Download Blood and Iron

Blood and Iron
The Rise of
Germany
The Last of
the Great
European
States
 Peace
of
Westphalia
split Holy
Roman Empire
in 1648
Impact of Napoleon…
 Napoleon
reconfigured
old Holy Roman
Empire into the
Confederation
of the Rhine in
1806
The German Confederation
 1815-
at the
Congress of
Vienna
 Diet at Frankfurt
regulated loose knit
state members
 Austria dominated
 Prussia was feared
Prussia
Zollverein –
economic union
 Strong
Central
government in Berlin
Junkers – noble
families who
controlled politics
and the military
 1834 – created
Zollverein
excluded Austria
Why?
Conservatives come to Power
– Liberal
revolutions across
Europe
Prussian military
puts down
 King William I names
Otto Von Bismarck
Prime Minister
More State Control William’s Coat
 1848
of Arms
Bismarck
 Went
around
liberal Diet and
collected taxes
illegally to
support his army
 “Blood and Iron”
decide events
 Realpolitik – by
any means
necessary
Prussian Goals
 Expand
Military
 Reduce
Austrian Power
 Unify Germany
(except Austria
and the Swiss)
 1.
Took Schleswig
(Prussian
supported) and
Holstein (Austrian
Supported) from
the Danes
Intentionally
antagonistic
Split allegiances
of German states
3 Wars to
Meet the
Goals
 2.
Against Austria
Split potential
Austrian allies by:
 helping Russia
against the Poles
buying French
neutrality with
money
buying Italy with
promise of Venice
7 Weeks
War - 1866
Results of
the War
 Austria
split from
German control
Specifically not
crushed – might
need her later
 1867 – N. German
Confederation
no Austria
Universal male
suffrage
How to Unite Germany?
 Southern
Catholic German
States feared
Protestant
Prussia
 France Feared
united Germany
FrancoPrussian War
 3rd
War for Bismarck
 1868 –Spain revolts,
offers Hohenzollerns
the throne
Ems Telegram
France declares
war on Prussia
South joins the
War, UNITED!!!
GERMANY!!!
 Jan.
18, 1871,
Germany created
 William becomes
the Kaiser,
Bismarck the
chancellor
 Strong, centralized
military-industrial
state
 Zollverein
worked to
urbanize and
industrialize
 Saar & Rhine River
Valleys become
industrial heartland
 Socialism
Lasalle and the
threat of Socialists
to Germany
German
Economy
Bismarck’s Response to Socialism
 1878- Outlaws
labor groups
 Appropriated their
ideas to stop
dissent
1883 - Sickness
Insurance
1889 - Old-age
Insurance
Germany and Religion
 Bismarck
hated
Catholics – they
believed in
Rome, not Berlin
 Kulturkampf
 Catholics, the
Center Party and
Papal Infallibility
Repression of Catholics
 Expulsion
of
Jesuits
 May Laws – 1873
Antagonize the
Catholic Church
Pius IX breaks
ties
 Center Party gains
in strength
End of the Kulturkampf
 Socialism
gaining in
Germany
 Bismarck needs
Catholic support to
defeat them
 Pius IX dies in 1878,
Bismarck (realpolitik)
makes peace with
Leo XIII in 1881
The End of Bismarck
 1888-
conservative
militarist Kaiser
William dies. 100
days later, liberal son
Frederich III dies, too.
 William II now Kaiser
Absolutist – doesn’t
share power
Bismarck resigns