Industrialisation was limited to areas such as Rhineland and Silesia, moreover only 5% of the population worked in factories, meaning the rest had to work on land. The fact that industrialisation had still increased as well as urbanisation, this encouraged the middle classes for a definite unity. In the 1850s Prussian industrial production, length of railway track, and foreign trade more than doubled. Its agriculture and living standards for Germans had also increased. When Austria’a chief minister Schwarzenberg, realised the positive sides of Prussia’s economic success, he declared to impose the Zollunion between Austria and the Zollverein, but this had indeed failed.
Further more the second most important reason to the question why Prussia was unified was due to Bismarck becoming Chancellor. AJP Taylor thinks that Bismarck was to be the chief architect of the German Empire. He foresaw events and achieved his goals. Some historians say that he had planned to declare war on Austria and France in order for a united Germany under Prussian control.
But AJP Taylor believes the opposite. He argues that Bismarck was an opportunist, exploiting his enemies’ mistakes and taking risks which were to be successful. Bismarck himself said, ‘One must always have two irons in the fire.’ He often had many more than two.
AJP Taylor thinks that Bismarck was a Realpolitiker. His main aim initially was Prussian domination of north Germany rahter than full national unity. Mainly he was loyal to the Prussian King instead of the Prussian population. But Bismarck tended to see Prussian and German interests as one and the same. He said in 1858 there was ‘nothing more German that the development of Prussia’s particular interests’. On 30 September 1862 Bismarck declared to the Prussian parliament:
“Germany dies not look to Prussia’s liberalism, but to its power. Bavaria, Wurttemberg, Baden can indulge in liberalism, but no one will expect them to undertake Prussia’s role... Not through speeches and majority decisions are the great questions of the day decided – that was the great mistake of 1848-9 – but by blood and iron”. Which was one of his most famous speeches. Although in those days people hadn’t really thought of a German Unification so therefore nationaism had played little role in the unification process. However, the middle-classes were active and books and newspapers supported the idea of national unity. The German culture such as art, music, literature and history had improved and people were more aware of it. Prussia was a second-rate power in 1862 helped Bismarck in with his future ideas for the unity.
Austria was also isolated diplomatically which helped Bismarck alot, and the unification of Germany. Since Russia had not forgiven Austria for not helping with the Crimean War, due to their agreement they should have, and so did Britain and France feel the same about Austria, so their sympathy lay with Prussia moreover. Britain on the otherhand thought that Prussia could be an ally force to go against French or Russian expansion.
The third and last main reason why German was able to be unified was due to the weaknesses of Austria. During the 1820’ Austria was a major power and had a clear access to Prussian laws and security, in the 1920’s Metternich was able to impose laws such as the Karlsbad Decrees, and the Six Acts, which would limit the oppositions and rebellions in Prussia as well as oppress the different idealogies, ban the press and newspapers, and also repress the education system. Even the Prussian King William had dissolved Erfurt Union just to prevent any disputes with Austria, because they wanted the Frankfurt Parliament instead, but after Austria had sent Bavarian troops against the Erfurt Union, William had dissolved it.
But later on, as Prussia increased its power, military force which before was smaller than Austria’s but then became larger, and greater, as well as it’s economy due to the Zollverein, whereas Austria was unable to create the Zollunion with Prussia, and it’s economy was falling down, as well as the improved industralisation in Germany and it’s rail tracks compared with Austria’s had majorly improved, and Austria was weakening each and every time. It was busy with Italy, when Italy’s unification was sparkling, and it lost credits when she didn’t join the war against France and Britain, sided with Russia, all three countries were dissappointed. So their sympathies lay with Prussia instead. Basically by 1865 Austria was bankrupt.
In 1865-66 Prussian-Austrian relations were dissapointing. February 1866, the Prussian government accepted that war with Austria was inevitable. It would be fought to settle Schleswig Holstein and decide who should control Germany.
In April 1866 Bismarck arranged an alliance with Italy, that if there was war Italy would help Germany and therefore would be able to gain Venetia from this war.
Bismarck was slowly provoking Austria for war, he wanted this so he provoked Austria by Hannover declaring for a new Confederation, and started already mobilising knowing that it would take him longer to mobilise than Austria.
On 1 June Austria broke off talks with Prussia over Schleswig and Holstein and appealed to the Confederation to settle the future of the duchies. Gastein Convention had collapsed at this point and Bismarck occupied Holstein.
On 10 June Bismarck wanted to Confederation to exclude Austria, and Austria asked this to be rejected by the confederation, so finally Prussia withdrew form the Confederation, and most states started mobilising against Prussia. Prussia had moved into Hannover, Hesse-Cassel and Saxony. The leader of the army, General Moltke was ready for war. Prussia’s military expenditure had doubled whilst Austria’s halved, so it was easy for Prussia to mobilise. Though Austria had more men, 400,000 to 300,000 Prussians, and the support from most German states and the advantage of a geographically central position.
The battle was at Koniggratz in July involving 500,000 men. AJP taylor declares that Prussian troops armed with breech-loading needle guns, had a rate of fire five times greater than the Austrians and won a great victory. But also the fact that Austria hadn’t use it’s strong Generals, but to it’s amateurs who didn’t know what to do really, so therefore they’d lost the war against Prussia. So Austria asked for peace, and Prussia was ready to give its terms. Finally, Schleswig and Holstein annexed as well as Hesse-Cassel, Hannover, Nassau and Frankfurt. Austria let Italy annex with Venetia, under the Treaty of Prague where Prussia had gained two thirds of all Prussian dominated North German Confederation, excluding Austria
Finally to conclude, I believe that the three main reasons were, the economic improvement, due to Bismarck and finally due to the weakness of Austria that Germany was able to unite. But the main reason why, is because everything had started with the improvement of literacy rate, culture and economic development, and the culture and literacy rate, and people working at better jobs and becoming more educated. All of this had led to the improving economy and different ideaologies, liberal and conservatives, as well as freedom fighter. Which bought Bismarck into the scenario, who wanted to fight for its own union, even though he’s seen as a Realpolitiker, he did manage to unify Germany, and without Germany’s improved military and economy, and it’s supreme power Austria would never have weakened. It is due to Bismarck’s foreign policy and his good terms with countries such as Russia which brought the German Unification to power.
