Briefly Trace The Process Of German Unification.
Answer: After 1848, democracy and revolution were no longer linked to nationalism in Europe. Conservatives often used nationalist feelings to advance state power and take over Europe's politics.
As a result, Germany and Italy became two separate countries:
1. As a result of Napoleon's administrative efforts, a group of 39 states called a confederation was formed from a group of principalities. Each had its own weights and measures and currency. These things made it hard for the new commercial classes to trade and grow their businesses.
2. In 1834, a customs union, or Zollvere, was formed. It allowed its members to trade freely. During a time when Germany was politically divided, it created real national unity in economic matters. Nationalism was boosted by a wave of economic nationalism,
3. As a result of the French Revolution of 1848, men and women from the liberal middle classes in Germany, which did not have a nation state at the time, called for constitutionalism and national unification.
4. In May 1848, a large number of political groups met in Frankfurt to vote for an all-German National Assembly. This assembly made a constitution for a German nation led by a monarchy and ruled by a parliament. The offer was made to the Prussian King, but he declined it. As a result, the liberal effort to build a nation failed.
5. After that, Prussia and its leader, Otto von Bismarck, who is known as the "father of modern Germany," took on the work of uniting Germany.
6. Bismarck's policy was built on "blood and iron." With the help of the Prussian army and bureaucracy, he reached his goals.
7. Bismarck reorganised the German army and improved battle training in 1862. In 1864, he made a deal with Austria to fight Denmark for Schleiswig, the southern provinces of Denmark, while Austria ruled Holstein. Bismarck started a war with Austria over an unrelated border dispute, and Prussia beat Austria in the Seven Weeks War that followed. Holstein was given to Prussia by the peace treaty, and Austria was forced to stay out of all German matters.
8. Then there was a war with France. Bismarck made up a note from the French envoy in 1870, claiming that the diplomat had insulted the Prussian King. After he leaked this letter to both communities, there were calls for war. At this time, the southern provinces joined Prussia's cause. Prussia went to war with France in 1870, but France was defeated. Alsace Lorraine was given to Germany at the end of the war.
9. In January 1871, Prussian King William I was proclaimed German Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. As a result, Germany's unification was done. This showed that Prussian state power was better. It was a victory for Bismarck's "blood and iron" policy, which tended to encourage militarism and authoritarianism in Germany. The new state made it a top priority to update Germany's monetary, banking, legal, and judicial systems. Prussian policies and ways of doing things were often copied by the rest of Germany.Additional Information
CBSE NCERT Class 10 History (Chapter 1)
The Rise Of Nationalism In Europe
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