GERMANY: OBSTACLES TO UNIFICATION Flashcards
(11 cards)
OBSTACLES TO UNIFICATION background
The Holy Roman Empire had occupied much of central Europe, including the German states, and was destroyed by the French during the Napoleonic Wars, officially in 1806
After the fall of Napoleon in 1815, the Confederation of the Rhine was no longer fit for purpose which led to the formation of the German Confederation which was a loose association of the 39 states
AUSTRIAN STRENGTH - background
Until 1848, Austria was the dominant state in the Bund (German confederation) but believed a united Germany would threaten their multi-ethnic empire.
Austria was also very angry at being excluded by Prussia from the Zollverein and worried Prussia may dominate a united Germany
AUSTRIAN STRENGTH - for and against
Austria had permanent chairmanship of the bund, which meant they could block unification attempts from member states.
Opposition was not found solely in Austria, it was also found in other member states, such as with Prussia’s Frederick Williams who had major doubts about unification
DIVISION AMONG NATIONALISTS - background
Across the German states, both the middle classes and peasants wanted change but the middle class looked more for political change (such as improved voting rights) whereas the peasants hoped for social changes
A key division between nationalists was whether to include Austria in a united Germany. Including Austria would create “Grossdeutschland” but excluding Austria would create “Kleindeutschland”
DIVISION AMONG NATIONALISTS - for and against
Lack of clear aims enabled opponents to secure nationalist aims in their own countries/states, however the lack of support from peasants (the largest group) was another big issue.
In spite of a lack of clear aims, both sides of the wealth divide were able to organise themselves when needed, such as during the 1848 revolutions which nearly saw a united Germany
RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES - background
German states once shared Catholicism, but this changed after the Reformation and Germany became divided between Catholicism and Protestantism
Northern states tended to be Protestant and support Prussia whereas southern states tended to be Catholic and support Austria
RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES - for and against
Religious differences undermined the idea of German nationalism as shared race, language and religious identity are often grouped as key factors of a nation
Although the 30 Years War had religious focus, there was much less religious division and rivalries were usually to do with power and influence – religion being an incidental factor
INDIFFERENCE OF THE MASSES - background
The urban/rural divide of peasants deepened in the wake of industrialisation, urban peasants were more likely to take part in protest as their areas and working environments changed.
As many peasants lived in extreme poverty, social changes such as improved working conditions and housing improvements were of greater interest to them rather than political reform
INDIFFERENCE OF THE MASSES - for and against
Most peasants had a limited education and struggled to have (good) literacy, which impacted their ability to be aware of different issues in society and politics
Many peasants held nationalistic views, even if their priorities were different, and could organise as seen in 1841
GERMAN PRINCES - background
There were 39 states in the Bund, each with their own leader, and a united Germany would threaten the power of these leaders
All decisions in the Bund had to be unanimous, meaning change was incredibly difficult
GERMAN PRINCES - for and against
Each state’s leader had their own army which made any political opposition incredibly difficult.
These leaders had varying levels of power, influence and status – and many relied on the larger and more powerful states like Prussia and Austria for protection which created loyalties to their beliefs on nationalism
