German Unification
Otto von Bismarck led Germany through the “thick and Thin” of the German unification in the 19th century and the understanding of realpolitik. As the map of Central Europe looked in the late 1850's, Prussia competed with Austria for a control of many small city states. Prussia stretched from modern-day Lithuania to central Germany. Prussia also maintained the German lands around the Rhine River in the west. In between Denmark to Switzerland, laid small provinces that Bismarck needed to control under the Prussian rule to create a viable German Empire. In 1862, Bismarck reincorporated the Prussian army and improved their preparation for war. In 1864, Bismarck made an alliance with Austria to fight Denmark over their southern provinces of Schleiswig and Holstein. Prussia gained Schleiswig while Austria controlled Holstein. However, this would not last for long, as Austrian Holstein was now surrounded by Prussian lands. Bismarck provoked a conflict with Austria over this matter and declared the Seven Weeks' War. Prussia destroyed the falling Austrian army. The peace settlement transferred Holstein to Prussia and forced Austria to officially remove itself from all German land. With Austria out of Bismarck's way, his next task was the skepticism of the southern provinces. Overwhelmingly Catholic and anti-militaristic, the southern provinces doubted Prussia's commitment to a united Germany. Prussia's historic militarism made the gulf between north and south quite serious. Therefore, Bismarck turned to realpolitik to unite Germany by constructing a war against the common enemy. In 1870, Bismarck forged a note from the French ambassador, stating that the ambassador had insulted the Prussian king. After he leaked this letter to both populations, the people of France and Prussia stood up in favor of war. As Bismarck hoped, the southern provinces pushed to Prussia's side without any second guesses. In July 1870, France declared war on Prussia. Within a matter of weeks of fighting in Alsace-Lorraine, France lost the War. Alsace-Lorraine was transferred to Germany in the peace settlement, allowing Prussia to declare the German Empire, or Second Reich, on January 21, 1871.