Unit 6 Lesson 3
How did Germany Become Germany
The German Confederation becomes a nation
The nation we currently know as Germany was not always a country.
In fact Germany the country is one of the more recent additions to the map of Europe. As late as 1860 the area we today call Germany was divided up into 39 separate states. While
many of the people living in these states shared a common, language, a common culture, common history and for the most part a
common language the German people had been intentionally left divided at the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars (1815). The
division of the German people began to end in 1860 when the Prime Minister of Prussia (Prussia was the 2nd largest of the German States) a man by the name of Otto Von Bismarck began to take steps to unite the German people under one ruler.
Elements of German Nationalism
Why do you think Bismarck wanted to unite the German people?
Place
Language
Culture
Religion
35
Prussia
German
Germanic
Protestant
42
Vienna (Austria)
German
Germanic
Catholic
30
Copenhagen (Denmark)
Danish
Danish
Protestant
29
Schleswig & Holstein
German
Germanic
Protestant
25
Bavaria
German
Germanic
Catholic
28
Hanover
German
Germanic
Protestant
26
Ruhr
German
Germanic
Protestant
27
Frankfurt
German
Germanic
Protestant
Alsace & Lorraine
German & French
Germanic & Frankish Protestant & Catholic
France
French
Frankish
Language
German
Culture
Germanic
Religion
Protestant
Based upon the chart to the left what
is the main national difference between the Austrians and the Prussians?
Based upon the elements of German
nationalism listed above which of the
two is more German?
Catholic
Strategy Session:
You are Otto Von Bismarck, your goal is to get
more power for Prussia. Based upon the information listed on the charts above and ONLY the
states listed on the chart above how would you
gain more power for Prussia?
The map above shows some of the 1860 political divisions in Germany
The
Notorious
O.V.B.
Otto Von Bismarck:
The ________________ of ______ in the late _____. Famous
from uniting _____________ under Prussian rule.
Blood & Iron:
Bismarcks plan to unite Germany based on German
blood (_____________) and Prussian iron ___________ conquest and of course the
notorious O.V.B.s diplomatic trickery.
Prussian Supremacy:
Bismarck wanted to make his homeland Prussia a _________
_____________, in doing so he united central Europe based upon its German heritage.
Evil Genius:
In 1860 Prussia defeated Denmark with Austrias help, in 1866 Prussia
defeated Austria in 7 weeks. In 1870 Prussia leads a united Germany to victory over
France after Bismarck tricks France into declaring war on Prussia. (Momma never said
Social Studies was easy, luckily you dont have to memorize this!)
Bismarcks Accomplishments:
Bismarck does succeed in making Prussia a
___________ By uniting the German states under Prussian leadership Bismarck is known
as the ______________. Bismarck institutes policies aimed at jump starting German
industry. Late to the ____________ game, Bismarck hosts the ______________ to claim
Germany's place in the sun. All of which combines to make Germany the world undisputed #2 power in 1900.
Was Bismarck a German hero or a Prussian
hero?
How did Bismarcks actions impact life
in bigger countries?
How will Bismarcks actions impact
the future in bigger countries?