The 1848 Revolution In Prussia And The Eventual Unification Of Germany

Analyse the Effects of the 1848 Revolution in Prussia and the Eventual Unification of Germany.

The German nation was born in January 1871 at the Palace of Versailles. Many factors have been noted by historians as to what led to the eventual unification of Germany such as; economic and industrial factors and the role of Otto Von Bismarck. A debate that has emerged over German Unification is whether it was united by ‘coal and iron’ or ‘blood and iron’; this looks at whether economic or political factors were the main driving force behind unification. In this essay I will explore these factors and gain an understanding of how these factors contributed to German Unification and come to a decision as to whether it was a nation unified by economic

Firstly it is important to understand the Revolutions of 1848 and explore its effects. It’s important to note that the revolutionaries are referred to as Liberal Revolutionaries. Brendan Simms describes the Revolutions as ‘re-enacting the script of 1789’ as in most German states they took power and freed political prisoners. Harry Harder has highlighted that throughout Germany constitutions were introduced, liberal ministries were appointed and reform and civil liberties were granted. The most significant effect of the 1848 Revolution however was the setting up of the Frankfurt Parliament. However this parliament was ultimately a failure. Such factors as the politician’s un-revolutionary intentions in a social and political sense contributed to the Frankfurt Parliaments failure. Donald J. Mattheisen has argued that the politicians involved were against democracy and had more faith in the German Princes than in

The war was the result of a succession dispute over the Spanish crown. What was seemingly a Prussian-Spanish alliance made the French feel encircled. Bismarck was able to entice Napoleon III into quick, aggressive action through the manipulation of Ems Telegram. This prompt action from Napoleon III led to growing anti-French and pro-German sentiment and led to the southern German states aiding the Prussian cause. William Carr has argued that South Germany’s involvement in Prussia’s cause meant that they had to come to terms with the new political situation. Although numerous southern states were reluctant to join the German Confederation, Bismarck therefore had to make numerous concessions. None the less the German Empire was born on the 18th January 1871. Harry Hearder argues that the North German Confederation already signified a unified German State. The declaration of the German Empire in 1871 re-emphasized the creation of a unified Germany and included the southern states. This would suggest that the Seven Weeks War with Austria had more significance in the eventual unification of