Austria Prussian Rivalry And Prussia example essay topic

Before Bismark got ahold of Germany there were many problems that needed to be delt with to unify Germany. For instance Louis Napolean consolidated his rule and Cavour schemed, the German states were locked in a political stalemate. and at the same time powerful economic forces were under ming the political status quo. Austria had previously blocked Fredrick William IV of Prussia to unify Germany. The German customs Union, Zollverein, tariff duties were substantially reduced so that Austria's highly protected industry could not bear to join. The national uprising in Italy in 1859 made a profound impression on the German states, Prussia might go to war with either Austria or France, creating and emphasizing the Austria -Prussian rivalry and Prussia had emerged from 1848 with a parliament of sorts which was in the hands of the liberal middle class by 1859.

Bismark first gained political status when he fought against Austria as the Prussian ambassador in the German Confederation from 1851-1859. Bismark had the basic goal to build up Prussia's strength and consolidate Prussia's great power status. To acheive this goal he thought that Prussia needed to control the northern Protestant part of Germany. In 1864, he entered an alliance with Austria against Denmark, over the territories of Schleswig and Holstein. Schleswig came under Prussian rule, while Holstein came under Austrian rule. His first stage of the plan was war with Austria.

In 1866 after securing an alliance with Italy - to remove Austria - and securing a promise of non-participation from the French, Prussia under the orders of the Prime Minister, declared war on Austria, saying that disputes over Holstein was the reason for the attack. Prussian forces brought upon the defeat of Austria in a matter of seven weeks. Bismarck wisely treated Austria with leniency to keep them out of the next stage of his plan: war on France. After the defeat of Austria, he annexed the small German states in the north that supported Austria.

Other German states were convinced to join Prussia in the creation of the North German Confederation. The states of southern Germany concluded a military alliance with Prussia in case of French aggression. The south did not want to go far so he had a patriotic war with France which then drove them right into his arms. After a harsh peace settlement the which included the forced payment of five billion frances and to cede the rich eastern province Alsace and part of Lorraine to German the Franco-Prussian war was over. William I was proclaimed empower of Germany in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. He and his ministers had ultimate power in the new German empire.

And Germany was finally unified.