German Unification: From Fragmentation to Empire

German Unification: A Historical Overview

Until the 19th century, Germany was a conglomeration of more than 300 German-speaking political entities. The railway and the Zollverein, a customs union founded in 1834, reduced the barriers among the German states and helped to create a sense of economic unification that set the groundwork for the political unification of Germany.

Bismarck's Role in Unification

The process was led by Otto von Bismarck, chancellor of Prussia. His foreign policy was based on the Realpolitik.

The Prussian Military's Influence

The Prussian military played a key role in the German unification. It was commanded by Field Marshal Helmut von Moltke, who organized a formidable army due to its size, organization (creation of a General Staff), training, equipment, and Prussian virtues.

Key Military Victories

Moltke achieved three important victories:

• The Schleswig Wars against Denmark, which resulted in the cession of the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia and Austria.
• The Austro-Prussian War, which granted the supremacy of Prussia and the exclusion of Austria in the German unification.
• The Franco-Prussian War, which gave Prussia the French territories of Alsace and Lorraine.

Proclamation of the German Empire

The enthusiasm generated in Germany by these successes resulted in the proclamation of William I as Kaiser in 1871.

Economic and Social Policies

The economy of the new empire was controlled by a coalition of 'rye and iron': landowners (Junkers) in the East and large cartels (Konzerne) in the West. The leading sectors were steelmaking, the chemical industry, and electricity. The Ruhr Valley was the most industrialized region.

Bismarck introduced old-age pensions, accident insurance, medical care, and unemployment insurance that formed the basis of the modern European welfare state. This paternalistic policy was intended to win the support of the working classes and reduce the outflow of immigrants to America.

Foreign Policy and the End of the Bismarck Era

The foreign policy was based on the Bismarckian Systems, a system of alliances that sought the isolation of France, its main enemy. However, the new Kaiser William II opposed Bismarck's careful Realpolitik, preferring a more ambitious expansionist policy (Weltpolitik), so Bismarck finally resigned.

Key Terms

Consulate: Republican government which was actually a dictatorship ruled by Napoleon.

Guerrilla: Warfare taking advantage of the mobility, the element of surprise, the support population, and the knowledge about terrain.

Civil Code: Code issued by Napoleon that forbade privileges based on birth.

Afrancesados: Enlightened Spaniards who supported the Napoleonic government.

Creoles: Spaniards born in the Indies.

CofR: German confederation ruled by Napoleon that replaced the Holy Roman Empire.