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I. Before Bismarck
A. How was Europe organized at the beginning of the 19th Century?
1. After Napoleon’s defeat, the Congress of Vienna reinstated the French monarchy and surrounded France with powerful monarchs. It also established the Holy Alliance of Austria, Russia, and Prussia. G13
2. In 1804 the Holy Roman Empire ended when Francis II gave up the crown. G9
3. Napoleon and his armies had completely disrupted and rearranged the borders of Europe, especially in Germany G8
4. in 1815 the Congress of Vienna met to reorganize Europe A7
5. When Napoleon crowned himself emperor, he also claimed rule over many Germans, Dutch, and Italians G10
B. What was the nature of the German Confederation? How strong of an alliance was it?
1. Relations between Austria and Prussia became strained as a result of the possibility of France creating a close relationship with the Catholic Church D12
2. After the Austro-Prussian war Bismarck created the North German Confederation, an alliance between all of the German states north of the Main River F28
3. The North German Confederation united the military forces of all the members, with the King of Prussia as Commander in Chief F29
4. Major states in the South of Germany (Baden, Wurttemberg, Bavaria) did not join the Confederation with Prussia but were intimidated by the powerful group under Prussia F30
5. South German states signed individual alliances with the Confederation so that they would join in the case of war F31
6. The North German Confederation combined with southern German states had an army of more than one million men F32
7. The Austro-Prussian war was caused because the Confederation fell apart when radical Prussian proposals were rejected and Prussia left the alliance G10
C. What was the Congress of Vienna and how did it affect German-speaking states?
1. The Congress of Vienna restored Prussia, but with disconnected western provinces G13
2. Created a Holy Alliance of Austria, Prussia, and Russia G13
3. Made it clear that Germany would have to go either to Austria or Prussia, because it was too small for two major powers to share A7
4. When England refused to join in the principle of intervention, it became clear that there would be no alliance with England for any of the other powers D4
D. What was the significance of the Constitution in 1850?
1. The Constitution of 1850 set up a three-class voting system based on wealth, where the people paying each third of the nation’s total property taxes collectively got a third of the voting power H4
2. It enabled Prussian Junkers, provincial landowners, to hold a great deal of influence in politics although they were not as wealthy as the upper bourgeoisie H5, H6
E. How was the government of Prussia organized?
1. Uneasy compromise between royal absolutism and parliamentary democracy G20
2. King and Constitutional Assembly contended for power K24
3. King was unstable, later certified insane H1
F. How large/powerful was Prussia compared to the rest of Germany and Europe?
1. Of Prussia and Austria, Prussia was the stronger in Germany A3
2. Prussia expected war with Austria, indicating their confidence in their superiority A7
3. Though powerful, Prussia could not withstand an alliance between two of the other powers A14
4. Prussia was by far the most powerful and the largest state in Germany, and therefore was expected to lead the smaller sovereignties E6
5. Prussia was the most important entity in Germany F4
6. Prussia had assimilated other German states under the lead of Frederick the Great F5
7. Prussia wielded great power, and they overwhelmed the Dutch F25
8. Prussia defeated another Great Power, Austria, in only seven weeks F27
9. Prussians were much more advanced than the French, especially in a military sense F50
10. Prussia displayed power in that she was the one that stopped Napoleon G12
11. Prussia was counted among the top three most powerful nations on the Continent G13
G. How were Prussia’s relations with other German states?
1. German states saw a simple choice between Austria and Prussia as ruling Germany A1
2. German states saw Prussia as reformative and nationalistic and Austria as supporting the old order A2
3. Prussia was seen by the rest of Germany as being wholly German, while Austria was not A3
4. Prussia was seen as desiring unification and combining forces with the German states A4
5. Prussia saw it as inevitable to fight with Austria over Germany A8
H. How were Prussia’s relations with other European countries?
1. Bismarck was very concerned about the issues regarding alliances and coalitions D1
2. Prussia was afraid that the Great Powers it had defeated might want revenge and form an alliance D2-D3
3. Because England did not commit to any permanent alliances, Prussia could not make an alliance with Britain D4
4. Prussia tried to maintain good relations with other Powers, especially Russia, lest an anti-German confederation form D5
I. Why did Revolutions of 1848 and the Frankfurt Parliament fail to unify Germany?
1. The Frankfurt Parliament offered the crown of Germany to Friedrich Wilhelm IV, but he refused because he did not recognize their power A6
II. Bismarck and German Unification
A. What was the course of Bismarck’s political career?
1. Bismarck was the son of a Prussian Junker, or wealthy rural landlord H3
2. Bismarck attended Berlin and Gottingen universities H3
3. after short period as a bureaucrat, he became a diplomat H3
4. represented Prussia in meetings of the German Confederation and developed personal competitiveness with Austria H3
5. also worked as diplomat in St Petersburg and Paris, cities in two of the other major European powers H3
6. called back to Prussia and assigned position of Minister-President (Prime Minister) when Prussia had a constitutional crisis H3
B. What were Bismarck’s main goals as a politician?
1. Bismarck wanted German Unification F20
2. Bismarck wanted Prussian supremacy and expansion F20
3. main goal was to secure and expand the position of Prussia in Europe H8
C. What kind of diplomatic methods did Bismarck use? What was his political style?
1. Bismarck openly stated that his policies were based on “Iron and Blood,” or military ruthlessness E7
2. Bismarck used any methods he could employ to further the Prussian agenda F21
3. Nicknamed the “Iron Chancellor” for his methods F21
4. As Minister-President he acted without any approval on the budget and often had little regard for parliamentary bodies H7
5. Bismarck was not at all afraid to resort to war to attain his goals for Prussia H8
6. Bismarck started three wars for diplomatic reasons, not because there was any threat to Prussia H8
7. All three of the wars that Bismarck started were aggression and not in defense or because it was necessary for national security H8
8. Bismarck was not unwilling to bribe people to get what he wanted—he gave King Ludwig II of Bavaria 5 million thaler for his support of Unification G5-G7
9. Bismarck created a constitution for the German Empire that deliberately favored him and gave him lots of power H24
10. once a constitution that he created for his own benefit no longer served his purpose, he considered simply getting rid of the whole country’s legal base H24
D. What were the significance of Schleswig and Holstein in the Unification of Germany?
1. Prussia and Denmark had been in conflict over the border regions of Schleswig-Holstein F23
2. In 1863 Prussia waged war on Denmark F24
3. Prussia won and Denmark ceded Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia F26
4. by tradition the two duchies of Schleswig and Holstein were inseparable, but Denmark threatened to split them apart I2
5. In 1848 the Germans in Schleswig-Holstein revolted and the Frankfurt Parliament commissioned Prussia to help them I3
6. Austria and Prussia forced Denmark to give up all claims to Schleswig-Holstein and to ask the duchies before taking any constitutional action regarding them I5
E. What caused the Austro-Prussian War?
1. After the Congress of Vienna Prussia and Austria were too close together and war was inevitable A7
2. Prussia entered the Austro-Prussian war not because it was threatened but because it wanted to establish its power in Germany A9
3. Prussia did not take any land from Austria but made it give up all claims to Germany A10
4. Austria had drifted away from Germany while Prussia was centered within it A11
5. Prussia did not want bad relations with Austria lest it ally itself with one of the other Great Powers A13
6. Prussia feared an Austrian alliance with France A14
7. Prussia and Austria’s conflict was so that Prussia could control Germany A16
8. Prussia created the final spark that started the war when it left the German Confederation H11
9. Prussia’s radical proposals were not being accepted and so it left the German Confederation H11
F. How did the Austro-Prussian war affect the dynamics of Germany?
1. In 1866 Prussia beat Austria in the Austro-Prussian War F27
2. After the Austro-Prussian War, the German confederation fell apart and Bismarck created the North German Confederation, which excluded Austria F28
3. The North German Confederation did not include the southern German states F28
4. The North German Confederation had an enormous unified army with the King of Prussia as commander-in-chief F29
5. Though intimidated by the North German Confederation, the south German states were reluctant to come under Prussia’s power F30
6. The southern German states were intimidated into signing individual military alliances with the Confederation, meaning a combined army in the case of war F31
G. Why the Franco-Prussian War start and what was Bismarck’s role in starting it?
1. French Ambassador asked Prussian King to promise never to support a Hohenzollern for the Spanish throne B1
2. Bismarck was given permission to decide whether or not to publicize the news B2
3. Bismarck made it seem like the King had been rude to the Ambassador B3
4. Bismarck asked Field Marshall von Moltke whether he should start the war then, Moltke approved C2
5. Bismarck planned to goad the French into declaring war as well as stirring up national sentiment among the Germans C4-C7
6. French Ambassador Benedetti was sent to speak to King Wilhelm at Ems to ask him to promise never to support an Hohenzollern for the Spanish throne J16
7. The King could not make such a promise, and had news of it sent to Bismarck, with a note leaving it to Bismarck’s judgment whether or not to publish the information J28
8. Bismarck edited the telegram and published it, also sending it to all government offices J31
9. This was deliberately calculated to offend the French and stir up the Germans to start a war between the two countries J30
H. Why was it so easy to get Germans to band together against France? What caused tensions between Germany and France?
1. Germany had been attacked by France about 30 times and suffered much damage at the hands of the French F18
2. Germans were happy when they had their unification in the edifice that symbolized the achievements of their defeated enemy F17
3. The North German Confederation waged war as a whole because the armies were all united under the King of Prussia F29
4. Even those south German states not in the North German Confederation had signed individual military alliances forcing them to go to war with the Confederation F32
I. Why did Germany win the Franco-Prussian War?
1. Prussia had the tried and true breech-loading Dresye Needle-gun, which fired very quickly F33
2. Prussia had far superior artillery—steel breech-loading cannon F36
3. France had inferior iron muzzle-loading artillery F34
4. Prussia had mandatory military service for every male at 20 years, and for a three year term F37
5. The French had a partial draft with loopholes for the rich, meaning only poor people were in the ranks F41
6. Officers in the French army were mostly wealthy men who were in the army by choice, creating a divide between the soldiers and officers F42
7. French army was isolated and alienated from normal civilian life, each hated the other F43-F44
8. Though France had more experience, they had not fought much against European foes, mostly African tribal warriors F47
9. Prussia had perfect plans for mobilization and supply F48
10. Prussia was ready for war long before the French were—they had time to finalize all details of their plans F50
J. How was the Franco-Prussian War a catalyst for the Unification of Germany?
1. All of the German states united to form a single army against the French F7-F11
2. All of the states made a joint endeavor to defeat France after France had declared war F32
K. When, where, and how did the unification take place? Why was it so?
1. Wilhelm I accepted the Imperial Crown from the rest of the German states A18
2. Imperial Crown is hereditary A19
3. Germany was united to defend themselves from France A21
4. King Wilhelm I of Prussia who became the German Emperor was reluctant to accept the position F12
5. None of the German cities was appropriate for it might be reminiscent of the old order and absolute monarchy or rule by the Catholic Church G3-G4
6. Unification ceremony on January 18, 1871 H15
L. Who supported or opposed the Unification?
1. Bismarck supported the idea of a unified Germany dominated by Prussia E6
2. Many people in Germany had nationalist sentiments and “Ein Kaiser, Ein Volk, Ein Riech” was a popular slogan F1
3. Ludwig II of Bavaria was bribed by Bismarck to voice his support for Unification G5-G7
4. Many people, on the other hand, also opposed the unification H18
5. many of the princes were dissatisfied because the Unification of the German states into an empire meant a significant reduction in their power H18
6. King Wilhelm himself was also reluctant to accept the position, but was finally convinced to do so by Bismarck H18
M. How did Bismarck get along with other people and groups?
1. Germans turned against Jews after the market crash in 1873 H29
2. Jewish families were prominent bankers, and because big banks did not suffer very much in the economic crash there was much resentment towards them H30-H31
3. Bismarck was suspicious of Catholics, especially the Catholic Center party G15
4. Bismarck was against the Roman Catholic Church and its followers because he believed that Catholics were trying to press the agenda of the Vatican and not support Prussia’s best interests G15
5. Germans denounced Catholicism, calling them Reichsfeinde G16
6. Bismarck’s movement was called the Kulturkampf G17
7. Bismarck was not against the Catholic religion but against the secular power that the Catholic Church held and the interference of clergy with state matters G17
8. Bavaria banned political involvement by church officials and made marriage and divorce purely state matters G19
9. Bismarck’s Kulturkampf was against the Catholic Church H32
10. In 1870 the principle of Papal infallibility was announced and because of German dissent the government became involved H34
11. Bismarck believed that the Catholic Center Party was helping enemies of the empire, and therefore tried to undermine the power of the church in Europe and Germany H38
III. Germany After Bismarck
A. How did the German Empire operate?
1. no actual imperial government G22
2. all political responsibility was in the hands of the Reichskanzler (Chancellor) and a few other higher civil servants G23
3. constitution of German Empire was set up so it was not specified who gave the Chancellor the great power he had G24
4. Federal empire, individual states retained some governing rights H20
5. Reichstag was bottom legislative layer, directly elected by people, but had very little real power other than veto right H21
6. All legislation was introduced by Bundesrat (Federal Council), made up of representatives from different states H22
7. Almost all power was at the top with King, Chancellor, and a few others including army figures H23
8. Depending on the pairing, it could go either way whether the King or the Chancellor held most of the real power H23
9. In the case of Bismarck, Bismarck had most of the power and used it without limitation or hesitation H23
B. How much power did Bismarck have as Chancellor?
1. Bismarck essentially was able to run the whole empire H23
2. Depending on the personalities, it varied whether the Emperor or the Chancellor had more power H23
3. For Bismarck, this essentially meant that he had almost all of the power because he was such a commanding and able politician H23
C. What happened to the economy after the creation of the German Empire?
1. at the beginning there was an economic boom including lots of speculation (Grunderzeit) and many public works projects like railroads and building projects H26
2. Currency reform in 1871 started a large flow of paper money added to by France’s payment of reparations after the war H27
3. economic crisis in 1873 when collapse in confidence brought market crash H28
D. What notable legislations were passed under Bismarck?
1. Bismarck passed social legislations setting up state insurance and other welfare programs G27
2. Bismarck got rid of laws restricting rights of social democrats G27
3. Bismarck created state benefit programs for people inhibited by old age or sickness G27
E. How did Bismarck’s career end?
1. Bismarck’s career ended with the death of King Wilehelm I. Bismarck had had disagreements with who was previously the Crown Prince J47
2. Bismarck was very upset with the Crown Prince because of his interference in national affairs, especially the issue of war to bring unification J49
3. The Crown Prince though that Bismarck did not really care about the issues important to him J49
4. Bismarck called the Crown Prince the stupidest and vainest man and said he suffered from Emperor-Madness (Kaiserwahnsinn) J55
F. How did Bismarck’s social legislation set standards for other countries?
1. He set up the first welfare state and pioneered social benefit programs as Chancellor G27
2. Was far ahead of other countries in setting up state insurance for people G27
3. Created state insurance for people suffering of old age and sickness and accidents G27
G. How is Bismarck remembered today?
1. There are many books written about him, lots of scholarly research All Secondary Sources
2. Many memorials, statues, etc Pictures from GHDI and other sources
H. What parts of his legacy still remain? How much of his work is still reflected in present-day Germany?
1. Germany is still mostly united the way it was around 1900
2. Welfare state
3. Pension programs for old people
4. state sickness and accident insurance
I. How did a unified Germany impact Europe immediately?
1. The unification of Germany completely changed the dynamic of Central European politics
J. How did a Unified Germany Impact Europe over time?
1. Permanently changed the dynamics of central European politics, set up new standards in social legislation
2. Created the first welfare state
3. Revolutionized diplomacy and politics
4. made Germany one of the world powers, probably largest and most powerful country on the Continent today
A. How was Europe organized at the beginning of the 19th Century?
1. After Napoleon’s defeat, the Congress of Vienna reinstated the French monarchy and surrounded France with powerful monarchs. It also established the Holy Alliance of Austria, Russia, and Prussia. G13
2. In 1804 the Holy Roman Empire ended when Francis II gave up the crown. G9
3. Napoleon and his armies had completely disrupted and rearranged the borders of Europe, especially in Germany G8
4. in 1815 the Congress of Vienna met to reorganize Europe A7
5. When Napoleon crowned himself emperor, he also claimed rule over many Germans, Dutch, and Italians G10
B. What was the nature of the German Confederation? How strong of an alliance was it?
1. Relations between Austria and Prussia became strained as a result of the possibility of France creating a close relationship with the Catholic Church D12
2. After the Austro-Prussian war Bismarck created the North German Confederation, an alliance between all of the German states north of the Main River F28
3. The North German Confederation united the military forces of all the members, with the King of Prussia as Commander in Chief F29
4. Major states in the South of Germany (Baden, Wurttemberg, Bavaria) did not join the Confederation with Prussia but were intimidated by the powerful group under Prussia F30
5. South German states signed individual alliances with the Confederation so that they would join in the case of war F31
6. The North German Confederation combined with southern German states had an army of more than one million men F32
7. The Austro-Prussian war was caused because the Confederation fell apart when radical Prussian proposals were rejected and Prussia left the alliance G10
C. What was the Congress of Vienna and how did it affect German-speaking states?
1. The Congress of Vienna restored Prussia, but with disconnected western provinces G13
2. Created a Holy Alliance of Austria, Prussia, and Russia G13
3. Made it clear that Germany would have to go either to Austria or Prussia, because it was too small for two major powers to share A7
4. When England refused to join in the principle of intervention, it became clear that there would be no alliance with England for any of the other powers D4
D. What was the significance of the Constitution in 1850?
1. The Constitution of 1850 set up a three-class voting system based on wealth, where the people paying each third of the nation’s total property taxes collectively got a third of the voting power H4
2. It enabled Prussian Junkers, provincial landowners, to hold a great deal of influence in politics although they were not as wealthy as the upper bourgeoisie H5, H6
E. How was the government of Prussia organized?
1. Uneasy compromise between royal absolutism and parliamentary democracy G20
2. King and Constitutional Assembly contended for power K24
3. King was unstable, later certified insane H1
F. How large/powerful was Prussia compared to the rest of Germany and Europe?
1. Of Prussia and Austria, Prussia was the stronger in Germany A3
2. Prussia expected war with Austria, indicating their confidence in their superiority A7
3. Though powerful, Prussia could not withstand an alliance between two of the other powers A14
4. Prussia was by far the most powerful and the largest state in Germany, and therefore was expected to lead the smaller sovereignties E6
5. Prussia was the most important entity in Germany F4
6. Prussia had assimilated other German states under the lead of Frederick the Great F5
7. Prussia wielded great power, and they overwhelmed the Dutch F25
8. Prussia defeated another Great Power, Austria, in only seven weeks F27
9. Prussians were much more advanced than the French, especially in a military sense F50
10. Prussia displayed power in that she was the one that stopped Napoleon G12
11. Prussia was counted among the top three most powerful nations on the Continent G13
G. How were Prussia’s relations with other German states?
1. German states saw a simple choice between Austria and Prussia as ruling Germany A1
2. German states saw Prussia as reformative and nationalistic and Austria as supporting the old order A2
3. Prussia was seen by the rest of Germany as being wholly German, while Austria was not A3
4. Prussia was seen as desiring unification and combining forces with the German states A4
5. Prussia saw it as inevitable to fight with Austria over Germany A8
H. How were Prussia’s relations with other European countries?
1. Bismarck was very concerned about the issues regarding alliances and coalitions D1
2. Prussia was afraid that the Great Powers it had defeated might want revenge and form an alliance D2-D3
3. Because England did not commit to any permanent alliances, Prussia could not make an alliance with Britain D4
4. Prussia tried to maintain good relations with other Powers, especially Russia, lest an anti-German confederation form D5
I. Why did Revolutions of 1848 and the Frankfurt Parliament fail to unify Germany?
1. The Frankfurt Parliament offered the crown of Germany to Friedrich Wilhelm IV, but he refused because he did not recognize their power A6
II. Bismarck and German Unification
A. What was the course of Bismarck’s political career?
1. Bismarck was the son of a Prussian Junker, or wealthy rural landlord H3
2. Bismarck attended Berlin and Gottingen universities H3
3. after short period as a bureaucrat, he became a diplomat H3
4. represented Prussia in meetings of the German Confederation and developed personal competitiveness with Austria H3
5. also worked as diplomat in St Petersburg and Paris, cities in two of the other major European powers H3
6. called back to Prussia and assigned position of Minister-President (Prime Minister) when Prussia had a constitutional crisis H3
B. What were Bismarck’s main goals as a politician?
1. Bismarck wanted German Unification F20
2. Bismarck wanted Prussian supremacy and expansion F20
3. main goal was to secure and expand the position of Prussia in Europe H8
C. What kind of diplomatic methods did Bismarck use? What was his political style?
1. Bismarck openly stated that his policies were based on “Iron and Blood,” or military ruthlessness E7
2. Bismarck used any methods he could employ to further the Prussian agenda F21
3. Nicknamed the “Iron Chancellor” for his methods F21
4. As Minister-President he acted without any approval on the budget and often had little regard for parliamentary bodies H7
5. Bismarck was not at all afraid to resort to war to attain his goals for Prussia H8
6. Bismarck started three wars for diplomatic reasons, not because there was any threat to Prussia H8
7. All three of the wars that Bismarck started were aggression and not in defense or because it was necessary for national security H8
8. Bismarck was not unwilling to bribe people to get what he wanted—he gave King Ludwig II of Bavaria 5 million thaler for his support of Unification G5-G7
9. Bismarck created a constitution for the German Empire that deliberately favored him and gave him lots of power H24
10. once a constitution that he created for his own benefit no longer served his purpose, he considered simply getting rid of the whole country’s legal base H24
D. What were the significance of Schleswig and Holstein in the Unification of Germany?
1. Prussia and Denmark had been in conflict over the border regions of Schleswig-Holstein F23
2. In 1863 Prussia waged war on Denmark F24
3. Prussia won and Denmark ceded Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia F26
4. by tradition the two duchies of Schleswig and Holstein were inseparable, but Denmark threatened to split them apart I2
5. In 1848 the Germans in Schleswig-Holstein revolted and the Frankfurt Parliament commissioned Prussia to help them I3
6. Austria and Prussia forced Denmark to give up all claims to Schleswig-Holstein and to ask the duchies before taking any constitutional action regarding them I5
E. What caused the Austro-Prussian War?
1. After the Congress of Vienna Prussia and Austria were too close together and war was inevitable A7
2. Prussia entered the Austro-Prussian war not because it was threatened but because it wanted to establish its power in Germany A9
3. Prussia did not take any land from Austria but made it give up all claims to Germany A10
4. Austria had drifted away from Germany while Prussia was centered within it A11
5. Prussia did not want bad relations with Austria lest it ally itself with one of the other Great Powers A13
6. Prussia feared an Austrian alliance with France A14
7. Prussia and Austria’s conflict was so that Prussia could control Germany A16
8. Prussia created the final spark that started the war when it left the German Confederation H11
9. Prussia’s radical proposals were not being accepted and so it left the German Confederation H11
F. How did the Austro-Prussian war affect the dynamics of Germany?
1. In 1866 Prussia beat Austria in the Austro-Prussian War F27
2. After the Austro-Prussian War, the German confederation fell apart and Bismarck created the North German Confederation, which excluded Austria F28
3. The North German Confederation did not include the southern German states F28
4. The North German Confederation had an enormous unified army with the King of Prussia as commander-in-chief F29
5. Though intimidated by the North German Confederation, the south German states were reluctant to come under Prussia’s power F30
6. The southern German states were intimidated into signing individual military alliances with the Confederation, meaning a combined army in the case of war F31
G. Why the Franco-Prussian War start and what was Bismarck’s role in starting it?
1. French Ambassador asked Prussian King to promise never to support a Hohenzollern for the Spanish throne B1
2. Bismarck was given permission to decide whether or not to publicize the news B2
3. Bismarck made it seem like the King had been rude to the Ambassador B3
4. Bismarck asked Field Marshall von Moltke whether he should start the war then, Moltke approved C2
5. Bismarck planned to goad the French into declaring war as well as stirring up national sentiment among the Germans C4-C7
6. French Ambassador Benedetti was sent to speak to King Wilhelm at Ems to ask him to promise never to support an Hohenzollern for the Spanish throne J16
7. The King could not make such a promise, and had news of it sent to Bismarck, with a note leaving it to Bismarck’s judgment whether or not to publish the information J28
8. Bismarck edited the telegram and published it, also sending it to all government offices J31
9. This was deliberately calculated to offend the French and stir up the Germans to start a war between the two countries J30
H. Why was it so easy to get Germans to band together against France? What caused tensions between Germany and France?
1. Germany had been attacked by France about 30 times and suffered much damage at the hands of the French F18
2. Germans were happy when they had their unification in the edifice that symbolized the achievements of their defeated enemy F17
3. The North German Confederation waged war as a whole because the armies were all united under the King of Prussia F29
4. Even those south German states not in the North German Confederation had signed individual military alliances forcing them to go to war with the Confederation F32
I. Why did Germany win the Franco-Prussian War?
1. Prussia had the tried and true breech-loading Dresye Needle-gun, which fired very quickly F33
2. Prussia had far superior artillery—steel breech-loading cannon F36
3. France had inferior iron muzzle-loading artillery F34
4. Prussia had mandatory military service for every male at 20 years, and for a three year term F37
5. The French had a partial draft with loopholes for the rich, meaning only poor people were in the ranks F41
6. Officers in the French army were mostly wealthy men who were in the army by choice, creating a divide between the soldiers and officers F42
7. French army was isolated and alienated from normal civilian life, each hated the other F43-F44
8. Though France had more experience, they had not fought much against European foes, mostly African tribal warriors F47
9. Prussia had perfect plans for mobilization and supply F48
10. Prussia was ready for war long before the French were—they had time to finalize all details of their plans F50
J. How was the Franco-Prussian War a catalyst for the Unification of Germany?
1. All of the German states united to form a single army against the French F7-F11
2. All of the states made a joint endeavor to defeat France after France had declared war F32
K. When, where, and how did the unification take place? Why was it so?
1. Wilhelm I accepted the Imperial Crown from the rest of the German states A18
2. Imperial Crown is hereditary A19
3. Germany was united to defend themselves from France A21
4. King Wilhelm I of Prussia who became the German Emperor was reluctant to accept the position F12
5. None of the German cities was appropriate for it might be reminiscent of the old order and absolute monarchy or rule by the Catholic Church G3-G4
6. Unification ceremony on January 18, 1871 H15
L. Who supported or opposed the Unification?
1. Bismarck supported the idea of a unified Germany dominated by Prussia E6
2. Many people in Germany had nationalist sentiments and “Ein Kaiser, Ein Volk, Ein Riech” was a popular slogan F1
3. Ludwig II of Bavaria was bribed by Bismarck to voice his support for Unification G5-G7
4. Many people, on the other hand, also opposed the unification H18
5. many of the princes were dissatisfied because the Unification of the German states into an empire meant a significant reduction in their power H18
6. King Wilhelm himself was also reluctant to accept the position, but was finally convinced to do so by Bismarck H18
M. How did Bismarck get along with other people and groups?
1. Germans turned against Jews after the market crash in 1873 H29
2. Jewish families were prominent bankers, and because big banks did not suffer very much in the economic crash there was much resentment towards them H30-H31
3. Bismarck was suspicious of Catholics, especially the Catholic Center party G15
4. Bismarck was against the Roman Catholic Church and its followers because he believed that Catholics were trying to press the agenda of the Vatican and not support Prussia’s best interests G15
5. Germans denounced Catholicism, calling them Reichsfeinde G16
6. Bismarck’s movement was called the Kulturkampf G17
7. Bismarck was not against the Catholic religion but against the secular power that the Catholic Church held and the interference of clergy with state matters G17
8. Bavaria banned political involvement by church officials and made marriage and divorce purely state matters G19
9. Bismarck’s Kulturkampf was against the Catholic Church H32
10. In 1870 the principle of Papal infallibility was announced and because of German dissent the government became involved H34
11. Bismarck believed that the Catholic Center Party was helping enemies of the empire, and therefore tried to undermine the power of the church in Europe and Germany H38
III. Germany After Bismarck
A. How did the German Empire operate?
1. no actual imperial government G22
2. all political responsibility was in the hands of the Reichskanzler (Chancellor) and a few other higher civil servants G23
3. constitution of German Empire was set up so it was not specified who gave the Chancellor the great power he had G24
4. Federal empire, individual states retained some governing rights H20
5. Reichstag was bottom legislative layer, directly elected by people, but had very little real power other than veto right H21
6. All legislation was introduced by Bundesrat (Federal Council), made up of representatives from different states H22
7. Almost all power was at the top with King, Chancellor, and a few others including army figures H23
8. Depending on the pairing, it could go either way whether the King or the Chancellor held most of the real power H23
9. In the case of Bismarck, Bismarck had most of the power and used it without limitation or hesitation H23
B. How much power did Bismarck have as Chancellor?
1. Bismarck essentially was able to run the whole empire H23
2. Depending on the personalities, it varied whether the Emperor or the Chancellor had more power H23
3. For Bismarck, this essentially meant that he had almost all of the power because he was such a commanding and able politician H23
C. What happened to the economy after the creation of the German Empire?
1. at the beginning there was an economic boom including lots of speculation (Grunderzeit) and many public works projects like railroads and building projects H26
2. Currency reform in 1871 started a large flow of paper money added to by France’s payment of reparations after the war H27
3. economic crisis in 1873 when collapse in confidence brought market crash H28
D. What notable legislations were passed under Bismarck?
1. Bismarck passed social legislations setting up state insurance and other welfare programs G27
2. Bismarck got rid of laws restricting rights of social democrats G27
3. Bismarck created state benefit programs for people inhibited by old age or sickness G27
E. How did Bismarck’s career end?
1. Bismarck’s career ended with the death of King Wilehelm I. Bismarck had had disagreements with who was previously the Crown Prince J47
2. Bismarck was very upset with the Crown Prince because of his interference in national affairs, especially the issue of war to bring unification J49
3. The Crown Prince though that Bismarck did not really care about the issues important to him J49
4. Bismarck called the Crown Prince the stupidest and vainest man and said he suffered from Emperor-Madness (Kaiserwahnsinn) J55
F. How did Bismarck’s social legislation set standards for other countries?
1. He set up the first welfare state and pioneered social benefit programs as Chancellor G27
2. Was far ahead of other countries in setting up state insurance for people G27
3. Created state insurance for people suffering of old age and sickness and accidents G27
G. How is Bismarck remembered today?
1. There are many books written about him, lots of scholarly research All Secondary Sources
2. Many memorials, statues, etc Pictures from GHDI and other sources
H. What parts of his legacy still remain? How much of his work is still reflected in present-day Germany?
1. Germany is still mostly united the way it was around 1900
2. Welfare state
3. Pension programs for old people
4. state sickness and accident insurance
I. How did a unified Germany impact Europe immediately?
1. The unification of Germany completely changed the dynamic of Central European politics
J. How did a Unified Germany Impact Europe over time?
1. Permanently changed the dynamics of central European politics, set up new standards in social legislation
2. Created the first welfare state
3. Revolutionized diplomacy and politics
4. made Germany one of the world powers, probably largest and most powerful country on the Continent today