"Popular Nationalist Sentiment; Military Superiority; Economic Power; The Genius of Bismark." Which of these Factors Seems to you to be the Most Important in the Eventual Unification of Germany Between 1863 and 1871?

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Laura Westwood                

“Popular Nationalist Sentiment; Military Superiority; Economic Power; The Genius of Bismark.”  Which of these Factors Seems to you to be the Most Important in the Eventual Unification of Germany Between 1863 and 1871?

On the 18th January 1871, Wilhelm 1 was proclaimed Emperor of a united Germany.  The unification of Germany was, like all historical events, multi- causal, the most influential reasons being the Bismark’s cynical and unscrupulous diplomacy, military superiority of Prussia and economic power, and lastly, popular nationalist sentiment.  

Bismark seems to be the most important factor of these.  He was a successful diplomat with strong anti liberal views.  Even though parliament refused to approve taxes for enlarging the Prussian army, Bismark simply carried on collecting them, showing his willingness to go to extreme measures to achieve his aims.  

Between 1864 and 1871 Bismark engaged in three wars which brought about the unification of Germany.  Firstly, the Danish war of 1864.  This successful war for Bismark meant that he presented himself as the champion of German interests.  By the convention of Gastein in 1865, Prussia took Schleswig and Austria took Holstein.  This gave Bismark the chance to pick a quarrel with Austria whenever he saw the need.  It has been argued that Bismark did not deliberately set out for war with Denmark, but cleverly took advantage of the situation.

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Bismark’s next war was against Austria, seeming more planned. In 1866 he provoked war by proposing that the German confederation should be dissolved and a new one set up excluding Austria.  Lasting only seven weeks, this proved a great success as it led to the setting up of the new ‘North German Confederation,’ making the unification of Germany easier as Prussia’s main rival was excluded.  The ‘Peace of Prague’ Treaty was then signed which achieved Bismark’s main aims of Prussian domination.

Bismark’s third war came over the issue of the succession of the Spanish throne in 1870.  Napoleon ...

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