Unification of Germany

Question 1

Provide context from the Unification of Germany to the Decline of Weimar.

Answer 1

1871 - Unification of Germany.
1890 - Wilhelmine/ Imperial Germany.
1914-18 - WW1.
1918 - Chaos after war.
1919-23 - Birth of Weimar.
1924-29 - Weimar's Golden Years.
1929-33 - Decline of Weimar (depression)

Question 2

What happened in 1815?

Answer 2

German Confederation - States in Germany who kept their independence. Austria was a dominant influence.

Question 3

What happened in 1819?

Answer 3

Kotzebue, a playwright with Russian connections, was killed. Tighter control on education and cencorship.
Prussia took over Germany when Poland was losing - Raw materials allowed for moving West and dominating in a way Austria couldn’t.
Traditional authoritarianism went under threat.

Question 4

What happened from 1848-49?

Answer 4

Revolution - Started in France and spread through Germany.
Peasants and workers wanted improvements - Prussian countryside had Junkers who exploited workers.
Bad harvests in 1846-47, worse with rising pop.
Middle class needed more political powers.
Assembly called to discuss if German Unif successful.

Question 5

Specifically, what happened in 1948 to do with the Confederation?

Answer 5

The Diet of the Confederation ahreed to be replaced by pre-parlaiment - 596 men and concealed many opinions.
Could either include German speaking Austria or not making Prussia dominant state.

Question 6

Specifically, what happened in 1949 to do with the German State?

Answer 6

Chose to make a smaller Germany.
Constitution for a German Empire - offered to Prussia but refused by king for being “moulded out of dirt”. Rulers of Saxony, Bavania and Hanover rejected.