Otto von Bismarck, always searching for ways to empower Prussia and the German people as a whole, first saw the opportunity to achieve this goal when the crisis over Schleswig-Holstein arose after the death of Frederick VII. Bismarck, deciding to use Prussia’s military might to intervene and claim the disputed territories for Prussia, included Austria in his annexation. The short conflict ended with a victory for Prussia and Austria, and a question over how to divide the territory. Using the tools of “realpolitik,” Bismarck negotiated a settlement of uneasy peace with the division, which would help to provoke the next war in his course towards unification. Bismarck had also expanded the influence of the German Confederation with this move as well as gained an important access to the sea. This was the first instance of Prussia asserting itself internationally, and it wouldn’t be the last before unification was complete. To get the support of his king, Bismarck appealed to his militaristic side, as the king originally was disinclined to start a war, but after appealing to his militaristic and nationalistic sentiments, Bismarck effectively convinced his king to go to war.
Conducting the war in Schleswig-Holstein was a simple task for Prussia, but the aftermath was more involved. With the two states defeated, Bismarck fought to see them divided between Prussia and Austria ensuring tensions between the two. The final arrangement was as abrasive as possible, and the Seven Weeks War, between Prussia and Austria soon followed because of this outcome. Bismarck entered this war with a unique goal for its conclusion as his main goal was not to instigate a conflict to defeat an enemy, but to merely assert the sovereignty of the German states. He kept this goal in mind when conducting the war, and he avoided creating a humiliating defeat for Austria as Bismarck intended to keep Austria as strong ally for Germany not a bitter foe. This war would give Prussia yet another chance to prove her military clout, defeating one of the most notorious European powers in the east. Prussia was aided by Italy, which was also attempting unification despite Austria’s attempts to prevent it. Ultimately, Prussia would be victorious in war, surprising most of Europe, and identifying itself as a new power to be feared in Europe. With Austria defeated, Bismarck’s goal of unification was one step closer to completion, as he had gained the support of many more German states and asserted the independence of the German Confederation, but France remained a major obstacle to complete sovereignty.
Although Prussia had defeated the great power of Austria, shifting the balance of European power significantly, and declared the autonomy of the German states, France still controlled most of the politics of Western Europe under the dominion of Napoleon III. Bismarck knew France would not allow this change to go unchallenged, but he also knew Prussia, in its current state, was still no match for France. He began solidify the German states into a more unified nation, combining their respective militaries, and he again orchestrated an intricate beginning for his war with France which left France as the aggressor. He carefully manipulated a dispute over the Spanish throne to provoke France into open hostilities with Prussia, which he could use as an excuse for war. Prussia, showing her military prowess after several years of preparation for this conflict, decisively won this war with superior tactics and equipment in an ultimate display of German militarism which culminated in a grand display as Prussian troops marched into Paris. However, the war ended with a crushing blow to France with the overthrow of Napoleon III, and universal demoralization of the French people. This would help fuel the rivalry of WWI and WWII in the next century along with years of animosity between Germany and France along with setting the German standard of efficient, effective, and harsh military superiority. This final war would set Germany up in a position to potentially rival Great Britain as the industrial giant of the world.
Otto von Bismarck’s legacy as the prime minister of Prussia would lead Germany from its beginnings as a group of disjointed states to a unified and galvanized nation. Like Italy, Germany had quite a few serious issues to resolve once unification took place. Regional differences, developing since the first settlement of the Germanic tribes during the Roman Empire, were distinct, and local princes refused to give up substantial power to the central government. The Berlin assembly, therefore, was kept weak. Germany, like the United States under the Articles of the Confederation, seemed merely a loose of confederation of autonomous states. In Germany's case, one state, Prussia, was absolutely dominant due to its size, power, and military strength. This, combined with Bismarck's skillful conduct in international and national affairs as chancellor, kept the empire together until 1914. He achieved this drastic change by instigating three successful wars which advanced the German cause and asserted its independence. This ultimately led to bitterness among many Europeans towards Germany for her reputation, as well a great industrial and economic success.
