Thomas Knutson
England Since 1714 - HIST 3122
Research Proposal
Preliminary Hypotheses: Due to Prussian’s advanced army recruitment, promptness of mobilization through railways, weapons, and economic factors, the outcome of the Austro-Prussian war was a given victory. 1) What were the causes of the Austro-Prussian War and how did Nationalism play a major role during this time period?
During this time era, German Nationalism was exemplified partly from Napoleon I’s French Nationalism movement and the Romantic era. German nationalist’s goal was to unify all of Germany under one state. Otto von Bismarck argued that he arranged skirmishes in order to bring life to the North German Confederation and the inevitable unification of Germany.
…show more content…
Citizens were required military service for at least three years. In doing so, the Prussian military drastically increased. The Austrian army was not required to train like the Prussians. Many soldiers were often dismissed to their families on permanent leave. When war broke out, the Austrian infantry soldiers were brought transferred from home and had to retrain, while on the other hand, the Prussian infantry soldiers were permanently training. The Prussian soldiers were arguably better disciplined and experienced for war. Although Austrian infantry were inferior to the Prussian’s infantry, both armies were deemed equally in their cavalry and artillery …show more content…
This meant each military unit could be quickly mobilized. Austrian armies were located far from their homes in order to prevent separatist revolts. If called to action by their units, Austrian armies would take weeks to report for duty. Prussian armies were much faster to mobilize than the Austrian armies. The railway system was very important during this time period because it was used for transporting troops and weaponry. Prussian’s railway system was far more developed compared to Austria’s. Prussian’s had bolt-action rifles compared to Austria’s muzzle-loading weapons. Prussian’s economy was expanding and thriving due to Zollverein. Austria’s economy was declining due to 1848’s Hungarian Revolution.
3) Where were the after effects of the Austro-Prussian war?
Defeated countries had war reparations placed upon them. Austria was removed from Germany. Hanover was seized by Prussia. Neutral countries brought forth the end of German Confederation. Luxemburg and Limburg became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands due to the Treaty of London of 1867.
Worth Studying: This topic is worth studying because once every factor of war is considered and implemented, it becomes very apparent that the further advanced countries have a far greater chance of becoming victors no matter the number of allies
When Otto von Bismarck was recalled from Paris to become Minister-President of Prussia in 1862, German nationalism was already more than 40 years old. First apparent in the opposition to Napoleon´s occupation of the German states, national feeling grew into a movement after 1815. This feeling was encouraged by a growth of interest in German literature and music and by increased economic cooperation between the north German states. By 1848 it was strong enough to make the creation of a united Germany one of the main demands of the revolutionaries. Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian patriot who inherited the traditions of love of king, army and country from his family.
Germany. Nationalism is a complex concept that can be viewed as both a unifying and a disunifying force, depending on one's perspective and background knowledge. On one hand, it can bring people together who share a common bond based on a single "nationality" or ancestry. Those who view nationalism as a unifying force often reject loyalty to a monarch, instead choosing to remain loyal to their fellow citizens. On the other hand, some people see nationalism as a disunifying force because it can disrupt efforts to restore the old order before the French Revolution.
In addition, having lost the war, the humiliated Germans were forced by the Allies to sign the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 that officially ended World War I. According to the harsh terms of the treaty, Germany had to hand over many of its richest industrial territories to the victors, and was made to pay reparations to the Allied countries it devastated during the war. Germany lost its pride, prestige, wealth, power, and the status of being one of Europe's greatest nations. (Resnick p. 15)
Nationalisms powerful and intense impact on individuals is demonstrated in Rudolf von Ihering’s Two Letters (1866). By offering individuals a group to be a part of became something which appeared to be boundless in its potential for prosperity and it gave individuals a sense of empowerment. Initially, Von Ihering had rigorously opposed Realpolitik’s policies which were employed by Otto von Bismarck, declaring that, “everyone [in Ger...
In 19th century Italian states united to make Italy while the Germanic states united and made Germany. For Italy there were three people who had a major role in unifying Italy. They were Mazzini, Garibaldi and Cavour. For Germany it was more like one person who united the German states to make Germany and that was Bismarck. On the other hand there was a strong Austrian empire that would not tolerate any nationalist feelings to rise anywhere in Europe.
Destructive nationalism, or devoted loyalty that can lead people of a similar heritage to form their own nation, caused tension to rise tremendously within and among several lands. Nationalism in Germany was especially prominent. With powerful military forces and an industrial outlook, Germany was thriving. A sense of national unity was dispersed throughout the empire and gave Germany the assurance it needed to expand. Due to German development, several wars broke out with neighboring regions such as France. By gaining the territory of Alsace-Lorraine, German and French border tensions reached new heights. Due to this conflict along with several others, Germany claimed responsibility for the Great War, as exhibited in Document 4. By forcefully signing the Treaty of Versailles, Germany accepted defeat and accountability for World War I. On the contrary, in Document 5, a German nationalist opposed the idea that Germany alone was liable for outbreak of the war. He felt that several forces of opposing countries took part in fighting each battle and ultimately believed that global opposition caused the Great War. Similarly, in the Balkan Region, several ethnic minorities desired independence from Austria-Hungary. As shown in Document 3, The Austro-Hungarian government demanded that action was to be made regarding propaganda against Austria-Hungary. This ultimatum was a result of the assassination of
Frederick II, the Great, overcame the resource limitations within Prussia by mastering three aspects of the western way of war: the ability to finance war, possessing a highly disciplined military, and an aggressive mindset toward achieving quick decisive victory, which established Prussia as a major European power. Frederick II accomplished this feat while being surrounded by powerful neighbors that possessed larger populations, armies, and financial excess. His initial assessment on the state of his Prussian inheritance from his personal writings follows:
Nationalism is a devotion and loyalty to one’s own nation, with primary emphasis on furthering its interests as opposed to those of other countries. This feeling widely spread throughout Europe during the 19th and 10th centuries and caused many problems. The Slavic people of Bosnia and Herzegovina wanted to break away from Austria-Hungary and unify with other Slavic nations. Russia as a Slavic nation backed up the two countries in this matter, therefore causing tensions between Austria-Hungary and itself. Nationalism was also a source of anger between France and Germany as France resented its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871).
Frederick the Great exploited the advantages of military evolutions and revolutions to develop a powerful nation-state, Prussia, through the exploitation of economic and social policies forced Prussia advantage of superiority and employed their society norms upon others. The implement of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery assisted with the revolutionized Prussia to military superiority through the delivery of lethal strikes and unwavering means to survive. In conjunction with economic and social policies, the incorporation of increased military professionalism fostered forces that were more disciplined and utilized tactics, enabling military evolutions and revolutions to become more innovated. As Parker stated, “Prussia was thus a state
The rise of nationalism and its mark on the history of Europe was quite profound. The unification of major powers and the civil unrest on the journey to unification created a large chapter of history in the nineteenth century. By the 1900s the mark of nationalism had been left on Italy, Germany, France and Great Britain. The major European powers had come through great trials to set the stage for the twentieth century and the conflicts that will erupt. Nationalism will be remembered as a great period of change and growth.
Causes of the war also included ideologies such as militarism, Imperialism and Nationalism along with the prominent alliance systems in Europe which all had a major affect on the outbreak of the war. All of...
The growth of the European super powers during the 19th century consisted of the great powers vying for territorial attainments, developing their international influence, and ensuring positive domestic attitudes of their diplomatic actions. Attempting to cement their hegemony of international politics, the Prussian Empire sought to create an ethnically and politically unified German state to rebuff the prominence granted to Austria at the Congress of Vienna. Through the machinations of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and his determination to unite the German lands through “blood and iron”, Germany quickly rose to become the epicenter of European politics and forever changed the geopolitical landscape of Europe. In examining the unification of Germany and its implications for the international system, this paper will explore the prehistory of the unification, significant diplomatic successes and failures during the bolstering of Germany’s power, and the change in the power structure of Germany that ultimately changed the military landscape of the international system and became the precursor for World War I.
It was important that he encouraged many of the middle-sized German states to absorb huge numbers of small independent territories, mostly bishoprics, church lands, and local principalities. This consolidation process, called mediation, led to the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire and brought the same French legal codes, measurements, and weights to most German-speaking areas, thus helping to modernize them. In 1806 Napoleon defeated the last independent and defiant German state, Prussia. The Prussians, quite naturally, were concerned about their defeat and started a thorough reform and modernization of the state and army (they "reinvented government"). Reformed Prussia became the hope of many other Germans who started to suffer increasingly under French occupation (which turned more repressive and exploitative) and their often forced cooperation with France.
In order to determine the importance of the alliance system as a cause for the war we must first explore the origins of these alliances. We will take high-point of the Bismarck system in 1878 as our starting point as the Franco-Prussian war is a key factor for the development of this system. The alliance system ideated by the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck kept peace in Europe but its main aim was, however, to forestall the possibility that, in the event of war, Germany would have to fight it on two fronts (basically France and Russia). This was achieved by diplomatically isolating France so that its dream of recapturing its lost provinces of Alsace-Lorraine couldn't be fulfilled.
One of the most important factors in a nation’s success in war is strategy, and it is also the