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Causes Of German Unification

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A common question about German Unification is why did it take so long to accomplish? The other three major players, France, Great Britain, and Russia, had all developed under a single unified nation for hundreds of years by the time Germany came around. In short, the Holy Roman Empire served as a wall to the unification of a German state, considering the Holy Roman Empire was led by Austrian Habsburgs. Also, while the Holy Roman Empire was mostly German, it also included Czechs, Wends, Italians, and Poles (Barraclough). What about when the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved? The German states would surely come together under one flag, right? Well, no, no one was interested in a united Germany in Europe, especially France. However, the German Confederation was formed as a replacement for the Holy Roman Empire. …show more content…

German nationalism became a powerful force among German liberals, but the princes were very conservative. A true opportunity for a united Germany would not come up until the revolutions of 1848, which is a tremendously complex topic. However, nothing had been solved in 1848, and the nationalistic desire for the unification of Germany and the liberal goal of more representative government remained (Biesinger, Joseph A.). German unification would not happen until 1871, when Otto Von Bismarck’s statecraft and cascade of Prussian victories allows them to. Joseph A. Biesinger’s article Otto von Bismarck and German Unification looks at the events leading up to the unification of Germany and how Bismarck was able to achieve this

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(Doc 2) Still shaken by the events of World War II, where German leader Adolf Hitler invaded France and much of Europe for land power, de Gaulle was fearful that a Western European union with German leadership would undo the resolutions of the war. France, having been allied with Britain in the previous wars against Germany, wanted to renew this alliance in the form of a European Union under French and British leadership. However after the formation of the European Economic Community, an organization promoting economic integration among France, West Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, 21 years later, Charles de Gaulle took a different stance on leadership in Europe. (Doc 8) Having been rejected by Britain in the earliest unification attempts, de Gaulle became supportive of a sans-Britain Community. De Gaulle’s view, removed from the immediacy of French-German conflict, started agreeing with the idea of a French and German led Community, united by similar economies and therefore similar interests.

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A. The Treaty of Versailles was created as an agreement that Germany would pay for the damage that was produced during World War I. However, it might have been the most important creason of World War II. Many of the leaders saw it coming, yet they just ignored it. B. In what aspects did the Treaty of Versailles impact on World War II? C.

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Germany has been a nation that had been divided for many centuries, the Germanic tribes had avoided being taken over by the Roman Empire, they had been the seat of the Holy Roman Empire, then after the Holy Roman Empire fall, it became a handful of individual kingdoms and states, with Persia and Austria being the biggest contenders to make a unified Germany. Germany in the early 1860’s was divided mostly because of failed politics and religious divides. One man was the most important driving force behind these Germanic kingdoms becoming the superpower that is Germany. Otto von Bismarck, the Minister President of Prussia and a friend to Persian king, Wilhelm I. Prussia had tried for years to unify the nations, but it wasn’t until Bismarck came along that this began to become a reality.

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( Doc 5 ) Otto von Bismarck’s speech about how he would do anything to unify Germany shown the influence that nationalism brings. Otto said he considered absolutism and constitutionalism the best forms of government instead of dictatorship. He was an opponent of nationalism and he realized that

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