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Bismark's Rise to Power
In 1861 when William became king of Prussia, a year later he appointed Otto von Bismarck to head the Prussian cabinet. A conservative Junker politician, Bismarck built the Prussian army into a powerful war machine. -
The Danish War
King Christian IX took the Danish throne. He proclaimed a new constitution in which he tried to annex Schlewig for Denmark. Both Prussia and Austria protested the new Danish constitution, they revoked when Denmark refused, Prussia and Austria declared war on Denmark. In 1864, after 3 months of fighting, Denmark surrendered. The peace treaty gave the two dutchess to Persia and Austria jointly. -
The Seven Weeks' War
Persia expanded, Bismacrk prepared for conflict with Austria. Napoleon III remained neutral and formed an alliance with the new nation of Italy. Bismarck provoked Austria into decalring war on Persia in 1866 over ongoing Schleswig and Holstein dispute. The Treaty of Pargue ended the Seven Weeks' War in 1866. The German Confederation was dissolved. -
The Franco-Prussian War
To complete the unification of Germany, Bismarck had to pursue the independent states in Southern Germany to join the North German Confederation. In 1870 he recieved a telogram from King William. Bismarck edited the telogram so it sounded like the King had insulted the French ambassador. On July 1870 French declared war on Pursia. Napoleon III surrendered in September and his government fell. -
Formation of the German Empire
For Germany the treaty ended in Franco-Prussian War. Bismarck accepted a Constitution that united the 25 German states in a federal form of government. The emperor is called the kaiser, headed the government and had tremendous power. The Bundersat was a federal council made up of 58 appointed members, the Reichstag had 400 members elected by universal male sufferage. It approved military budgets only once every 7 years. The German Constition was strongly favored by the interest of Pursia.
