Einigungskriege Flashcards
conditions before the war
• Parliament had limited influence > mainly power: control over budget
• P king > traditionalist > authority came directly from God (God’s mandate) > resistant to democratic checks on his power
• > wanted to increase spending on military > parliament refused to
• Bismarck found loophole in constitution > allowed military reforms to move forwars without parliament’s approval
• power struggle between A and P
•»_space; power struggle between king and parliament over control of government, between P and A over dominance of G
German Danish war (2nd schleswig war)
• 1st war - H and S independent, yet still ruled by Denmark (1851)
• 1863 - D wants to integrate S into its state
> intention: assimilate German population (incorporate them into cultural tradition)
> outrage among Germany
• A and P attacked D > quickly defeated Denmark
• Consequences: S and H under joint rule of A and P
Austro-Prussian war:
• conflicts over S and H > independence vs annexation
• goal P: H out of A
• A called estate assembly of H > Prussia regarded it as breach of peace treaty (1864)
• A reinforces its troops along its border with P
> Bismarck saw this as Austria re-arming
> P marched into H (ruled by A)
• A seeks the German Confederation to intervene
• Prussia submitted new plan for constitution of the confederation > left out A
> A declared they’d need to react militarily
> G federation declares war on Prussia
• July 3rd - battle of Königgrätz (decisive battle)
• Consequences:
> P (Bismarck) won
mild peace (for A) > future allies, end of Austro-Prussian rivalry
• Schutz und Trutzbündnisse between P and southern German states
• 1867 - North German confederation was founded, G confederation X
Franco-Prussian war:
• North G confederation wanted to include southern states
> Kings, dukes were against union with southern states
> B needed reason for war > France = aggressor
• goal: unification of Germany, nationalism
• Spain > no monarch
> member of Hohenzollern family (ruling family of P) Leopold of Hohenzollern applied for throne
> provoked F > would be surrounded by countries ruled by Hohenzollern
• F wanted him to take back candidacy
• > B didn’t like that, took original and edited in a way that insulted French
• > humiliation
• Napoleon declared war on NGC
• 2 September - war was quickly decided > G defeated F army at Sedan
• Consequences:
• as Paris was attacked, P king (Wilhelm 1.) was crowned as German Emperor in Hall of Mirrors in Versailles > German Empire established (kleindeutsche Lösung)
> F felt humiliated
• G army was stationed in F, needed to pay reparations, hand over Alsace-Lorraine
> France was always after revenge
foundation and constitution of German Empire
• founded from above > foundation not initiated by will of people (no democratic process)
• constitutional monarchy > still elements of absolute monarchy
• nobility holds all the power
• key liberal goals of 19th century > not fulfilled (basic rights etc.)
> only unification
• P > very dominant
significance of monuments
• constructing monuments to unify population
• creating alleged shared history
• influenced on militarism > connection to honoring soldiers, battles
> Varusschlacht
• often a leader
• strong leaders
• strengthens national pride, unified all germans to defeat common enemy
Militarism
• military > important part of everyday life
• omnipresent (parades, taught at school)
• brought together different social groups (integration) > shared identity
• military offered non noble people a chance for social mobility
•symbolized success of german unification > after Franco prussian war
analyse a monument
• description
> form, design, material, size, location
> historical context
> purpose/message
> own opinion
