Unification of Germany and stuff

More memory-regurgitation . . . it's like Pensieving gone really weird (not to mention Muggle)With occasional looking back at my notes because I still haven't memorised 100% of the details AHAHAHAH

1815
After the Napoleonic Wars, 39 states emerge in the Germanic region instead of 300+
The Congress of Vienna takes place, during which Prince Metternich of Austria is a dominant figure. He does not want German unification to take place for fear that it will bring about change that will challenge the power of the Austrian King. He is also wary of the power of the other large Germanic state . . . PRUSSIAAAAA.
Unification is delayed.
Andddd Otto von Bismarck is born . . . ON APRIL FOOLS DAY (:

1819
Metternich implements the Carlsbad Decrees to control the kinds of ideas taught in universities. This is done to stifle liberalism, nationalism and in general ideas that promote change . . . (??)

1834
Prussia sets up the Zollverein, an economic union that removes tariff barriers that limit trade between Germanic states. Almost all Germanic states join, including Austria. This amounts to economic unification and is an important step to political unification.

1848
A rash of revolutions break out across Europe. The rulers of several German states are compelled to accept liberal constitutions. The revolutions seem to succeed, until 830 elected representatives gather in what is known as the Frankfurt Assembly and try to draw up a constitution for a united Germany. What happens is that there's a huge conflict over whether Austria is going to be included and the constitution is delayed until 1849. By this time, the strength of the revolutions has weakened and most of the liberal reforms are revoked. The last liberal uprisings are crushed by the Prussian Army.

1864
The duchies of Schleswig and Holstein are in dispute. Their population is mainly German and Holstein is a member of the Confederation. However, Danish nationalists seek to incorporate them into Denmark. In 1963 Danish King Christian IX decrees a closer union of the duchies with Denmark. There is an OUTCRY in Germany, especially as a German prince was a rival claimant to the duchies. PRUSSIA and AUSTRIA join forces and go to war against Denmark over control of Schleswig and Holstein. Denmark loses.

oh look, a brotherly dispute
Prussia and Austria fall out over the spoils of the war. This is temporarily solved by the Convention of Gastein in 1865. Austria gets to administer Holstein, and Prussia gets to administer Schleswig. However, Bismarck wants both duchies and sets about preparing for war and diplomatically isolating Austria (Bismarck proves to be good at this whole lonerate-countries-and-deny-them-allies thing hahaha)

AUSTRO-PRUSSIAN WAR!
Bismarck provokes Austria into a war over Holstein. When Austria submits their dispute to the Confederation Diet, Bismarck responds by alleging that Austria violated the Gastein Conference and sends Prussian troops to Holstein. Austria responds by calling on the Confederation to mobilise against Prussia. Many German states respond. However, the Prussian army proves superior and defeats Austria in seven weeks. The Austrians surrender after the decisive Prussian victory at the Battle of Sadowa. The peace terms under the Treaty of Prague are lenient, for Bismarck doesn't want a bitter enemy on his southern border.

North German Confederation
Following the Austro-Prussian War, most of the North German states are drawn together by Bismarck (presumably...?) into a military alliance which then becomes a state: the North German Confederation. Now, time to get another common enemy and unite the South with the North.

FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR! 1870-1871
In 1868 there was a dispute between France and Prussia over who would succeed to the Spanish throne. Prussia wanted Leopold, a Hohenzollern prince, to succeed. France did not. France asked Leopold to withdraw his candidature for the throne, which he did. The French then sent the ambassador to Prussia, Count Benedetti, to Ems to meet with the Prussian King, Wilhelm I. France wanted a promise that no Hohenzollern prince would ever take the Spanish throne. Wilhelm refused. The meeting was conducted in a friendly atmosphere. Wilhelm reported the meeting via telegram to Bismarck, who EDITED THE TELEGRAM in what was to be known as the Ems Dispatch, changing the wording to make the tone of the meeting appear to be HOSTILE. When the Ems Dispatch was published, it aroused strong public feeling in both France and Prussia. So great were the nationalist passions that arose in France that Napoleon III declared war against Prussia. Prussia defeated the France. Under the Treaty of Frankfurt, by which peace was made, France was forced to cede Alsace and Lorraine and pay a war indemnity of 5 billion francs.

AND HELLO GERMAN EMPIRE!
The Franco-Prussian war created an upsurge of nationalist feeling that swept the South German states into a union with the north, thus creating the united German Empire which was declared on January 18 in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. Wilhelm I  became the German Emperor and Bismarck became the Chancellor of Germany.




----yeah can i keel over now
GOD I HOPE I REMEMBER THIS

or maybe i'll just write about the Arab/Israel conflict . . . Six Day War and Yom Kippur War. Though how I'll manage to absorb stuff about that on top of all this is . . . slightly . . . beyond me . . . vaguely . . .

STILL NEED TO:
write something about Bismarck's motives for German unification, and
the arms race stuff that happened before WWI, esp the Anglo-German naval race

HELLO DREADNOUGHTS :3