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The first move towards German uni- the German people. The French had
fication was inadvertently made by observed the efficient Prussian mili-
the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, tary machine in amazement. They
who proposed a meeting in Frank- wanted something in return for the
furt to discuss the reform of the Prussian successes and had ambi-
confederation. However, Bismarck tions about annexing Belgium ... or
persuaded Wilhelm I not to attend. perhaps Luxembourg -- but Na-
This event marks the rise of Prussian poleon III gained nothing.
power and the decline of Austrian
influence in Germany. Thus ended the second war. Berlin
now became the capital of Germany.
The first of Bismarck's wars took Nevertheless, Bismarck desired the
place against Denmark in 1864. At Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz-
the time the Duchies of Schleswig Joseph as an ally in the future, and
and Holstein had a mixture of Da- so did not humiliate Austria further.
nish and German populations. A Prussia impelled the twenty-one
first war had already taken place states north of the Main River into
over these two duchies in 1848-185 1 forming the North German Confe-
with the outcome favourable to Den- deration. Prussia's near-total control
mark. The two duchies were then over the confederation was secu-
placed under the personal authority red in the constitution drafted by lowed. The main French Army was
of King Frederick VII of Denmark. Bismarck in 1867, which gave him surrounded and forced to capitulate
In 1863, however, Frederick VII more power than ever before. He at the fortress of Sedan. Napoleon III
died childless and the question of would now bring the southern was taken prisoner on 2 September.
Schleswig and Holstein was raised German states into the Prussian orbit. The Germans besieged Paris. The
again. During the short Second War starving city surrendered in January
of Schleswig in February 1864 Prus- In 1868, the Spanish Queen Isabella 1871 and the Prussian Army staged
sia, joined by Austria, defeated Den- II was expelled by a revolution, lea- a victory parade on the Champs-Ely-
mark easily -- and also managed to ving that country's throne vacant. sees. France had to pay indemnities
avoid offending the other European The candidature of a Hohenzollern Of 5 billion francs and to cede Alsace-
powers. The Danes were forced to (i.e. Prussian) prince was proposed. Lorraine.
cede Schleswig to Prussia and Hols- The French Emperor Napoleon III
tein to Austria, but Bismarck delibe- found this unacceptable with the The southern German princes were
rately annoyed the Austrians with result that the Prussian candidature now ready to form part of a nation
increasingly irritating demands for was withdrawn. Still dissatisfied, headed by Prussia. While the French
the right of passage across Holstein. the French asked Wilhelm I for an capital had still been under siege,
assurance that no other Hohen- on 18 January 1871 Wilhelm I was
Austria tried to convene a meeting zollern candidate would be pro- proclaimed "German Emperor" in
to resolve the situation, but Prussia posed. To make sure that this situa- the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of
declared that the terms of the agree- tion would provoke war, Bismarck Versailles outside Paris. The consti-
ment had been already been bro- deliberately published the provoca- tution gave the Emperor exclusive
ken and invaded Holstein. In seven tive "Ems Dispatch" in which King power to appoint or dismiss the
weeks Prussia overran all the north Wilhelm I appeared to scorn the chancellor. Even so, Bismarck had
German states allied with Austria French Ambassador to Prussia. Fol- almost complete control of foreign
and crushed the Austrian Army at lowing further manipulations and and domestic affairs. Acknowledged
Königgrätz in Bohemia in a battle misinterpretations, excited crowds as Europe's leading statesman,
involving half a million men ( in Paris called for revenge. By an Bismarck now used his talents to
July 1866). overwhelming majority, the French preserve peace as "the honest bro-
parliament declared war on Prussia ker", for example at the Congress
The new Prussian breech-loading on 19 July 1870 -- put simply, the of Berlin (1878) when the Great
rifles, where the soldier could inexperienced French Army pro- European Powers and the Ottoman
change the cartridge lying down, posed to attack the most powerful Empire met to reorganize the Bal-
carried the fight. To load the old military machine in Europe. kans. His foreign policy aimed at
Austrian muzzle-loading rifles you preventing the dreaded scenario of
had to stand up, with the result that Although the war served no practi- a Franco-Russian alliance, forcing
the Austrian Army lost a quarter of cal purpose for Germany, the French Germany to fight a war on two fronts.
its soldiers that day. This was also humiliation was swift. Honouring
one of the first European conflicts their treaties, the south German Bismarck's influence upon German
where rail transport played a major states quickly rallied to the Prussian domestic affairs was as strong as
role in troop movements. Bismarck cause -- as Bismarck had antici- his international reputation, but his
had defied and duped all of Europe pated. A succession of German vic- record is less successful. During the
and had become a beloved idol of tories in north-eastern France fol- so-called Kulturkampf (1872-1878),

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