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German Confederation
Creation of the German Confederation under the presidency of Austria. Prussia and Austria were the two most powerful German states. -
Zollverein
Customs unions that removed tariffs on products traded between German states. Railways brought the German states within hours of one another and economic development made Germany one of the leading industrial powers of the time. -
Revolution of 1848
The "March Revolution" in the German states took place in the south and the west of Germany. Led by well-educated students and intellectuals, they demanded German national unity, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. -
Otto von Bismarck
-Bismarck becomes prime minister and begins administering a policy based on realpolitik. (1862–90)
-Bismarck was a conservative German statesman who dominated European affairs from the 1860s to his dismissal in 1890.
-His goal was to unify all of the German states into one super-power. -
Austrian-Prussian War
The war lasted only 7 weeks and resulted in Prussian victory over the Austria. The major result of the war was a shift in power among the German states away from Austrian and towards hegemony. -
King of Prussia was crowned German Emperor - William I
The King of Prussia was crowned the German Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, outside Paris. German unification was now complete. Paris was captured eight days later. Over 40,000 people died during the siege. -
The Franco-Prussian War
A conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. The complete Prussian and German victory brought about the final unification of Germany under King Wilhelm I of Prussia