Unification of Germany
| Unification of Germany | | | | HISTORY | |
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Unification of Germany
Introduction
Economic success, political failure, and diplomatic tension marked the idea of a unified Germany in the period after the Napoleonic Wars. It was not clear around which power, Austria or Prussia, Germany could achieve national unification (Merriman 2010). Prussian merchants, with the support of the Prussian crown, established the customs and trade union known as the Zollverein in 1834 (AP Central - German Unification 2013). The Zollverein freed trade between most of the German states, with the exception of Austria. The upper class were wary of any change that might threaten the status quo and feared the strong nationalist feeling unleashed by the revolution, the expansion of which might lead to, they reasoned, the proclamation of the equality of all citizens (Merriman 2010). Industrialists and merchants thus brought liberal politics into German nationalism. During the Revolution of 1848, liberals met in the Frankfurt Assembly and drafted a constitution modeled on the ideals of the French Revolution of 1789 (AP Central - German Unification 2013). The assembly offered to share power under a constitutional monarchy and offered the crown of a unified Germany to Frederick William IV of Prussia. The Revolution of 1848 brought some liberal reforms to Prussia, such as the ability of the parliament to obstruct certain forms of taxation. However, the Prussian leadership, which was thoroughly conservative, rejected the Frankfurt constitution, preferring reform and unification directed from above. Austria 's resistance of attempts to unify Germany under Prussian leadership further obstructed unification. One of the major questions concerning German unification centered on this Prussian-Austrian rivalry, which was both diplomatic and cultural. Supporters of Greater Germany insisted that Prussians and Austrians, with a common language naturally, should be part of one
|
Unification of Germany
Introduction
Economic success, political failure, and diplomatic tension marked the idea of a unified Germany in the period after the Napoleonic Wars. It was not clear around which power, Austria or Prussia, Germany could achieve national unification (Merriman 2010). Prussian merchants, with the support of the Prussian crown, established the customs and trade union known as the Zollverein in 1834 (AP Central - German Unification 2013). The Zollverein freed trade between most of the German states, with the exception of Austria. The upper class were wary of any change that might threaten the status quo and feared the strong nationalist feeling unleashed by the revolution, the expansion of which might lead to, they reasoned, the proclamation of the equality of all citizens (Merriman 2010). Industrialists and merchants thus brought liberal politics into German nationalism. During the Revolution of 1848, liberals met in the Frankfurt Assembly and drafted a constitution modeled on the ideals of the French Revolution of 1789 (AP Central - German Unification 2013). The assembly offered to share power under a constitutional monarchy and offered the crown of a unified Germany to Frederick William IV of Prussia. The Revolution of 1848 brought some liberal reforms to Prussia, such as the ability of the parliament to obstruct certain forms of taxation. However, the Prussian leadership, which was thoroughly conservative, rejected the Frankfurt constitution, preferring reform and unification directed from above. Austria 's resistance of attempts to unify Germany under Prussian leadership further obstructed unification. One of the major questions concerning German unification centered on this Prussian-Austrian rivalry, which was both diplomatic and cultural. Supporters of Greater Germany insisted that Prussians and Austrians, with a common language naturally, should be part of one
References: Merriman, J. M. (2010). A history of modern Europe: 2 (3rd ed.). New York: W W Norton & Company Incorporated, 2009. Muntone, S. (2011, January 1). The Unification of Germany | Education.com. Education.com | An Education & Child Development Site for Parents | Parenting & Educational Resource. Retrieved April 25, 2013, from http://www.education.com/study-help/article/european-history-unification-germany/ AP Central - German Unification. (2013). German unification. Retrieved June 5, 2013, from http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/courses/teachers_corner/29356.html Halsall, P. (1998, July). Modern History Sourcebook: Documents of German Unification, 1848-1871. Primary Source. Retrieved May 30, 2013, from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/germanunification.asp World History at KMLA (2008). WHKMLA : History of Germany : German Unification under Bismarck, 1862-1871. Retrieved May 30, 2013, from http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/germany/bismarck.html Figure 1: http://www.worldwar1.com/photos/gkais.jpg Figure 2: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wggerman/map/germanempire.htm Figure 3: http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/images/bismarck.jpg