2007-03-11 19:46:45 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
After the Holy Roman Empire was disbanded by Napoleon, the Emperor Francis 1 then became only the Emperor of Austria- Hungary. The invasion of Napoleon into Germany did fuse a national cause of repelling the French invader, but quickly fell apart with the Prussian King, Frederick Wilhelm III being forced to withdraw from the war.
Another attempt was made 20 years later with the creation of the Zolverein, in which the German states all agreed to adopt common customs and trade barriers / agreements. The only problem with this is that Prussia, not Austria, took the lead in German affairs. Much to the disgust of the Austrians.
In 1848, the year of revolutions that spread across Germany, German nationalists wanted to offer the crown of a united Germany to Frederick Wilhelm IV, King of Prussia - by now the dominant German state in Europe. However Frederick Wilhelm was unwilling to accept a crown tainted by revolution.
When Frederick Wilhelm IV was declared unfit to govern, his brother Wilhelm I came to power. With his powerful Chancellor, Bismarck, Prussia took the dominant lead in European affairs. A serious of victorious wars against Prussia's rivals for supremacy in Germany - Austria, Denmark and then France lead to Wilhelm I being crowned German Emperor in 1871.
The extent to which Germany was united can be debated. While the King of Prussia was the German Emperor, his power of Foreign Policy and national security was negated by the fact that the German Princes still retained control of their territories.
Only the end of the First World war, the end of the monarchy helped to forge a truly united Germany - a Germany united by depression, by war, by hardship and a hatred of the Versaillie treaty - something that helped Hitler come to power in 1933.
A unified Germany certainly - a united Germany - debatable.
2007-03-11 20:26:51 · answer #1 · answered by Big B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Unification of Germany took place on January 18, 1871, in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailes, when Prussian Prime minister Otto von Bismarck managed to unify a number of independent German states into one nation, and thus created the German Empire.
2007-03-12 11:45:11 · answer #2 · answered by Retired 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The main person behind the unification of Germany was Bismarck he knew thta the people would become strong only if they were united.So he became the emperor of Prussia and he slowly and steadily got the whole of germany united.I hope this answers your question.
2007-03-11 21:23:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Bismark managed to prove himself one of the greatest diplomatists in European history. Not to mention he led Germany into industrial revolution and surpassed Britain eventually
2007-03-11 23:19:48 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bismarck.
2007-03-11 19:52:49 · answer #5 · answered by lolita 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋