Bismarck and the German Unification
How successful was Bismarck in creating a strong and united German nation by 1890?
Bismarck, also known as, Otto Van Bismarck, was the Prussian Chancellor of the new German Empire. He installed himself as the leading statesman in European affairs. He was the man who did most to unite the German states.
In the early 19th century, Prussia was the only German state that could be up to the standards of the power and influence of the Austrian Empire. Prussia and Austria were comparable in terms of size, population and of course wealth.
Austria was against the idea of German unification as it saw this as a threat to its own empire. Even though they were a minority, there was a sufficient percentage of German-speakers in the empire. If they were eye to eye on joining a unified Germany, Austria would be smaller and weaker. To this effect, Prussia and Austria were rivals. Bismarck’s main goal was to strengthen even further the position of Prussia in Europe.
He had a few primary aims in mind. He wanted to unify the north German states under Prussian control. Furthermore, weaken Prussia’s main rival, Austria, by removing it from the Bund. He also wanted to make Berlin the center of German affairs. Lastly, he intended on strengthening the position of the King of Prussia, William I, to counter the demands for reform from the Liberals in the Prussian parliament (the Reichstag).
Prussia had become the most industrialised state in Germany. Which is now