Topic 14- Nationalism and
the Spread of Democracy
Essential Question- What are the challenges of
diversity?
14.1- The
Unification of
Germany
Nationalism
• What is nationalism?
Intense pride in/devotion to one’s nation.
Usually occurs between people who share a
common history, language, and culture.
• In Germany, nationalism is
sparked by Napoleon’s
invasions and by the Congress
of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
• At the Congress of Vienna, Prince
Clemens von Metternich of Austria
argued against a unified Germany
because it would have dismantled
existing governments
• Instead, a weak German
Confederation was created,
headed by Austria.
Confederation- a political
unit where individual states
have more power than the
overall government
What do you notice about the German
Confederation?
Prussia vs. Austria-Hungary
• Prussia and Austria dominated the German
Confederation
• Prussia had many advantages that allowed it to
become a unified state:
• Primarily German Ethnic Groups in Austria-Hungary
• Powerful army
• More industrialized
• Austria-Hungary, on the other
hand, had a difficult time
unifying:
• Many different ethnicities
• Lacked prosperity
Otto Von Bismarck
• Otto Von Bismarck was the only one
able to succeed in creating a unified
Germany
• Prussian diplomat in France and Russia,
named Prime Minister of Prussia under
King William (Wilhelm) I
• Becomes Chancellor of a unified
Germany in 1871
Blood and Iron
• Bismarck’s strategy to create a unified
German people is one of “blood and Realpolitik-
iron” realistic politics
• Blood- military might/war based on the
• Iron- industry (to create military
weapons)
needs of the state
• Bismarck was also a master of
Realpolitik, willing to do
whatever was necessary to
accomplish his goals
• Ironically, Bismarck was not a
German nationalist- he wanted to
unify Germany to secure Prussian
dominance
Powerful Military
• Bismarck’s first step was to create a
powerful Prussian Army.
• However, the Prussian legislature refused
to provide him with funding for his army.
Bismarck responded by simply taking
money that had been collected for other
purposes.
The ends justify the means
• The End- a well-trained and well-armed
Prussian army
• The Means- taking money set aside for
other things to fund the army
Bismarck’s Army
• Over the next decade, Bismarck’s army fights
three wars that result in German unity under
a Prussian Ruler
• The first battle is over the Danish provinces
of Schleswig and Holstein
• Bismarck formed an alliance with Austria to
“liberate” the two heavily German provinces
from Denmark
• Prussia gets Schleswig, Austria gets Holstein
War with Austria (1866)
• Bismarck invents an excuse to
attack Austria, and after 7 weeks
of fighting the superior Prussian
army wins
• The weak Austrian-led German
Confederation is dissolved and
Bismarck establishes a Prussian
dominated confederation in its
place
• But Bismarck is smart, and Austria
remains independent....why?
Franco-Prussian War (1870)
• France was concerned with the Prussian win over Austria
• Germans recalled the invasions of Napoleon Bonaparte, and Bismarck
played up the image of the “French menace” to ignite German
nationalism
• Then Bismarck sparked war by tampering with the records of a meeting
between Prussian King William I and a French Ambassador, making it
look like William I had insulted the French.
The ends justify the means...
• France declares war, and loses to the
Germans in a few short weeks
German Empire
• After France’s defeat, the
Germans convince Prussia’s
King William I to take the
title of Kaiser (emperor). This
begins the Second Reich
(empire).
• 1st Reich- Holy Roman
Empire
• 2nd Reich- Kaiser William I
(Chancellor Bismarck)
• 3rd Reich- Adolf Hitler
Limited Reforms
• Under Kaiser Bundesrat Reichstag
William I,
Germany set up Upper house- members Lower house- elected by
a 2-house appointed by rulers of the universal male suffrage
Legislature: German States
• The Bundesrat could veto the
Reichstag’s votes at any time.
Therefore, power really just
stayed with the Kaiser and his
Chancellor- Otto Von Bismarck
• What’s wrong with this set up?
Does it remind you of a similar
situation in France?
The Iron Chancellor
• As Chancellor, Bismarck used the same
realpolitik methods he used to achieve
unification the ends justify the means
• He worked to erase local loyalties and
crushed all opposition to the new
government, especially the Catholic
Church and the Socialists
• This earned him the nickname
“The Iron Chancellor”
