How and why German unification was achieved by 1871

History · AS: Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815-1871. The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.

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The idea

After defeating Austria in 1866, Prussia led the North German Confederation, but the four southern states stayed outside. Bismarck believed a war against France would bring them in, because they had signed military alliances with Prussia.

He first made France look greedy and alone. Then the Hohenzollern candidature for the Spanish throne gave him his chance. By shortening the Ems Telegram he made a polite refusal look like an insult, and France declared war.

Prussia won quickly through better planning, railways and artillery. The German Empire was proclaimed at Versailles while Paris was still under siege.

Rules to remember

Luxembourg crisis, 1867: Napoleon III failed to buy Luxembourg; it became neutral and the Prussian garrison left.
Hohenzollern candidature, 1870: Prince Leopold, a relative of the King of Prussia, was offered the Spanish throne.
Ems Telegram, 13 July 1870: edited by Bismarck; France declared war on 19 July 1870.
Sedan, 1 to 2 September 1870: a French army surrendered and Napoleon III was captured.
German Empire proclaimed on 18 January 1871 in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles; Wilhelm I became Kaiser.
Treaty of Frankfurt, May 1871: France gave up Alsace and part of Lorraine and paid 5 billion francs.
1871 constitution: the Kaiser appointed the Chancellor; the Reichstag was elected by all adult men.

Common mistake

Students often say Bismarck declared war on France. France declared war, and that was his aim: it made Prussia look like the victim, so the southern states honoured their alliances.

Worked example

Why did it matter to Bismarck that France, and not Prussia, declared war in July 1870?

The southern German states had defensive alliances with Prussia, signed in 1866.
A French attack made the war look like the defence of Germany, so the alliances came into force and national feeling rose in the south.
It also gave Britain, Russia and Austria no good reason to help France.

Answer: A French declaration of war brought the southern states in on Prussia's side and left France without allies.

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