Reasons For German Unification By 1871

Question 1

When was the German confederation established?

Answer 1

1815

Question 2

When did Germany unify?

Answer 2

1871

Question 3

What groups campaigned during this time, for unification without success?

Answer 3

Liberals, middle class, students and some peasants

Question 4

What were som obstacles to unification?

Answer 4

Nationalist splits and religious differences

Question 5

Who is Otto con Bismarck?

Answer 5

A Prussian born into a junket family in 1815

Question 6

What was Bismarck appointed as by King William 1 after the death of Frederick William IV?

Answer 6

Minister President of Prussia

Question 7

What kind of time was Bismarck appointed as minister President and what did he help stop?

Answer 7

He was appointed at a time of crisis and stopped the King abdicating over a military dispute by ignoring Prussian Landtag and raising taxes to strengthen the army

Question 8

How was Bismarck important to German unification?

Answer 8

Some historians believe Bismarck is the reason for unification and engineered all the key situations

Question 9

How wasn’t Bismarck important to German unification?

Answer 9

Other historians believe he was a lucky opportunist who simply exploited situations that arose

Question 10

What allowed Prussia to build a strong military?

Answer 10

Economic success

Question 11

Who blocked King Wilhelm from creating a stronger army?

Answer 11

Prussian parliament ( Landtag)

Bismarck helped him

Question 12

What wars did Bismarck engineer which made Prussia look strong?

Answer 12

German v Danish war after Denmark took control of Schleswig-Holstein (1863)

Austria-Prussian war (7 week war) created north German Confederation

Franco-Prussian war uniting south and north German states

Question 13

What does Prussian military strength link to?

Answer 13

Prussians economic strength, to fund powerful army

Links with actions of Austria and napoleon 111 of France too

Question 15

How was Prussian military strength important to German unification?

Answer 15

Strong military needed to dispose of rivals who were opposed to a United Germany

Prussian army also kept control of their own people

Question 16

Whose economies grew significantly in the 1850s and why?

Answer 16

Prussian and Germany’s

Due to the Zollverein and Prussian access to the Rhine

Question 17

What was part of the economic growth in Germany?

Answer 17

Massive rail building programme

Question 18

What does Prussian economic strength link to?

Answer 18

Decline of Austria due to the Zollverein exclusion and also Prussian military strength due to funding of large army

Question 19

How was Prussian economic strength important to German unification?

Answer 19

Zollverein meant that other German states were tied to Prussia and had to follow their lead

Strong economy was what allowed Prussia to build a large powerful army

Question 20

What was Bismarcks role in Prussian economic strength?

Answer 20

Limited role for Bismarck; success of the Zollverein was not his act and occurred almost 30 years before he took office as minister president of Prussia

Question 21

Why did Austria loose their main foreign supporter (Russia)?

Answer 21

Austria refused to back Russia in Crimean war, even thou Russia helped end Austria 1848 revolutions

Question 22

What was in decline especially compared to Prussia?

Answer 22

Austrias economy

Question 23

What does decline of Austria link to?

Answer 23

Links with Prussias military and economic strength highlighting the decline in power of Austria

Question 24

How was decline of Austria important to German unification?

Answer 24

Russian support for Austria may have prevented Austro-Prussian war; without it Austria had no foreign supporters

Weak economy also made it hard for them to build a strong army or influence other states

Question 25

What was Bismarck’s role in the decline of Austria?

Answer 25

Many actions not due to Bismarck; the Zollverein and decision of Austria to not support Russia helped Prussia but we’re not bismarck’s actions

Bismarck did keep good relations with Russia, including allowing them to access Prussian land during a battle with polish forces

Question 26

Who did Prussia build strong links with through the Zollverein?

Answer 26

Other German states

Question 27

What was Prussia seen as by many states?

Answer 27

Military protector especially after war with Denmark

Question 28

What does attitudes of other states link to?

Answer 28

Link with Austrians failure to get Russian support before Austria Prussian war due to not supporting Russia during Crimean war

Question 29

What are arguments for importance of attitudes of other states in German unification?

Answer 29

Many German states remained wary of likely Prussian dominance of a United Germany but were tied to Prussia due to economic and military issues

Question 30

What was Bismarck’s role in other states attitudes?

Answer 30

Close economic links not due to Bismarck

Bismarck did build stronger army and engineer wars which brought the states together

Bismarck also worked with other European states to prevent their interference

Question 31

Who did Bismarck persuade not to interfere in the Austro-Prussian war?

Answer 31

Napoleon 111 in exchange of extra land for France

Question 32

What were France surprised at?

Answer 32

The quickness of the Austro-Prussian war (seven weeks)

Question 33

What were France angry about?

Answer 33

They weren’t given land (as promised) after the Austro-Prussian war

Question 34

What does actions of Napoleon 111 link to?

Answer 34

Link with Prussian economic and military strength in defeating France

Question 35

How was actions of napoleons 111 important in German unification?

Answer 35

An external enemy was essential to persuade the southern states to unite and fight - napoleon 111 provided this by taking Bismarck’s bait

Question 36

What was Bismarck’s role in actions of Napoleon 111?

Answer 36

Bismarck engineered the entire French war, so allowing him to unite the states

His decision to build a large army suggests he was preparing for this

Question 37

Bismarcks role in Prussian military strength?

Answer 37

Bismarck key to creating a strong army by defying the Prussian Landtag

Bismarck also engineered the wars which helped achieve unification