German Unification Context 1848-1914

German Unification Context

• The single most important political development in Europe during the 19th century was the unification of Germany.
• This dramatic shift in European power happened between 1848 and 1914, and it set the stage for the World Wars.
• Before unification, Germany was a collection of states, with Austria and Prussia being the two largest.
• The Holy Roman Empire, which had been neither Holy nor Roman nor an Empire for centuries, was abolished by Napoleon.
• This abolition gave rise to German nationalism, which emphasized the unity of German-speaking peoples.
• The Congress of Vienna left unresolved the question of dominance among the German-speaking states, with Austria initially gaining an advantage.
• Prussia, however, grew in power, becoming a modern industrialized military state by the mid-19th century.

Models for Unification

• Two models existed for the unification of Germany: Grossdeutschland and Kleindeutschland.
• Grossdeutschland, meaning "Big Germany," would include Austria.
• Kleindeutschland, meaning "Small Germany," would exclude Austria.

Economic Unity before Political Unity

• Prior to political unification, Germany saw the creation of the Zollverein, a German free trade agreement.
• This economic agreement abolished internal tariffs in Northern Germany, including Prussia.
• It was the first instance of an economic union in Europe without a political union.

Revolutions of 1848 and the Frankfurt Parliament

• The Revolutions of 1848 shook Europe, with nationalists and liberals in Germany trying to overturn the Concert of Europe established by Metternich.
• The German unifiers in Frankfurt convened the Frankfurt Parliament, the first pan-German parliament.
• This parliament aimed to draft a constitution for a unified Germany based on liberal principles.
• Their draft was a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature – the Staatenhaus (House of the States) and the Volkshaus (House of the People).
• The Frankfurt Parliament offered the crown of a unified Germany to Frederick William IV of Prussia, who declined, stating he did not want a crown given to him by a legislature rather than through divine right.
• The effort to unify Germany through liberal means and the Frankfurt Parliament ultimately failed.