austria, but wanted to exclude it from a united Germany in which Prussia would be the dominant force. -
North German Confederation Created
This entity grew out of the Confederation of German States created during the Congress of Vienna. Now, this Confederation containing the northern, Protestant German states was dominated by Prussia. Although it had some democratic elements including a legislative body (Reichstag) elected by universal male suffrage, the government was an autocracy. Bismarck now sought to bring in the southern states by waging another war. -
Spanish Crown Offered to Prince Leopold, Cousin of Prussia King
During a revolution in 1868, the Spanish overthrew Queen Isabella II. They offered the crown to Leopold, William I's Catholic cousin. Bismarck believed this was his opportunity to stir trouble with France, so he persuaded the reluctant prince to accept the Spanish offer. France took alarm at the idea of being surrounded by German princes (Leopold and William I were from the Hohenzollern family). The French put pressure on William, and he gave in to their demands telling Leopold not to accept -
Bismarck Stirs Trouble with the French
France was unsatisfied with William and demanded more. They wanted William to promise that Leopold’s candidacy will never be considered. After a meeting at Ems between the French ambassador and William, Bismarck saw an opportunity by editing the Ems Telegraph to make it appear that the ambassador and king had insulted each other. The French government was offended and thus walked into Bismarck’s trap by declaring war on Prussia. The southern German princes immediately sided with William. -
Proclamation of the German Empire is Signed
38 German states came together under the leadership of the Prussian King. The new Reichstag (national legislative assembly) was to be elected by universal male suffrage (this was a concession to liberals). Yet policy was made outside the electoral politics and the chancellor was accountable only to the king. -
Franco-Prussian War Ends
Although both armies were well-equipped, Prussian forces were superior. Germans learned new strategies of using railroads from the American Civil War. The Prussian-led German army outnumbered the French (450,000 to 260,000). Germany had been sending Prussian army officers disguised as landscape painters to France to study the terrain of battle. Napoleon III was captured by the Prussians.