Why did Nationalism grow in the German states?

Question 1

What are 4 defining features of nationalism?

Answer 1

-Language
-Shared traditions and customs
-Similar religions
-A geographical area that they all recognise

Question 2

What is nationalism?

Answer 2

The idea that people who have a lot in common should rule themselves as one country, with the hatred or prejudice of other countries

Question 3

What was Germany like in 1815?

Answer 3

-Over 300 states
-These states apart of the Holy Roman Empire
-The 2 most important states were Austria and Prussia

Question 4

Who were the German states run by?

Answer 4

A mixture of Emperors, Kings, Grand Dukes, Princes, Bishops and Barons who’s ruling style was ‘autocracy’

Question 5

What does Autocracy mean?

Answer 5

It means the rulers didn’t share their power with anyone and their states were not democracies.

Question 6

What would a growth in nationalism mean?

Answer 6

It would unite all of the states into one country, Germany which could be ruled by one person.

Question 7

What happened in 1806? (Factor 1)

Answer 7

Napoleon defeated Austria which led to the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire and in its place set up the Confederation of the Rhine.

Question 8

What did the Confederation of the Rhine do? (Factor 1)

Answer 8

-Put 16 states directly under the control of Napoleon
-23 states were given some freedom to run by themselves
-Austria + Prussia continue to be the most powerful states

Question 9

What were liberals sick of? (Factor 1)

Answer 9

Being ruled by Napoleon

Question 10

When was Napoleon defeated?

Answer 10

-War of Liberation, 1815 by the British and Russia with some help of Prussia. After the war the 39 states remained.

Question 11

What were some positives to Napoleon’s ruling?

Answer 11

-Reducing number of states to 39 = made Germany feel more united. The fact they stuck together after Napoleon’s defeat strengthens this.
-16 states having no power + resenting Napoleon could have caused a measure of togetherness to grow when faced with a shared enemy.
-States united against Napoleon during the War of Liberation.

Question 12

What were some negatives to Napoleon’s ruling?

Answer 12

-States were still separated following Napoleon’s defeat
-Some of the more free states were only prepared to join with Napoleon once it was clear he wasn’t winning. Perfectly happy being ruled by Napoleon and had no desire to join “Germany”.

Question 13

What happened following the defeat of Napoleon?

Answer 13

-Leaders of Europe met to discuss what would happen next with Europe. Meeting was called the Congress of Vienna.

Question 14

Who were the most important people in the Congress of Vienna?

Answer 14

-Prince Metternich of Austria
-Lord Castlereagh of Britain

Question 15

What was a main decision that the Congress had made?

Answer 15

That the 39 states would remain, and they would just be renamed to the Bundestag instead.
-readjusting of the borders, meant Prussia gained new land, such as in the Rhineland. Balanced out Prussia and Austria.

Question 16

What are some positives of the impact of Austria (factor 1)

Answer 16

-Increase of power for Prussia, Prussia was more likely in favour of changing how their state was run to make people happy. Allowed nationalism to grow.
-Austrian influence maintained 39 states. Reduction of states = more geographical unity.

Question 17

What are some negatives to the impact of Austria (factor 1)

Answer 17

Metternich = important in Congress + Bund.
-Called nationalism dark and evil
-Meant unlikely to grow as long as Austria was able to dominate the Bund.

Question 18

What did lots of people believe within German states (factor 2)

Answer 18

-That they shared a “common identity” made up of things like fashion, customs, stories and legends about the past.

Question 19

What happened during the Napoleonic Wars? (factor 2)

Answer 19

-Many works published that were patriotic to Germany
-German Romantic Movement led people in the German states to take pride in German literature, poetry and art.
-Composers like Beethoven rose to fame as they induced a sense of being “German”
-Brothers Grimm exiled.

Question 20

How many people spoke German in separate states?

Answer 20

25 million

Question 21

What did Prussian authorities do after the German National Anthem was written in 1841?

Answer 21

Sacked the composer as professor at rhe University of Breslau out of fear of nationalism.

Question 22

What are some positives to Cultural Factors (factor 2)?

Answer 22

-The fact that many works being published meant many people wanted to read about and see works that contain nationalist ideas.
-The fact that Prussian soldiers were so worried about the German national anthem meant they thought nationalism could spread because of this song

Question 23

What are some negatives to Cultural Factors (factor 2)?

Answer 23

-Majority of German states were illiterate, meant that they couldn’t read about nationalism ideologys
-The fact that it was possible to sack composers of songs meant easy to supress nationalist ideas
-Continual thought of their identity solely on terms of the state they came from and not as German

Question 24

What was the population increase in the 19th century accompanied by? (factor 3)

Answer 24

-Industrialisation and Urbanisation

Question 25

Why was the Zollverein established? (factor 3)

Answer 25

Prussia wanted to copy Britain’s industrial revolution success which led to the Zollverein being established in 1836

Question 26

What was the Zollverein? (factor 3)

Answer 26

A customs tax union which included 25/39 German states. Its aim was to avoid heavy custom duties the individual German states placed on trading with other states.

Question 27

What occurred to help facilitate the Zollverein?

Answer 27

Transport links were improved. Metternich was opposed because he thought it might harm the Austrian industry, so Austria didn’t join the Zollverein.

Question 28

What were the positives of the Zollverein?

Answer 28

-25/39 states united in a political sense
-Transport links improved = people could travel more easily
-Metternich wanting to create his own customs union showed that he recognised a need for unity between states.

Question 29

What were some negatives of the Zollverein?

Answer 29

-14 states did not join the Zollverein. Therefore, economic unity weakened.
-Austria did not join. Meant that even the more influential states were not apart of the union.
-When Austria tried to join, other German states would not allow it showing that they were not interested in uniting German states, even in an economic sense

Question 30

What was 1848 also known as? (Factor 4)

Answer 30

“Year of Revolutions”

Question 31

Why did people (such as the middle class) start to rebel? (Factor 4)

Answer 31

They wanted a say in how their streets were run

Question 32

Why is 1848 so significant? (Factor 4)

Answer 32

It was the year many of the population of Germany started pushing for change

Question 33

What happened in Berlin in Prussia? (Factor 4)

Answer 33

Violence broke out between people and the government. Frederick William IV tried to crush the revolt with force but was unsuccessful. Consequently, he changed his position and announced that he was in favour of a unified Germany.

Question 34

While the new Frankenfurt Parliament wasted time arguing over what a united Germany should be like, what happened? (Factor 4)

Answer 34

Old leaders regained positions, meaning Frederick William IV could refuse the crown of a unified Germany. Meant the revolution had failed.

Question 35

After the Revolution, who became the new Chancellor of Germany? (Factor 4)

Answer 35

Schwarzenburg

Question 36

What did Frederick of Prussia set up in 1850? (Factor 4)

Answer 36

The Erfert Union, which was an assembly of the German princes under Prussian control. Some smaller states joined out of fear of Prussia.

Question 37

What happened once Austria gained its strength back?

Answer 37

Smaller, bullied German states supported Austria once more. They wanted a restoration of the Bund.

Question 38

What is a positive of the Role of the Liberals?

(Time where most of the population were trying to change something)

Answer 38

There was a time when most of the population was trying to change the way German states were being run and the logical solution was German unification. This proves nationalism did grow.

Question 39

What is a second positive of the Role of the Liberals?

Answer 39

Metternich was worried enough that he fled showing how much nationalism had grown.

Question 40

What is a second negative of the Role of the Liberals?

(Frankfurt Parliament allowing something)

Answer 40

The Frankfurt Parliament allowed the old rulers to re-assert themselves and halt the growth of nationalism. This is shown strikingly in Frederick refusing the crown of a united Germany.

Question 41

What is a negative of the Role of the Liberals?

(Hint: Not being interested in something)

Answer 41

The lower classes were not interested in nationalism but simply with improving their own lives. Therefore, nationalism did not grow with their involvement in the 1848 revolution.

Question 42

Pre 1815, Napoleon had conquered most of the German states easily. Why was this? (Factor 5)

Answer 42

Because they had too small armies. They were separate and autonomous states and as such did not have one united army.

Question 43

It was during the Wars of Liberation that ultimately culminated in which 1815 battle? (Factor 5)

(French enemy)

Answer 43

The Battle of Waterloo, where it was found that some of the armies united to drive out their French enemy.

Question 44

The recruitment drives in each separate German state (organised by their princes) did what? (Factor 5)

Answer 44

Encouraged men to join up to protect the “German states” Nationalism was used to inspire these men.

Question 45

What is a positive of Military weakness? (Factor 5)

(Armies united, were successful)

Answer 45

The states united their armies to fight the French and were successful in doing this. This created a measure of unity which allowed nationalism to grow.

Question 46

What is a second positive of Military weakness? (Factor 5)

(Stirring nationalist feelings, aiding the sense of something)

Answer 46

It was the German princes who had stirred the nationalist feelings to help raise armies to drive out the French, aiding the sense of a common German identity with common goals.

Question 47

What is a negative of Military weakness (Factor 5)

Answer 47

Once Napoleon was defeated, the state armies were once more separate. Military unity and nationalism had only been short lived.