Military Flashcards
What was Germany like militarily in 1789?
-While the Imperial Diet could call an army, there was no guarantee that the states would send the predetermined quota of troops or pay for the army’s upkeep in any way
What effect did French rule have on the military?
- They enforced military conscription
- The Confederation of the Rhine was forced to provide Napoleon with 119,000 soldiers in 1808
- This caused resentment to build up
How did the French inspire Germany militarily?
-French domination inspired the Prussian army to reorganise itself, the officer corps was purged, universal military training was introduced and soldiers were no longer subjected to inhumane punishment
What was the ‘War of Liberation’ in 1813?
- Popular anti-French sentiment encouraged Prussia to ally with Russia against France in January 1813
- Austria also declared war on France in June and in October, the three allies defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig (costliest battle of the 19th century)
- Within a few months, the allied armies invaded France, occupied Paris and forced Napoleon to abdicate
What was the situation militarily in 1815?
- Members of the German Confederation were not to declare war on one another
- If necessary, states could organise a federal army or federal defences
What was the military’s significance in the 1848 revolutions?
- Federal troops were called into Prussia to put down the revolts and street fighting
- 300 rioters were killed by troops
What did the Frankfurt Parliament (1848) lack?
- The parliament had no army and so lacked military power and influence
- The only army they could raise was Prussia’s
What was the Army Bill (1860)?
- William I was convinced that Prussia’s army was key to her greatness
- In 1860, Roon introduced a bill to reform the army in which he aimed to double the size of the army, increase the years of compulsory military conscription from 2 to 3, re-equip the troops and reduce the power of the Landwehr
- Parliament said they’d only increase the budget for one year and wouldn’t extend the period of military service which eventually led to Bismarck’s appointment in 1862
What was the War with Denmark (1864)?
- In December 1863, the smaller states used their armies to make the Duke of Austenberg the duke in Holstein
- In January 1864, Prussia and Austria intervened and occupied Schelswig and Holstein
- In October, Denmark made peace and agreed the duchies should be passed to Prussia and Austria
- In the Convention of Gastein (1865) Prussia would administer Schelslwig and Austria Holstein until a final settlement was made
What was the war with Austria (1866)?
- This essentially started in October 1865 when Bismarck came to an understanding with Napoleon III
- In April 1866, Italy agreed to attack Austria from the south
- In June, Prussian troops entered Holstein
- This was followed by seven weeks of fighting
What was the role of railways in the Austro-Prussian war?
-Austria had one single line from Vienna to Bohemia whereas the Prussians had five lines to bring troops southward
How did Prussia win the war with Austria?
Their army was/had:
- Better organised
- Better methods of fighting
- Better weapons
- More accurate and faster firing with needle guns
- Another Prussian army arriving and surrounding Austria
What was the Treaty of Prague in 1866?
- This was an armistice signed between Austria and Prussia in July
- Prussia annexed a great deal of territory including Schleswig and Holstein
- All states north of the River Main were formed into the North German Confederation
- The south and north formed a secret agreement that the southern states would support the north militarily
What was the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1)?
- Started with the Hohenzollern Candidature in 1869 which provoked France when Bismarck edited the Ems Telegram (1870) to be humiliating to France
- Within 18 days 462,000 German troops were at the French frontier using the effective railway system
- The French had half the men the Germans did and were forced to surrender in January 1871
- The war allowed the southern states to join the North German Confederation
What was militarily significant about the new Constitution of 1871?
- Bismarck was able to strictly limit the Reichstag’s say in military spending
- The Reichstag was dependent on Prussia’ army