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In 1839, as compensation for the loss of the [[Luxembourg (Belgium)|province of {{lang|de|Luxemburg|nocat=y|italics=unset}}]] to Belgium, the [[Duchy of Limburg (1839–67)|Duchy of Limburg]] (held by the Netherlands) was created and it was a member of the German Confederation until its dissolution in 1866. The city of Maastricht was not included in the Confederation.
 
===Dissolution and Empire===▼
The German Confederation ended as a result of the [[Austro-Prussian War]] of 1866 between [[Austrian Empire]] and its allies on one side and the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] and its allies on the other. In the [[Peace of Prague (1866)|Prague peace treaty]], on 23 August 1866, Austria had to accept that the Confederation was considered to be dissolved.<ref>Ernst Rudolf Huber: ''Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte seit 1789.'' Vol. III: Bismarck und das Reich. 3rd edition, W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart [u. a.] 1988, p. 571, 576.</ref> The following day, the remaining member states confirmed the dissolution. The treaty allowed Prussia to create a new {{lang|de|Bundesverhältnis}} (a new kind of federation) in the North of Germany. The South German states were proposed to create a South German Confederation but this did not come into existence.▼
 
Prussia and its allies created the [[North German Confederation]] in 1867. Because of French intervention it had to exclude, besides Austria, the South German states Bavaria, {{lang|de|Württemberg|italics=unset}}, {{lang|de|Baden|italics=unset}}, and Hesse-{{lang|de|Darmstadt|italics=unset}}. During November 1870, the four southern states joined the North German Confederation by treaty.<ref>{{cite book |title=European Constitutional History |last=Case |first=Nelson |year=1902 |publisher=Jennings & Pye |location=Cincinnati |page=139 |oclc=608806061 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G2t9AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA139 |ref=harv }}</ref>▼
 
The North German Confederation {{lang|de|Reichstag|italics=unset}} and {{lang|de|Bundesrat|italics=unset}} accepted to rename the North German Confederation as the [[German Empire]] and give the title of [[German Emperor]] to the [[King of Prussia]].<ref name="case139-140">{{harvnb|Case|1902|pp=139–140}}</ref> The new constitution of the state, the [[Constitution of the German Confederation 1871|Constitution of the German Confederation]], introduced the new name (in spite of its title) and title on 1 January 1871.<ref>Ernst Rudolf Huber: ''Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte seit 1789.'' Vol. III: Bismarck und das Reich. 3rd edition, W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart [u. a.] 1988, p. 747.</ref>▼
 
==Members==
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In 1849, {{lang|de|Friedrich Wilhelm|italics=unset}} proposed his own constitution. His document concentrated real power in the hands of the King and the upper classes, and called for a confederation of North German states—the [[Erfurt Union]]. Austria and Russia, fearing a strong, Prussian-dominated Germany, responded by pressuring Saxony and Hanover to withdraw, and forced Prussia to abandon the scheme in a treaty dubbed the "[[Punctation of Olmütz|humiliation of {{lang|de|Olmütz|nocat=y|italics=unset}}]]".
 
==Dissolution of the Confederation==
=={{lang|de|Bismarck|italics=unset}} and the Wars of Unification==
===Rise of Bismarck===
A new generation of statesmen responded to popular demands for national unity for their own ends, continuing Prussia's tradition of autocracy and reform from above. Germany found an able leader to accomplish the seemingly paradoxical task of conservative modernization. {{lang|de|[[Otto von Bismarck|Bismarck]]|italics=unset}} was appointed by {{lang|de|King [[Kaiser Wilhelm I|Wilhelm I]]|italics=unset}} of Prussia (the future {{lang|de|Kaiser Wilhelm I|italics=unset}}) to circumvent the liberals in the [[Landtag of Prussia|{{lang|de|Landtag|nocat=y|italics=unset}} of Prussia]], who resisted Wilhelm's autocratic militarism. Bismarck told the Diet, "The great questions of the day are not decided by speeches and majority votes ... but by blood and iron"—that — that is, by warfare and industrial might.<ref>Martin Kitchen, ''A History of Modern Germany, 1800–2000'' (2006) p. 105</ref> Prussia already had a great army; it was now augmented by rapid growth of economic power.
 
Gradually, {{lang|de|Bismarck|italics=unset}} won over the middle class, reacting to the revolutionary sentiments expressed in 1848 by providing them with the economic opportunities for which the urban middle sectors had been fighting.<ref>Otto Pflanze, ''Bismarck and the Development of Germany, Vol. 1: The Period of Unification, 1815–1871'' (1971)</ref>▼
 
===Seven Weeks' War===
▲The German Confederation ended as a result of the [[Austro-Prussian War]] of 1866 between [[Austrian Empire]] and its allies on one side and the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] and its allies on the other. In the [[Peace of Prague (1866)|Prague peace treaty]], on 23 August 1866, Austria had to accept that the Confederation was considered to be dissolved.<ref>Ernst Rudolf Huber: ''Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte seit 1789.'' Vol. III: Bismarck und das Reich. 3rd edition, W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart [u. a.] 1988, p. 571, 576.</ref> The following day, the remaining member states confirmed the dissolution. The treaty allowed Prussia to create a new {{lang|de|Bundesverhältnis}} (a new kind of federation) in the North of Germany. The South German states were proposedallowed to create a South German Confederation but this did not come into existence.
 
===North German Confederation===
▲Prussia and its allies created the [[North German Confederation]] in 1867. Becausecovering all German states north of Frenchthe interventionriver it[[Main_(river)|Main]] hadand toalso exclude,the [[Province_of_Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]] territories in [[Swabia]]. besidesBesides Austria, the South German states Bavaria, {{lang|de|Württemberg|italics=unset}}, {{lang|de|Baden|italics=unset}}, and Hesse-{{lang|de|Darmstadt|italics=unset}} remained separate from the rest of Germany. DuringHowever, Novemberdue 1870to the successful prsecutoin of the [[Franco-Prussian_War|Franco-German War]], the four southern states joined the North German Confederation by treaty in November 1870.<ref>{{cite book |title=European Constitutional History |last=Case |first=Nelson |year=1902 |publisher=Jennings & Pye |location=Cincinnati |page=139 |oclc=608806061 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G2t9AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA139 |ref=harv }}</ref>
 
▲===Dissolution andGerman Empire===
▲TheAs Norththe Franco-German ConfederationWar {{lang|de|Reichstag|italics=unset}}drew to a close, [[King Ludwig II of Bavaria]] was persuaded to ask King Wilhelm to assume the crown of the German Empire. On 1 January 1871, the Empire was declared by the presiding princes and {{lang|degenerals in the [[Hall_of_Mirrors|Bundesrat|italics=unset}}Hall acceptedof Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles]], near [[Paris]]. The Diet of the North German Confederation to rename the North German Confederation as the [[German Empire]] and give the title of [[German Emperor]] to the [[King of Prussia]].<ref name="case139-140">{{harvnb|Case|1902|pp=139–140}}</ref> The new constitution of the state, the [[Constitution of the German Confederation 1871|Constitution of the German Confederation]], introducedeffectively transformed the new name (in spiteDiet of itsthe title)Confederation andinto titlethe onGerman 1Parliament January 1871(''Reichstag'').<ref>Ernst Rudolf Huber: ''Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte seit 1789.'' Vol. III: Bismarck und das Reich. 3rd edition, W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart [u. a.] 1988, p. 747.</ref>
 
 
▲Gradually, {{lang|de|Bismarck|italics=unset}} won over the middle class, reacting to the revolutionary sentiments expressed in 1848 by providing them with the economic opportunities for which the urban middle sectors had been fighting.<ref>Otto Pflanze, ''Bismarck and the Development of Germany, Vol. 1: The Period of Unification, 1815–1871'' (1971)</ref>
 
==Territorial legacy==
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