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Bismarck rises to power
Moved to Paris as an ambassador to the court for Napolean III after having 11 years of experience with foreign affairs. Afterwards he returned to Emperor William I for Prussias internal development. He remained Prussias prime minister until 1890. -
1st War of Unification
In 1863 King Christian IX took the Danish throne. He proposed a new constitution trying to take away Schleswig from Denmark. Prussia and Austria both protested the new constitution and they demanded it to be revoked. After refusing, Denmark was declared war on by Austria and Prussia. After 3 months of fighting, Denmark surrendered. -
2nd War of Unification
When Prussias influence expanded, Bismarck prepared for conflict from Austria. Bismarck made Austria declare war on Prussia in 1866. The war ended seven weeks later by the Treaty of Prague, the treaty dissolved the German Confederation. -
3rd War of Unification
To Unify the German Confederation, Bismarck had to persuade the states of southern Germany to join the North German Confederation. He had an oppurtunity with a telegram from King William in 1870. He changed the telegram to make it sound like the King insulted the French ambassador. Furious, France declared war in July of 1870 on Prussia. When no other countries tried to help France, Napoleon surrendered in January of 1871. -
Formation of the German Empire
On January 18, 1871 representatives of the Allied German States had a meeting in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles near Paris. Bismarck accepted a constitution uniting the 25 German states in a fedral government. The governement contained 2 houses, the Bundesrat, upper house, and the Reichstag, the legislative assembly.
