German unification

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  • 12 april 2003
  • 18 keer beoordeeld
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18 keer beoordeeld

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Explain why German attempts to unification failed before 1862 whereas they succeeded after this date.

The unification of Germany was very fascinating towards many historians, its attempts of unification was put down in several trials. Germany was attempted to be unified three times to be exact. Though the first two attempts were ineffective the third one somehow managed. The Frankfurt assembly was established in 1847 in hope it would succeed in unifying Germany but somehow it did not succeed. The second attempt of unification was with the establishment of the Erfurt union and again it did not succeed. At its final trial Prussia did succeed in unifying Germany with the help of Bismarck. But what was the reason for these failures in unifying Germany and why did it succeed after 1862? How did the politicians (especially Bismarck) succeed in unifying Germany without the objection of the other great empires?

The Frankfurt assembly was established in 1847, its purpose was to call up a meeting of states which would press for a united Germany instead of the loose confederation ruled by Austria. These statesmen fused with the radical liberals who also had a meeting for fairer taxation, education for all and better relations between workers and employers in other words social reforms at the outbreak of the revolutions in Hidleburg which was called the ‘Hidleburg Declaration’. But this Frankfurt assembly was not as perfect as they thought it should be. The main issues that were discussed in the assembly was whether Germany should be a big Germany (containing non German speaking states like Poland, Czechoslovakia) or just a little Germany (containing only German speaking states).In March 1849 the constitution for a German Empire was established which excluded Austria (which actually didn’t mind). They suggested that Fredrick William V should be crowned as the new king of Germany but he somehow refused this offer. The reason for this rejection was first of all because the Junkers (traders) did not want to submerge Prussia with Germany and because the crown that was offered to Fredrick William V was offered by the Middle Class representatives. This was not just a disgrace for Fredrick William V it also disturbed the divine right to rule and he was afraid that if he accepted the crown his status would be somehow lowered, but he also feared Austria. But the main reasons for it’s main failure was first of all because the members of the parliament had very experience, they mostly discussed topics that weren’t even going to be approved any way, the parliament had no army force and because they had no big German state like Prussia backing them. This ended the German states first try in unifying Germany but other attempts were bound to happen.

The Erfurt union occurred in the early 1850’s, it’s goal was the same as the Frankfurt assembly but this time Austria was not excluded but had special relationships between the new empires and other measures were taken which were more promising then the ones taken before. This was called the ‘Prussian union plan’ put forward by Count Redowitsch a friend of Fredrick William V. The Count wanted to try and crown Fredrick William V himself , the reason why he believed he could be able to achieve this was because unlike last time he himself is planned to crown Fredrick this meant that Fredrick’s status would not be lowered in any case. This idea was quit promising but what Fredrick did not count on was the interference of Austria. The idea of uniting little Germany was rejected by Austria instead she recalled the old Diet (the German confederation). This was a clever move made by Austria and the Diet suggested that Germany should only be united as Greater Germany (this meant that non German speaking states like Poland and Czechoslovakia should be included in the newly united Germany)but this meant that little Germany would have little power in this new Empire which was not acceptable. Both Austria and Prussia mobilised their army and it was given the impression that a war was bound to happen between these countries. In 1850 both prime ministers of Austria and Prussia came to find an agreement. It was agreed that the Prussian union plan should be abolished instead a German confederation came back and an alliance of close cooperation was signed between Austria and Prussia promising that they would come to each others aid when in trouble. This was in fact an humiliating defeat for Prussia and the unification of Germany was delayed.

After these two trials of uniting Germany Prussia started to concentrate on her economy all for revenge on Austria. Austria was economically very weak and did not have enough money to finance the administration or the army. Austria also was involved in the South Eastern Europe (mostly concerning the incident of the unification of Italy) and had to rely on the treaty she signed with Prussia. By 1859 Austria had been defeated in Italy and with it Metternich and the holy alliance, but so did the concept of Europe end mostly because of the Crimean war fought by Japan and Russia. Bismarck had already suggested that Prussia should seek an alliance for a future war against Austria and an alliance with one of the German states in 1856 ( in Bismarck’s memoirs he already wished for a German unification and the defeat of Austria, the Historian G.P. Taylor challenges this claim).But in 1862 Bismarck became Prime Minister of Prussia. How did this happen? Well the circumstances in which he became Prime Minister was fortunate (this also disturbed if whether Bismarck was an opportunist or someone who carefully planned his strategy in achieving his goals).In 1859 the mobilization of the Prussian was an disaster (which was to aid Austria with it’s battle with Italy), in 1861 William I became king who brought along with his crowning new policies in modernising Prussia and re-equip it’s army but the problem was that there was a liberal majority in the parliament who were opposed to these changes , William had nothing else to do but to turn to Bismarck. In 1862 Bismarck became Prime Minister and made his so called ‘Blood and Iron speech’. In this speech he suggested that Austria should be defeated and that Prussia should have an alliance with Russia and France. The parliament was opposed to this but Bismarck simply collected taxes along with his army city by city. He predicted that his army would be strong enough in 1866 to challenge Austria. But the third faze of German unification started already in 1860. Bismarck had one thing which was required to influence any unification, like Cavour he had great connections : Napoleon III. In the early 1860 they had the same goals: Austria. But Austria was already defeated and Prussia had a different problem to face which would cause the ‘Franco-Prussian war’. Napoleon who promised not to negotiate with Austria during the Austro-Prussian war the reason for this agreement with Prussia was because Bismarck vaguely suggested to Napoleon that she could expand her empire in the Rhinelands if she stayed neutral during the war. Not knowing that Bismarck already made secret treaties with the Southern states she still believed she could get the Rhinelands. Bismarck in 1866 encourages Napoleons ambitions regarding the Southern German states. He got the French ambassador to formally put this on paper and then published this to the world. He made the Southern afraid of France and closer to Prussia. He also encouraged the ambassador to sign one for Belgium which he would publish later in 1870. In the end of 1866 he also suggested that that the French should take over the Duchies of Luxembourg. This increased negative feelings towards France by Germany and promised to defend Luxembourg. He also raised Belgium and British fears of France. Bismarck now pretending to be the peace lover called for an international conference in 1870 which would make Luxembourg neutral, this conference was called the ‘Conference of London’. This truly bittered and isolated France. After in 1870 Bismarck suggested William to be the first emperor but this was rejected by other German states. He obviously needed a war to change this. The war of France and Prussia ended in 30th of August were Napoleon surrendered in Sedan. Paris declared itself irrepublic and was blockaded by the Prussians in 1871.The reason for this major defeat of Austria was because of lack of strategy and the illness of Napoleon during his commands. The Frankfurt Treaty was assessed after, demanding that Asses and half Lorain should be given to Germany and that France had to pay reparations costing 200.000.000 pounds and that the Northern provinces were taken over till the reparations were paid. The consequences of the war were the end of the second French empire which would cause war later in time and of course the unification of Germany.

The Failures of the Frankfurt assembly and Erfurt union only delayed the unification of Germany nothing more nothing less. The entry of Bismarck in the field and the problems that Austria was trying to handle with Italy was a great boost in the unification of Germany. Bismarck was a great man; he was quit intelligent and comprehended that the fall of France could only be assured by isolation and fears from the other countries. He was a great man with a large variety of capabilities like Cavour. The unification of Germany could have only be ensured by the fall of Austria with it’s Metternich system, fall of the concept of Europe and the isolation Bismarck has created towards France. It can be argued that the unification of Italy was the cause of the unification of Germany as Austria feared that the states would all unite by the example of one. As you see the unification of Germany and scattering of the Empire of Austria was inevitable, mostly because Austria consisted of non Austrian speaking states so as you can see it was going to happen anyway. But with these events concerning France has dragged with its loss of Alsace-Lorain the coming up of the Second World War and therefore has some negative side affects. The unification of Germany was very fascinating and educating, and will always stay one of the greatest events our history has to offer.

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