Bismarck's Unification of Germany, 1862-1871

A.) The Situation in 1862

When OTTO VON BISMARCK was appointed chancellor of Prussia by King Wilhelm IV. in 1862, the liberal democratic attempt to unite Ger galore(postnominal) had failed (1848/49). There was a widespread sentiment among the Germans, especially among the urban and protestant Germans, in favor of unification. Under similar conditions, await CAMILLO CAVOUR had engineered Italys unification in 1859/60. As in Italys case, there were a number of obstacles to Germanys unification. Among them were foreign powers interests in Germany:

Foreign Interests in Member Territories of the German Confederation, 1815-1870

Denmark The Netherlands Britain Holstein, Lauenburg (Duchies) Luxemburg (duchy), Limburg (County) Hannover (on the British throne ruled the Hanover Dynasty)

Then, there was Austria, an pudding stone German by tradition and character (administration), but in which Germans accounted for only about 12 % of the population and which was a transnational state. The GREATER GERMAN SOLUTION would mean the dissolution of the Habsburg conglomerate and was out of the question. So, the only option would be unification correspond to the SMALLER GERMAN SOLUTION, without the German territories held by Austria, under the leading of Prussia. Still, Austria was against this model; Austria still held the presidency in the GERMAN CONFEDERATION, and many of the smaller state administrations, fearing Prussias dominance, leant on Austria.

Then, Prussia, leading the unification, faced, to a lesser extent, Austrias dilemma. The Prussian provinces of Posen, West Prussia and East Prussia were not part of the German Federation, West Prussia and Posen having a Polish population majority. Other regions fixed outside of the German confederation, such as the Danish Duchy of SCHLESWIG, the French province of ALSACE and large parts of SWITZERLAND, had a German speaking majority.

B.) The Man

Otto von Bismarck was a nobleman, raised in the tonicity of Prussian Bureaucracy, in loyalty...

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