Bismarck and german unification aj

Germany 1815-1939 Bismarck and German Unification

Otto von Bismarck Bismarck played a vital role in the unification of Germany after the failure of the 1848 revolution and the Erfurt Union.

However, this role has been questioned by historians – some argue that instead of planning the stages of unification, Bismarck was an opportunist thus undermining his role in the unification Throughout this next unit, we will analyse whether this view is justified or not

Task It is 1898 and Otto von Bismarck, the first Chancellor of Germany, has just died Research and create an obituary on Otto von Bismarck Provide details of his birth, early life, education, political life, his role in German unification and his death You have only this lesson to complete the task and it will form part of your notes

Context Peace of Prague 1840 – French Scare 1819 – Carlsbad Decrees

1815 – Congress of Vienna

1834 – Young German Movement

1832 – Hambach Cultural Festival 1834 – Zollverein was established

1849 – Frankfurt Parliament dissolved 1847 – Die Deutsche Zeitung established

Seven Weeks 1864War War with Denmark 18621866 – The ‘Blood Prussianand Iron’ Italian Speech Alliance

1848 – Year 18521865of The London Convention Revolutions Protocol of Gastein

1863Frankfurt Christian IX Parliament becomes met King of Denmark Meeting at Biarritz

1870 – FrancoPrussian War

18691871 – Kaiser The Spanish Wilhelm of Candidature Prussia was crowned the first emperor of Germany

Peace of Prague

The ‘Blood and Iron’ Speech

1864War with Denmark

1862Bismarck appointed Chancellor

1815Bismarck born

1852The London Protocol

Seven Weeks War

1866 – PrussianItalian Alliance

1865Convention of Gastein 1863Christian IX becomes King of Denmark

Meeting at Biarritz

1870 – Franco-Prussian War

1869The Spanish Candidature

1871 – Kaiser Wilhelm of Prussia was crowned the first emperor of Germany

Prussian Society Up until the 1848 revolution, Prussia was an absolutist monarchy During the revolution a constitution was passed and a two house parliament was formed Landtag (Lower House) and Prussian House of Lords (Upper House) The Upper class were known as Junkers

The situation by 1851‌ Considerable progress had been made towards the unification of the German States – the foundations had been laid However, unification was not possible due to the political fragmentation of the German Confederation and the dominance of Austria Yet in 20 years, a united Germany emerged in Europe It can be argued that Bismarck was central to this

Otto Von Bismarck

(Prussian Chancellor 1862 – 1871 Chancellor of Germany 1871 - 1890)

Who was Bismarck?

Count Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck (1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a Prussian statesman and an aristocrat (Junker).

He was a upper class gentleman and as such had no time for the solely middle class notion of German Nationalism.

Although he was not really an officer in the Army he loved the militaristic way of life and was often seen wearing military uniforms.

One of the most brilliant diplomats of all time.

Early life – rebellious, and ‘excelled’ at drinking and womanising! “…he inherited an estate of which he was passionately fond, a magnificent set of brains, a tremendous physique, indomitable will-power, and the political principles of his class.”

Richards (1951) …highly autocratic, intensely conservative, distrustful of new ideas, especially those of a liberal tendency…

Bismarck’s aims

The need for Reform Wilhelm I was facing opposition towards his attempt to reform the Prussian Army – he wanted to modernise it and improve it’s efficiency He wanted to pay for this by increasing taxation Why did Prussia want to reform the army?

Without a strong army, Prussia would never overthrow Austria’s dominance

The issue‌ The Landtag was dominated by the middle class They refused to pass the reforms for two reasons they realised that taxation would fall heaviest on them 2. They were aware that the reforms would strengthen Wilhelm I’s control over the army 1.

Effectively, this was a battle for political control over Prussia between the Conservatives and Liberals

Emergence of Bismarck After two years of political deadlock, Wilhelm I asked Bismarck to take up the post of Chancellor in 1862 Bismarck was known as a brilliant politician and a strong supporter of the monarchy He ignored the liberal protests within the Landtag and pushed through the army reforms Press were censored Liberals removed from their posts

He then began to reveal his idea of German Unification

Bismarck’s attitude towards German Unification Bismarck had five key elements which made up his attitude to unification: 1.

He was a devoted monarchist He believed that the Prussian monarchy and aristocracy should control the government – not the middle and working classes

1.

Bismarck was not a German nationalist He wanted the Prussian dominance of a united Germany

1.

Success would rely upon Prussia and her increasing economic and industrial power He was confident that with this power, he could risk war

Sept 30th 1862 – to the budget committee of the Prussian chamber of deputies

“The great questions of the time will not be resolved by speeches and majority decisions--that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849--but by iron and blood”

4. Bismarck realised that, if the other European Powers

were going to support unification, it had to occur gradually

If he scared them, they would oppose unification and intervene 4. He was prepared to use a mixture of carefully

planning and opportunism to achieve his goals

War with Denmark

Hanover

The Schleswig-Holstein Question The duchies of Schleswig and Holstein were located between Denmark and the German State of Hanover Despite the fact that they were never fully a part of Denmark, the Danish King ruled over them as a Duke During the time of the Holy Roman Empire, the Danish King would pay homage to the Emperor in exchange for the Duchies

However, both states had close cultural and political connections to the German States Remember: Arndt wanted to see a German state ‘as far as the German tongue is heard’

Danish control over these two duchies angered Nationalists Holstein was a member of the Bund but even this was not enough for Nationalists

The London Protocol

The London Protocol 1852 During the political turmoil of 1848, Prussia launched an offensive against Denmark in the attempt to take control of the Duchies of Holstein and Schleswig For three years, the two sides fought over the Duchies In the end, the peace was one of compromise Denmark was allowed to retain control of the Duchies on a day to day basis but they could not be incorporated into a greater Denmark The angered many German Nationalistsa

Danish troops returning ‘victorious’ to Copenhagen after the London Protocols

However the then King of Denmark, Frederick VII was childless – this meant the next king of Denmark would not inherit the Duchies of Holstein and Schleswig.

The Bund believed that after Frederick VII’s death, the two Duchies would become independent states and join the German Confederation

Lord Palmerston – Home Secretary of Britain during the signing of the London Protocol said this during the Danish War

Only three people...have ever really understood the Schleswig-Holstein business— the Prince Consort (Prince Albert), who is dead—a German professor, who has gone mad—and I, who have forgotten all about it.

The situation in 1863 Frederick VII died and was succeeded by Christian IX – the Duchies were due to become a part of the Bund This was to be viewed as another success for Nationalism

However. Christian IX decided to overturn the London Protocols and incorporate the Duchies into Denmark Members of the Confederation sent troops to defend Holstein

What should Bismarck do?

He had not planned to go to war this early on or against Denmark‌

Carpe Diem – Seize the Day Bismarck realised that if Prussia went to war against Denmark then she would be seen as defending German Nationalism.

He took the lead and asked Austria to go to war alongside Prussia – this reinforced Prussia’s position of being more concerned about defending German interests

Bismarck’s aims for unification:

How did these link into the Danish War?

Prussian nationalist rather than German nationalist.

The German Confederation wanted the two states to be established as independent states within the Bund. However Bismarck was against this and wanted Prussia to be in control.

Bismarck had a strong belief in the Prussian military and was confident that he could use them to bring about unification‌

Bismarck could demonstrate the effectiveness of the new army and justify the army reforms and the tax increase that created it.

Bismarck wanted the important harbour of Kiel to establish a major Prussian naval base.

Planning!

Finally, Bismarck saw the opportunity to create conflict with Austria – although the two countries acted together against Denmark. Bismarck was already thinking of a way to force Austria out of the confederation

Defeat of Denmark After a short conflict, the Danes were defeated and gave up all claims to the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. The Treaty of Gastein settled the issue‌

Austria to rule Holstein Prussia to rule Schleswig Bismarck planned it so it would be like this! The question is why?

Treaty of Gastein (1865) Prussian Territory Austrian Territory

Prussia now controlled Austria’s access to Holstein – this would be a future point of tension and conflict.

Historian’s View - Task Instead of me giving you guys quotes, I want you to use the internet to research the Holstein-Schleswig Crisis of 1863 and find either a primary or secondary quote on the topic Once you have done this, follow the link below to the website Today’s Meet and insert your quote – remember to include who said it! http://bit.ly/5DBismarck I will be able to check the website and will print off a set of quotes for each person that contributes to the site – if you don’t contribute, you don’t get a set of quotes This is due …

Conclusions This whole episode was a brilliant piece of opportunism form Bismarck.

It provided him with the springboard for the next stage of unification. This time it was planned!

Opinion Lines Does this show Bismarck as: An opportunist A calculated planner

War with Austria

Bismarck knew that a war with Austria was inevitable – even before he came into office Without a war, neither state could rise as the dominant power within the Confederation

I must declare that in the not too distant future, we will have to fight against Austria for our very existence (1856) As soon as the army have been brought into such a condition as to inspire respect,… [I] shall seize the first best pretext to declare war against Austria… subdue the minor states and give national unity to Germany under Prussian leadership (1862)

But in order to be successful in his aims to remove Austria’s dominance, Bismarck had to isolate Austria politically

Bismarck was sure that Britain would not intervene in a continental war – they had remained neutral in 1864

Russia was still grateful to Prussia over the arrangement they had made regarding Poland and was still sore over Austria’s failure to her in the Crimean war (1854-56)

Meeting at Biarritz October 1865 Bismarck ‘happened’ to meet the Emperor of France – Napoleon III – at a resort in Biarritz

No record of the meeting were kept – this allowed Bismarck to later deny that a ‘deal’ had been made between Prussia and France In exchange for Prussia promising to turn a blind eye to France’s territorial ambitions concerning Belgium, France would remain neutral in the event of a war breaking out between Prussia and Austria

Why would France agree to such an arrangement?

Napoleon III agreed to this as he believed that Austria would win a quick victory!

Bismarck had easily manipulated France’s ambitions to Prussia’s advantage

Isolating Austria was one thing, but Bismarck realised that he needed an ally Bismarck looked south and found an ally in Italy Italy was only newly united – before 1861 it was very similar to the German Confederation

Why did Bismarck choose Italy?

Italian Nationalists were still not satisfied – the state of Venetia was occupied by Austria If Italy were to agree to an alliance, Austria would be severally disadvantaged as they would have to fight a war on two fronts

Despite Italy’s poor relationship with Austria, Bismarck found that Victor Emmanuel II drove a hard bargain Victor Emmanuel II did not trust Bismarck and did not want to be left to the wayside when it suited Bismarck

Prussian-Italian Alliance A secret treaty signed in April 1866 Terms of the Treaty: 1. Italy would assist Prussia in a war against Austria 2. As a reward, Italy would receive Venetia 3. The alliance would only last for three months 4. Austria had to declare war on Prussia

Bismarck now had three months to create the conditions needed for Austria to declare war

Creating a conflict Bismarck began to rouse Austrian anger by starting an argument over Austria’s access to Holstein Remember, Holstein was sandwiched between Prussian territory

Access to Holstein Prussian Territory Austrian Territory

Creating a conflict Bismarck created a climate of fear within the German Confederation He began by rousing Austrian anger he started an argument over Austria’s access to Holstein

This forced Austria to mobilise her army – she still believed the Prussian army to be inferior to her own Prussia followed suit – to the rest of the world, Austria appeared to be the aggressor

The European powers suggested that a conference should be held to avoid war Bismarck accepted – Austria refused

Austria, instead, demanded that the Bund should decide upon the matter This proposition went against the Gastein Convention

10 June 1866 Bismarck ordered the Prussian Army to invade Holstein He also proposed the creation of a new German state and called for elections to a national assembly to create it

This was the final straw for Austria – on 14 June 1866, she declared war on Prussia

Bismarck’s plans were falling nicely into place!

‘Let the German people come forward in confidence to meet Prussia. Let it help to promote and make secure the peaceful development of our common Fatherland’’ Prussian Declaration of War (1866) Bismarck effectively announced that Prussia was fighting for a united German State!

The Seven Weeks War Bismarck issued ultimata to Saxony, Hanover, Bavaria, Wurttemberg, Hesse-Cassel and Baden Join Prussia or be considered enemies – they sided with Austria

Prussia invaded Saxony, Hesse Cassel and Hanover – by the end of June they had all fallen Italy were not so fortunate but that did not concern Bismarck – they were successfully diverting Austrian troops from the northern front

On 3 July 1866, Prussia won a decisive victory at the Battle of Königgrätz – this was the only major battle of the war!

On the 26 July 1866, an armistice was signed

Reasons for Victory When war was declared, it was assumed that both sides were evenly matched – but this simply wasn’t the case There were many reasons why Prussia were now superior in battle Prussia was able to use its rail network to transport troops quickly Telegraphs were used to communicate between the generals and Berlin The army was better organised and the General Staff used superior tactics The Prussian had superior weaponry

The Prussian Army used a needle gun rifle – this was a more accurate model than the Austrian Army used

Peace of Prague – 23 Aug. 1866

After the Battle of Königgrätz, Bismarck wanted to bring the war to an end He was even prepared to offer Austria generous terms: We have to avoid wounding too severely (Bismarck) He faced opposition from both the Prussian Kaiser and the Army Generals They wanted to push on – Bismarck threaten his resignation if they did not allow him to continue as planned

Terms of the Treaty Austria gave up Venetia – this was transferred to the Kingdom of Italy Austria was expelled from the Bund However they were allowed to keep their territory and only had to pay a small amount of compensation

Schleswig, Holstein, Hasse-Cassel, Frankfurt and Hanover were to be incorporated into Prussia

Terms of the Treaty The 21 states north of the River Main were merged into a North German Confederation The Southern States were allowed to remain independent but: They were forced to pay large indemnities to Prussia They were forced into military alliances with Prussia

North German Confederation (Red) and the independent German States (yellow)

Due to the terms of the Peace of Prague, Austria was able to re-establish good relations with Prussia soon after the war Bismarck was regarded as a Nationalist hero at home – even by the Liberals

Historian’s Views There is absolutely no doubt that he [Bismarck] set his sights on Austria once the crisis [Schleswig-Holstein] had passed over and worked to isolate her from other European powers Historians Cameron, Robertson & Henderson There is no doubt that Bismarck wanted and planned for war against Austria David Thomson It [Peace of Prague] was the turning point when Bismarck ceased to be a gambler living precariously and became the towering, overwhelming figure that dominated Germany and Europe for the next twenty five years Edgar Feuchtwanger

The creation of the Northern Confederation was a step towards a united Germany under Prussian dominance.

However, Bismarck believed that if he were to attempt the complete unification of the German States, it would provoke a war against France – something which Prussia could not handle so soon after the Seven Weeks War.

Bismarck thought it would take another 20 years before the German States would be fully united.

Bismarck knew that creating a united Germany under Prussian leadership was going to be a challenge The southern, independent German states did not trust Bismarck or Prussia Religious differences were the main cause of this suspicion

The only way to remove this barrier was to create an enemy who the southern states would view as more dangerous to them than Prussia

Opinion Lines Does this show Bismarck as: An opportunist A calculated planner

Franco-Prussian War

I [Bismarck] assumed that a united Germany was only a matter of time, that the North German Confederation was only the first step in its solution. I did not doubt that a Franco-Prussian War must first take place before the construction of a united Germany could be realised. I was at that time preoccupied with the idea of delaying the outbreak of war until our military strength should be increased

Why Tensions Were Growing Napoleon III wanted to be rewarded for staying neutral in the Austro – Prussian war (as Italy was rewarded with Venetia). Much of the land he had his eye on would come from the Southern German states.

Bismarck’s Reaction Bismarck denied Napoleon’s request but asked him to submit his claim in writing “to be considered later” – which Napoleon was happy to do. When Bismarck received the written conformation he quickly leaked the papers to the press.

Napoleon’s wish to annex large parts of southern Germany was met with outrage by the people living there. Bismarck had successfully removed their suspicions (both religious and political) from Prussia and placed them firmly on France.

Thus, reluctantly the southern states were drawn into the Prussian Sphere of influence for the need of a powerful ‘big brother’ to oppose the ‘French bully’.

Napoleon III was eager to extend France’s influence north – he made an attempt to expand his sphere of influence, once over Luxembourg and once involving Belgium Bismarck encouraged these attempts in the background

Bismarck knew that the other European powers, especially Britain would not be happy about Napoleon’s ambitions On both occasions, Napoleon III was forced to back down

As a result of these manoeuvres, relations between France and Prussia became ‘chilly’ by the end of the 1860’s Napoleon III made the prevention of German unification his main priority – he believed that Bismarck needed an excuse for war and a way of isolating France

The Spanish Candidature (The Excuse for the War)

Spain Loses a Monarch Queen Isabella was overthrown as monarch in 1869 and, without an heir, the Spanish Parliament offered the throne to Prince Leopold Hohenzollern of Prussia Just like the Schleswig-Holstein incident, Bismarck did not plan for this situation, but provided with the opportunity he exploited it to further his long-term aims

Bismarck had hoped that the deal between the Spanish Government and Prussia would be concluded before the French found out France however did find out and was furious

This was viewed by Napoleon as an attempt by Prussia to encircle France This would stretch French forces if a war were to break out

The French ambassador, Benedetti, was instructed to find Wilhelm I and demand Leopold’s candidacy be withdrawn or Prussia would face war

Wilhelm had always been against the scheme so pressured Leopold to withdraw When Bismarck found out he was so appalled that he almost resigned.

However this humiliation was not enough for Napoleon III - he sent Benedetti to demand that Leopold’s candidature would never be renewed

Benedetti broke diplomatic protocol and approached Wilhelm in the middle of the street at Bad Ems. Wilhelm could not make such a guarantee about future actions then and there. Wilhelm then sent a telegram to Bismarck, detailing what had been demanded of Prussia and a summary of what had taken place.

Task In front of you, you have the original telegram on one side of the page, with Bismarck’s doctored telegram beside it With a partner, read through the two telegrams and underline/highlight the sections of the original document which Bismarck altered Then discuss what the new telegram means: Look at the language and the tone used in it compared to the original

What was Bismarck hoping to accomplish?

The Ems Telegram His Majesty the King undertook “for all time never again to give his assent should the Hohenzollerns once more take up their candidature�

In short, Prussia had to promise to never again attempt to put one of their own onto the throne of any other European country

Bismarck’s Reaction On receiving the telegram Bismarck re-worded the document and again leaked it to the press.

This time it was made to look like the Kaiser had been rude to the French Ambassador and rejected his demands outright.

This humiliation was too much for Napoleon III to take. French honour had been insulted and he believed that Prussia needed to be taught a lesson.

France declared war on 19th July 1870.

The French army was devastated at the battles of WÜrth and Sedan After the Battle of Sedan, the French were force to retreat – Paris was placed under siege and eventually fell in January 1871

Napoleon III handing over his sword at the Battle of Sedan, Sept. 1870

Napoleon III (in captivity) talking to Bismarck after the Battle of Sedan

"The War: Defence of Paris —Students Going to Man the Fortifications"

Napoleon III’s last words (to his doctor) Napoleon: "Henri, were you there at Sedan?”

Henri: "Yes, Majesty” Napoleon: "We were not cowards at Sedan, were we?"

Prussian Troops marching past the Arc de Triomphe

The Treaty of Frankfurt (10 May 1871) This was a very different sort of treaty compared to the Peace of Prague – it was seen to be a victor’s peace France lost the territories of Metz, Strasbourg and Alsace and Lorraine The latter two territories became a source of resentment for the next 43 years

France was also forced to pay reparations of £200,000,000 within four years

Why was Bismarck so harsh?

Bismarck justified the terms of the treaty as a way of defending the new German state from a vengeful France However, historians have criticised this treaty: A France deprived of Alsace-Lorraine by war guaranteed the insecurity of Germany LCB Seaman

In retrospect few would disagree that this [annexation of Alsace-Lorraine] was a miscalculation of great consequence DG Williamson

Unification

The Franco-Prussian War completed the process of German Unification The independent states had aided the North German Confederation in the war

Although some of the independent rulers still opposed a union, they found themselves fighting against the popular opinion of Nationalism Bismarck exploited the rise in patriotism to convince the states to unite

If this failed then he resorted to using threats and bribery Bavaria was one such state

All of the above actions led to this‌

On 18 January 1871, Wilhelm I Kaiser of Prussia became the first Emperor of a united Germany – Bismarck its first Chancellor

This was a Prussian dominated Germany The government was hand picked by Wilhelm I and only contained members of the aristocracy

The Second Reich (German Empire)

o A constitution proposed by

Bismarck and a two house legislature was set up for the Second Reich. o The two houses were made

up of the Bundersat (upper house) and the Reichstag (lower house). o The houses were elected by

rulers of German states and universal male suffrage.

A Growing Economy •

After the unification of Germany, it rose to be the Industrial giant of the Europe.

•

Germany’s chemical and electrical industries were beyond any other industries in the world.

•

Germany’s coal and iron resources resulted in massive growth of the economy.

A work force and rapidly growing population also aided in the development of the economy

Opinion Lines Does this show Bismarck as: An opportunist A calculated planner

Peace of Prague

Seven Weeks War 1864The ‘Blood andWar with Denmark Iron’ Speech

1862Bismarck appointed Chancellor

1815Bismarck born

1852The London Protocol

1866 – PrussianItalian Alliance

1865Convention of Gastein 1863Christian IX becomes King of Denmark

Meeting at Biarritz

1870 – Franco-Prussian War

1869The Spanish Candidature

1871 – Kaiser Wilhelm of Prussia was crowned the first emperor of Germany

Timeline Task In pairs or threes, design a timeline detailing how Germany emerged as a unified country Include any date, or event, that you believe to be important in achieving this aim The only dates you have to include are 1815 and 1871

Task

In randomly assigned groups, you will have to debate one of the following motions

Bismarck was vital to the unification of the German States German unification in the third quarter of the nineteenth century was a natural and desirable development You will be given time in your groups during class to research your side of the debate: use this time to find historian’s views which will help you strengthen your argument

This House believes that Bismarck was vital to the unification of the German States

This House believes that German unification in the third quarter of the nineteenth century was a natural and desirable development

Essay Practice In pairs, mark both essays with the help of your mark schemes Remember to clearly label where you are allocating knowledge and argument marks Then provide feedback on each of them Once everyone has finished this, we will discuss the two essays and see what the SQA thought about them

Seven Weeks War Bismarck

Bingo Hall of Mirrors

SchleswigHolstein Austria

Prussia

Benedetti Napoleon III

Frankfurt Assembly

Treaty of Frankfurt

Peace of Prague Congress of Vienna

Bund

Zollverein Metternich

Timed Essay How far was Bismarck’s success in unifying Germany between 1862 and 1871 due mainly to the mistakes made by others?

Or How important was Bismarck’s leadership in the achievement of German Unification?