Nationalism Triumphs in
Europe
1800 - 1914
Germany: First Steps
• German nationalism is inspired by Napoleon’s
invasion of German areas
• Prince Metternich opposes a German nation and
sets up German Confederation, headed by Austria
• In 1830s, Prussia takes the lead in establishing an
economic union of German states, the Zollverein.
This broke down tariff barriers
• In 1848, nationalists asked William IV to become
king of “Germany.” He refused.
Bismarck
• Otto von Bismarck was a diplomat from the
Junker in Prussia
• He became chancellor to King William I in 1862
• Bismarck believed in Realpolitik, the idea that
what matters in statecraft is power, not
principles. The ends justify the means
• Bismarck built a powerful army to pursue an
aggressive foreign policy
“Blut und Eisen”
“Blood and Iron”
•
“It is the destiny of the weak to be
devoured by the strong.”
•
“The questions of the day are not to
be decided by speeches…but by blood
and iron”
•
“Laws are like sausages. It's better not
to see either one being made.”
•
“The state must survive at any cost.”
— Otto von Bismarck
Krieg
(War)
• Prussia fought 3 wars during the 1860s:
• In 1864, Bismarck formed an alliance with
Austria and seized provinces of Schleswig and
Holstein from Denmark
• In 1866, Bismarck turned on Austria in a 7 week
war. He was generous to Austria in the peace
treaty. He dissolved the German Confederation
and created a North German Confederation
• In 1870, Bismarck engineered a war with France
The Franco-Prussian
War
• Napoleon III was worried about Prussia’s growing power
• The immediate cause of war was a vacancy on the
Spanish throne. It was offered to a relative of the
Prussian king. France didn’t want a spread of Prussian
influence
• Bismarck used crisis to rally all Germans to the cause
using nationalism
• He “doctored” a telegram of a meeting between King
William and the French ambassador to make it look like
Prussia was insulting France (the Ems Dispatch)
A Prussian edge…
“It isistnot
“Es
nicht
necessary
nötig dass
thatdu
wiederkehrst,
you
return from
wohl
theaber
war,
dass that
only
du deine
you do
Schuldigkeit
your
tust”
duty”
—A
EinPrussian
preußischer
mother
Mutter
to
her son
zu ihrem Sohn
Franco-Prussian War
(1870 - 1871)
•
Prussia had a superior
military, rail system and
better weapons (Krupp steel)
•
War lasted 5 months, ending
in a siege of Paris
•
Napoleon III was driven from
power
•
France lost the provinces of
Alsace and Lorraine to
Prussia
Deutschland über Alles
•
In January of 1871, King William of Prussia
became Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, in
what was called the 2nd Reich
•
The coronation was held in the Hall of
Mirrors at Versailles, in Paris. The French
were forced to witness the ceremony
•
A constitution was drafted setting up
representative government, but real
power remained with the Kaiser
German Government
• Bismarck draws up a constitution with a 2 house
legislature
• Bundesrat/upper house (appointed by rulers of
German states)
• The Reichstag or lower house appointed by universal
male suffrage
• Bundesrat can veto anything passed by the Reichstag
thus, full power remained within the hands of the
emperor and the chancellor; it is far from being
democratic
Industry
• German industry soars after 1871
• Example:Thyssen steel goes from 70 workers
in 1871 to 50,000 in 1914
• Germany supported economic development and
research
• Example: synthetic chemicals and dyes
• German empire is determined to maintain
economic and military strength
Bismarck in Power
1871 - 1890
• Bismarck sought to build up power of new
state
• He targeted Catholic Church and socialism
as threats to state power
• Both moves backfired and Bismarck, a realist,
changed course
Kulturkampf
• Kulturkampf means “cultural war”
• Laws were passed to put Church under
state supervision
• Marriages had to be civil
• Catholics rallied to defend the Church and
Bismarck made peace with it
War on Socialists
• Bismarck saw socialism as a threat
• First, he passed laws that repressed socialist
groups
• When this didn’t work, he co-opted their
programs
• Examples: social security programs, health
programs
The Kaiser
•
Kaiser Wilhelm II takes
power in 1888
•
He thinks of himself as a
Divine Right monarch
•
•
He had great self-confidence
•
Wilhelm sought to build the
German empire by
challenging Britain at sea
In 1890, he dismissed
Bismarck