Political: Progressive / Strong Leadership
1) Progressive Government
- Prussia had a constitutional monarch, Constitution of 1850
- Gave a constitution with universal suffrage after the Revolution of 1838 Berlin
Constitution of 1850= progressive/ constitutional monarchy
- House of Lords—junkers
- Lower house—universal male suffrage based on taxes paid
2) Reaction to Napoleon: Changes in Prussia 1806-1813
- Scharmhorst and Gnesusenau recognize army to allow non-nobles (similar to careers open to talent)
- Landwehr created citizens army
- Von Humbold creates an anticlerical education system (Lycees)
- Prussia adopted many ideas from the Napoleonic codes: equality under the law, career open to talent, constitution
- Austria is counterrevolutionary
- Absolutist Monarchy—no power to the people
-
Crushes modern ideas by supressing revolts in Italy (1830) Vienna (1848)
- Meternich “turn back clock”
- Carlsbad decrees 1819—broke up Burschenshafts (student groups that discussed nationalism and liberalism)
- Prussia’s Superior Political Leadership
Competent ministers:
1) Otto Von Bismarck: Minister president of Prussia
- Manipulates other leaders and out strategizes them
- ex. Schleswig- Holstein Crisis: Bismarck successfully maneuvered Austria into allying with them to defeat Denmark as a “German issue,” although Austria has no reason to take part (duchies are much further from Austria)
-
**** Outsmarts Rechburg of Austria
- Bismarck pretends to support Duke of Augustenburg to avoid looking un-German and maintain Austria’s support
- Bismarck really wants duchies for Prussia (not another German state), and he turns on both Augustenburg and Austria
- 1865-1866: Bismarck meets with leaders of other foreign nations to secure neutrality and gain support for Prussia against a war with Austria
- France 1865- Bismarck meets with Napoleon at Biarritz to assure French will stay neutral (hints Rhineland to Napoleon)
- Italy-April 1865- Bismarck meets with Victor Emmanuel to make alliance against Austria
- If there is war within the next 3 months, Italy will ally with Prussia in return for Venetia
***Diplomatically outmaneuvers Austria
- Although Austria is political leader of German states, the leaders turn the S-H issue over to the German Diet instead of looking to the German states who supported Austria
- Exactly what Bismarck wanted in order to provoke war w/Austria (accuses Austria of breaking rules of German Confederation)
2) Van Moltke (chief of staff of military)
- Chief of general staff in army who used railroads and invested in weaponry
- Played important strategic role in war against Denmark and in command against war with Austria
- “The intellectual superiority was so depressing for the enemy that he ended the war.”
***Efficient government because leadership is efficient in pursuing goal of advancing Prussia’s standing
Analysis: Prussia gave people a say in the government, which addressed liberalism. Prussia learned from its defeats and adapted. This made other German states want to join Prussia, although they had traditionally looked to Austria politically. Austrians, however, had a very counterrevolutionary sentiment, which made them less appealing to the other German states. The government was more efficient in its leadership, which helped advance Prussian dominance. The strong leadership also helped successfully manipulate Austrians in the Schleswig Holstein crisis, so Bismarck could later annex the Duchies for Prussia.
Militarily Advanced: defeated Austrian army although outnumbered 300k to 400k
1) Education System: 90% vs. 34% literacy in the army
- More cohesive army— all spoke one language, could read manuals, be commanded by one general
- Austrian soldiers were less educated and from different ethnicities: couldn’t read written manuals, didn’t speak the same language, couldn’t be commanded by one person
- Austrian soldiers were less dedicated—different ethnicities and conscription
2) Developments
- Needleguns vs. Muskets (5 shots in the time of 1)
- Railroads: transport troops and weapons by train; owned 56% of railroads
- Advanced weaponry; advanced way to transport troops; efficient
- Austrians tools were outdated and less effective
3) Strong Army General Staff
- Leadership: Moltka: Chief of Staff of war—very strategic
- Studied maps, had war games and drills, practiced routines
- Reorganized the military
- Created a disciplined, smart army
4) Ethnic Make-Up
- Prussia= all German, more unified
- Austria= mix of nationalities (Slovs, Hungarians, Czechs), less unified
- Disadvantage because of language conflict
- Training manuals need to be in multiple languages
- Made communication with army extremely difficult
**When Aust
Analysis: Prussia defeats Austria in war even though they are outnumbered as a result of the militarily advancements and the strong dominant leadership (Battle of Sadowa 1866) Military advancements allow them to defeat Austria and unify the Northern German states under Prussia.
by
cdruskin (student)
