German Nationalism
Word count: 1400
At the end of the Napoleonic wars the area now known as Germany comprised of 39 separate states of different sizes. At the congress of Vienna, the international gathering that reshaped Europe after Napoleon's defeat, the Great Powers created a new framework for the region, the German Confederation. The Confederation excluded parts of the largest German states Austria and Prussia and included within its borders members of other nationalities, such as Danes in the north and Czechs in the south. The governing body of the new structure was the Federal Diet meeting in Frankfurt, which contained one representative nominated by the government of each member of state. The Diet's presidency was permanently held by Austria.
In Germany support for ideas of national unity came mainly from a relatively small, educated middle class, composed of uni professors and students, who formed academic guilds or unions known as Burschenschaften. To the ultra-conservative Metternich, nationalism was no less dangerous for being the creed of a minority.
Carlsbad decrees stemmed from the murder of an anti liberal writer Kotzebue, banned the Burschenschaften and introduced extensive curbs on free political discussions. In spite of these police state measures Metternich did not succeed in holding back the tide of change and the Burschenschaften simply went underground.
Otto von Bismarck saw himself primarily as the defender of the Prussian monarchy and the interest of the Prussian state. He had little sympathy with the aims of the German nationalist movement, once declaring that, "this kind of emotional sentimental policy is totally alien to me...I would as soon make war against the kings of Bavaria of Hanover as against France." His real objective was the elimination of Austrian power in northern and central Germany. In the Schleswig-Holstein crisis of 1863-64 German nationalists wanted the absorption of the two duchies into the Confederation, under a German prince, the Duke of Augustenburg. Bismarck, on the other hand, straightforwardly aimed to annex them to Prussia. To this end he fought against Denmark, in alliance with Austria. In the Seven Weeks War of 1866, Prussia's ability to mobilise its troops rapidly, and to deploy superior military hardware brought rapid defeat of Austria.
Word count: 1400
At the end of the Napoleonic wars the area now known as Germany comprised of 39 separate states of different sizes. At the congress of Vienna, the international gathering that reshaped Europe after Napoleon's defeat, the Great Powers created a new framework for the region, the German Confederation. The Confederation excluded parts of the largest German states Austria and Prussia and included within its borders members of other nationalities, such as Danes in the north and Czechs in the south. The governing body of the new structure was the Federal Diet meeting in Frankfurt, which contained one representative nominated by the government of each member of state. The Diet's presidency was permanently held by Austria.
In Germany support for ideas of national unity came mainly from a relatively small, educated middle class, composed of uni professors and students, who formed academic guilds or unions known as Burschenschaften. To the ultra-conservative Metternich, nationalism was no less dangerous for being the creed of a minority.
Carlsbad decrees stemmed from the murder of an anti liberal writer Kotzebue, banned the Burschenschaften and introduced extensive curbs on free political discussions. In spite of these police state measures Metternich did not succeed in holding back the tide of change and the Burschenschaften simply went underground.
Otto von Bismarck saw himself primarily as the defender of the Prussian monarchy and the interest of the Prussian state. He had little sympathy with the aims of the German nationalist movement, once declaring that, "this kind of emotional sentimental policy is totally alien to me...I would as soon make war against the kings of Bavaria of Hanover as against France." His real objective was the elimination of Austrian power in northern and central Germany. In the Schleswig-Holstein crisis of 1863-64 German nationalists wanted the absorption of the two duchies into the Confederation, under a German prince, the Duke of Augustenburg. Bismarck, on the other hand, straightforwardly aimed to annex them to Prussia. To this end he fought against Denmark, in alliance with Austria. In the Seven Weeks War of 1866, Prussia's ability to mobilise its troops rapidly, and to deploy superior military hardware brought rapid defeat of Austria.
