33.
group of wars 1864-1866-1870: *
The first episode in the saga came with the Schleswig-Holstein Question. Prussia & Austria easily defeated Denmark; the victory strengthened Bismarck’s position. In 1866 he proposed a Lesser German state with a parliament based on universal male suffrage (echoing Frankfurt election law of 1849). Bismarck aimed to attract the national & liberal movements. Austria refused the proposal. In summer 1866 Austria & Prussia fought the Austro-Prussian War; Prussia quickly defeated Austria. Following this victory he established the North German Confederation (1866) to combine the northern German states into a single entity, governed by a constitution drafted by himself. He next began looking to S. German states. France strongly opposed such moves, believing it would create a too powerful neighbour. Bismark believed a war against France was deemed necessary to arouse German nationalism allowing the unification of a great German empire. After Paris decalred war the final episode in German unification began with a series of swift German victories in E. France At Metz Napoleon III was captured & with the siege & fall of Paris the war was over (January 1871). The German Empire was proclaimed, Wilhelm I Emperor, Germany was united. The Treaty of Frankfurt May 1871 gave Germany Alsace Lorraine.