Military

Question 1

What was Germany like militarily in 1789?

Answer 1

-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

Question 2

What effect did French rule have on the military?

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

How did the French inspire Germany militarily?

Answer 3

-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

Question 4

What was the ‘War of Liberation’ in 1813?

Answer 4

• 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

Question 5

What was the situation militarily in 1815?

Answer 5

• Members of the German Confederation were not to declare war on one another
• If necessary, states could organise a federal army or federal defences

Question 6

What was the military’s significance in the 1848 revolutions?

Answer 6

• Federal troops were called into Prussia to put down the revolts and street fighting
• 300 rioters were killed by troops

Question 7

What did the Frankfurt Parliament (1848) lack?

Answer 7

• The parliament had no army and so lacked military power and influence
• The only army they could raise was Prussia’s

Question 8

What was the Army Bill (1860)?

Answer 8

• 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

Question 9

What was the War with Denmark (1864)?

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

What was the war with Austria (1866)?

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

What was the role of railways in the Austro-Prussian war?

Answer 11

-Austria had one single line from Vienna to Bohemia whereas the Prussians had five lines to bring troops southward

Question 12

How did Prussia win the war with Austria?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

What was the Treaty of Prague in 1866?

Answer 13

• 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

Question 14

What was the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1)?

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

What was militarily significant about the new Constitution of 1871?

Answer 15

• Bismarck was able to strictly limit the Reichstag’s say in military spending
• The Reichstag was dependent on Prussia’ army

Question 16

What was significant about Russia’s war with Turkey (1877)?

Answer 16

• Austria-Hungary had agreed to step aside if Russia attacked Turkey as long as they didn’t create a large Slav state in the Balkans
• Bismarck felt this would keep Russia occupied and weaken her
• Russia did surprisingly well in the war

Question 17

What was the Treaty of San Stefano (1878)?

Answer 17

• After doing well in the war against Turkey, Russia imposed the Treaty of San Stefano
• Bulgaria was to become independent and Russia would likely dominate it
• Austria-Hungary was outraged by this and called for the treaty to be overturned
• This spurred Bismarck to hold the Congress of Berlin

Question 18

What was the Dual Alliance (1879)?

Answer 18

-As protection against Russia, Bismarck formed a secret alliance with Austria-Hungary that said they’d protect each other if attacked by Russia

Question 19

What was the Triple Alliance (1882)?

Answer 19

-The Dual Alliance was expanded to include Italy

Question 20

What was Caprivi’s reformation of the 1860 Army Bill?

Answer 20

• Caprivi wanted to reduce the length of military service to 2 years once again
• He then also wanted to increase the army’s size to 84,000 men in peacetime
• When the bill was defeated, Caprivi dissolved the Reichstag
• The new Reichstag passed the bill in 1893

Question 21

What were the Navy Laws and who were the Naval League?

Answer 21

• They were laws passed from 1898-1900 that granted money for building new ships for the Navy
• The Naval League was an interest group set up in 1898 on Tirpitz’ initiative that supported the expansion of the German Navy

Question 22

What agreements and ‘etente’s were made by who and when?

Answer 22

1894-Russia completes agreement with France
1904- Britain makes ‘entente cordiale’ with France
1907-Britain makes ‘entente’ with Russia

Question 23

What was the ‘War Raw Materials’ department (1914)?

Answer 23

-A department that directed labour, controlled the railways and introduced rationing

Question 24

What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles (1919)?

Answer 24

• Germany to pay £6,600 million in reparations
• No German Troops allowed in the Rhineland
• Army reduced to 100,000 men
• No navy or air force
• Germany lost all her colonies
• Germany to accept full war guilt