Germany 1871

German Unification

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    Napoleon invades German lands

    Napoleon is welcomed at first and brings enlightenment ideas and modern policies. He freed serfs, eased trade, and abolished laws against Jews. After seeing all the nice things he did for them they still realized that he is a traitor from foreign lands.
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    Congress of Vienna

    The Congress of Vienna was a group of Ambassadors of European states lead by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, held in Vienna. Despite the the development of a German national identity from two ideas was the response not for the Congress of Vienna and especially not for Austrian dominance of the newly developed German Confederation. The decision made at the Congress of Vienna the whole German Confederationincluding northern Germanic states and the Austrian empire, was to be created.
  • Otto Von Bismarck's Birth

    Otto Von Bismarck's Birth
    He was born into a aristocratic family in Schönhausen, northwest of Berlin, on April 1, 1815. In 1851, King Frederick Wilhelm IV appointed Bismarck as Prussian representative to the German Confederation.
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    Zollverein

    German customs union which is organized by 1833 where Zollverein treaties formally came to existence on January 1st,1834. It became an economic union that dissolved the tariff between the German states. It included most German states, besides Austria and north-west Germany.
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    Frankfurt Assembly demands unity

    The demand for unity started with the revolution of 1848 across 39 states and other European Nations. They formed a parliment to talk about the changes and try to make a better constitution to unifiy Germany. Frankfurt's parliment and attempt to unify
    Germany through reform changes failed.
  • Fredrick Willian IV is offered the throne

    Fredrick Willian IV is offered the throne
    Fredrick William refuses the imperial crown offered by the National Assembly. He doesn't accept it because it had not been offered by other German princes, stating that he wouldn't accpet "a crown from the gutter".
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    William I of Prussia becomes Emperor

    William I was also known as Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig son of Frederick William III of Prussia. He was a King of Prussia from 1861 and a german emperor from 1871.
  • Blood and iron speech

    Blood and iron speech
    Bismarck spoke his speech to the meeting of budget comission of the Prussian Parliament. He wanted a "german state" and Prussia to conquer all the other lands and make it one nation.
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    Bismark declares war on Demark

    In 1863, the king of Demark made Schleswig and Holstein now apart of Demark. Then in 1864 Austria and Prussia worked together to go to war against Denmark to seperate Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark and won.
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    Bismarck declares war on Austria

    The Austrians were in a treaty before with Prussia to win Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark. The Austrians then tried to pressure Prussia with their german Bund to deal with the Schleswig-Holstein problem. The Bund had Austrians side and Prussia said that it was not right and declared war on Austria and invaded Hesse and Saxony of Austria.
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    Constitution drafted by Bismarck

    The constitution of the second Reich was a federal system. Bismarck recieved and edited many drafts given by associates and aides. The biggest issue was the spread of power for Prussia but, also ways that worked with German nationalism and particularism that allowed easy access for southern German states to join the new Germany.
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    Franco-Prussian War

    France was very upset that spain offered an empty crown to a relative of the Prussian king, William I. The French didn't want Prussia to become anymore powerful than it already was. The French begs King William not have his cousin take the throne. Bismarck uses the invasion of French foes 30 years ago to mess with nationalist feelings. Bismarck edits "EMS dispatch"and makes it look like William I insulted Napoleon II. The French are now very upset and declare war against Prussia,the french lose.
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    Campaign against the Socialists

    By the 1870's German Marxists made up the Social Democratic party. They wanted a good, true parlimentary democracy and laws to make the working class conditions better. Bismarck gets worried that the Socialists will not stay nationalist and that they will revolt. So bismarck passed laws that shut down socialist groups and got rid of papers and meetings. Just as the Catholics before this didn't work either and Bismarck made peace with the Socialists and ended the feud.
  • The Second Reich is created

    The Second Reich is created
    The birth of the second Reich was made in January 1871. Prussia dominated new Germany.The second reich is made up of 25 states. It was mainly industry. The Bundesrat was the upper house and the Reichstag was the lower house.
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    population growth 1871-1914

    Germany industrialized allowing alot more jobs to be available and more captial for their own families. With the amount of people Prussia had as soon as it was united it could become a great European power. In 1871 there were 41 million people by 1914 there were 67 million people.
  • Bismarck becomes chancellor

    Bismarck becomes chancellor
    The imperial constitution was declared in April 1871. Bismarck became imperial chancellor. He decided upon policy outlines and gave ideas for appointing and dismissal of state secretaries who were in charge the administration of the Ministries of the Reich. He pursued many foreign policy goals.
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    The House of Krupp

    The House of Krupp hadn't been taken advantage of until 1830's when Alfred Krupp added steel rolls to make more money in the expanding market made by the German Customs Union. It wasn't until the 1850's when his display of the perfect 4-ton steel igot and the first steel cannon at the London World Exhibition. He soon became one of the world's major suppliers of railroad equipment.
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    Campaign against the church ( KultureKampf)

    Catholics made up 1/3 of the population and Protestants made up the other two thirds. In order to stop any Catholic threats Bismarck made the “Kulturkampf” or battle for civilization. The state oversaw all the Catholic teachings and appointments of the priests. Many people backed they church up and rallied against bismarck's ideas and Bismarck soon made peace with the church.
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    Economic Development

    After the unification of Germany, the economy prospered. There was a slowed in economy in 1873 but, started to soon pick up in the 1880's. Technology development was very much invested in and new science developments. Also the abundance of Natural resources such as Iron and Coal helped to boost economic growth.
  • William II becomes Kaiser

    William II becomes Kaiser
    In 1888, William I the grandfather of William II died at the age 90. They wanted Fredrick to take the postion but by that time he was dying of Cancer. This left the throne to William II at the age of 29.
  • Bismarck resigns

    Bismarck resigns
    William II asks Bismarck to resign because he only believed in his divine right to rule. He believed there was only one leader and it was William II. Bismarck steps down obeying to his believe system.