A. What role did Bismarck’s policies play in the German Unification and in the development of Germany’s position in Europe after the unification wars?
Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck was the Prussian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister during the German unification; he is also considered the man who united the loose German states into a single empire with Prussia as its centre. During the next two decades of his reign he both lead Germany and dominated European affairs. He became the front figure of a new political climate and his foreign and domestic policies had great influence over the development of Germany and its position in Europe. He became known for his diplomacy and his approach to public affairs, which can usually be summarized
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Prussia competed with Austria-Hungary for dominance over these small principalities and when Bismarck came to office as Prime Minister in 1862 he provoked a war with Austria over a border dispute. This was the beginning of the German unification, which would last three wars between 1862-1871. After the unification became official in Versailles, France 1871 Bismarck became appointed as the first chancellor of Prussia and was destined to become one of the most influential diplomats in history. Bismarck sought to promote peace and gain time for Germany to grow as a new empire, and that was what his policies would be based upon during the next two decades of his time in …show more content…
He created a complex system with Prussia as its centre of government and aimed to build a new order that benefitted Prussia, and he wanted to maintain the new order through simultaneously strengthening the new German state. However, Bismarck had doubts that Germany wasn’t entirely united because there were many interest groups who worked against the empire, especially the catholic groups who existed primarily in south Germany and East Prussia. He started a campaign fighting against Catholicism called the Kulturkampf and it was designed to suppress catholic influence in the country. The state went through a series of regulations, inter alias letting the state take control of Catholic schools, appointment of clergy, limit the church’s legal power and the state obtains the power to expel the clergy if they refuse to adjust to the new order. However, this has the opposite effect of what it was originally intended, the Catholic support grew and by “1875 Pope Pius IX declares Germany’s anti-catholic laws illegal” and forces Bismarck to abandon the campaign. Although his resentment for the Catholic movement was soon accompanied by the Social Democrats, he
This was arguably the result of effective political planning. The economic boom and the popularity amongst Germans significantly contributed to his success as a chancellor, and although there were certain aspects in which he was less successful, the good by far outweighed the
The lack of support for Austria also led to German unification. Austria’s
Luther altered the culture of Germany, it is said "It helped formally restructure German literature and the German performing arts - Luther's in general, were so awesome that Frederick the Great later called Luther the personification of the German national
Germany has been a nation that had been divided for many centuries, the Germanic tribes had avoided being taken over by the Roman Empire, they had been the seat of the Holy Roman Empire, then after the Holy Roman Empire fall, it became a handful of individual kingdoms and states, with Persia and Austria being the biggest contenders to make a unified Germany. Germany in the early 1860’s was divided mostly because of failed politics and religious divides. One man was the most important driving force behind these Germanic kingdoms becoming the superpower that is Germany. Otto von Bismarck, the Minister President of Prussia and a friend to Persian king, Wilhelm I. Prussia had tried for years to unify the nations, but it wasn’t until Bismarck came along that this began to become a reality.
( Doc 5 ) Otto von Bismarck’s speech about how he would do anything to unify Germany shown the influence that nationalism brings. Otto said he considered absolutism and constitutionalism the best forms of government instead of dictatorship. He was an opponent of nationalism and he realized that
There was an increase of stability in law and order but there was no strengthening of the political structure of parliamentary democracy. Additionally, German society was extremely divided because of
Once this happened many people all throughout Germany began to react to his convictions. He exposed the church for what he believed to be corrupt. Different protestant denominations began to spring up and they were in conflict with other Christian sects about the matter of how best to worship God.
Otto von Bismarck Otto von Bismarck was the first chancellor of the German Empire. He was a master strategist who used realpolitik. As an aristocrat, he “adopted the liberal goal of national unity, giving the German Empire a broad political base” (Background essay). Otto von Bismarck could be considered Machiavelli's model of the ideal ruler in that, he was feared by his people and he used any ends to justify the tactics he used in bringing about the unification of the German states. Niccolò Machiavelli was a diplomat for many years in Italy’s Florentine Republic during the Medici family’s exile.
Everyone has heard of Adolf Hitler and how he tried to conquer Europe. He attempted doing it at the right time when everyone thought that Germany was going to lose everything, because, the national debt and inflation was so high. Germany was so desperate for anyone to help them that Adolf Hitler saw a chance to step up and be in charge of everything. Hitler was very good at acting like he really cared about his people. He claimed to the German people that he would help with unemployment, help businesses, success to the failed businesses, and to expand their army to make them more powerful.
(Document C). To expand on this notion, Germany concentrated their powers against their common foe since the 1870s. Document A may support the notion that Germany was still holding animosity from the Franco-Prussian war, or Franco-German war because this was created by Von Bismarck who took actions to diplomatically isolate France. This alliance was to connect them with Austria-Hungary and Italy as a defensive act against French attack. In extension, the German general named Friedrich von Bernhardi states that war is the most beneficial action they can take to expand their country.
In World War One, the Treaty of Versailles almost destroyed Germany and many Germans were upset. A leader in a socialist party, called Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor. Then, soon the Fuhrer und Reichskanzler, or the Leader and Reich Chancellor of Germany. He was allied with the Japanese and Italy. He invaded Czechoslovakia and Poland and started the Second World War.
Following the Franco-Prussian War, King Wilhelm I of Prussia proclaimed the German Empire, officially unifying the German states into one under Prussian political structure that also juxtaposed Conservative Nationalism and
But when Wilhelm didn’t renew Russia’s reinsurance policy, it turned to France for an ally. This ended France’s isolation. Second, Bismarck wanted to make Germany a European power. Wilhelm wanted world power and didn’t care about European policies. When Wilhelm focused on colonization, it caused tension
As Chancellor he took the crucial step of ceasing financial support to end the hyperinflation. He introduced a new and stable currency (the Rentenmark). He lasted as chancellor for 100 days but after that he remained as foreign minister. Over the next six years, as foreign minister he sought to improve Germany’s international position. In 1924, the Dawes Plan was set up by Charles Dawes to regotiate the reperations (Carr, 1996 p.278).
Evaluate the role of the economy and propaganda in Hitler's maintenance of power Seungchan Yang After Hitler took a power in Germany, he managed to consolidate his power using his economy policy, gathered destitute Germans together, but also using the propaganda, increasing the support towards him. This increasing mass of supports towards him due to his policy that had increased the employment in a tremendous amount and the use of propaganda that had spread his belief and convinced Germans. However, despite these successful economic policy, the fund raised was purely concentrated on rearmament and still the autarky was not achieved, and his economy policy was just for the violation of Treaty of Versailles. Still, Hitler’s decisions in