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Spread of Reverberations.
The spreading of Reverberations cross Europe lead to vast changes. Princes and monarchies met to determine the borders of nations after Napoleon`s fall. In fear of a similar situation, no single power was allowed to dominate afterwards, weakening the power of the royalty. -
German Confederation.
Germany is formally made, by binding 39 states to preserve the absolutism of the Prince. -
Carlsbad Decrees.
Germany, influenced by Austria`s Metternich, issues the Carlsbad Decrees. The Carlsbad Decrees curtailed political meetings, censored schools and media, and limited the government`s power; overall, setting back any of Germany`s strides towards liberalism. -
Troppau Protocol.
With increasing Spanish and Italian riots, Austria, Prussia & Russia send Troppau Protocol promising to intervene against revolutionary revolts. In doing so, Spanish dominance would return to South AMerica. -
Formation of Zollverein.
Prussia and Germany form the Zollverein, which opened Rhine RIver for transportation of goods. -
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Construction of Railroads.
The construction of railroads made for easier transportation of goods. -
Publication of "The Conditions of the Working Class in England"
In his work, Friedrich Engels envisions a new industrialized future (based upon Britain, where he was sent as an agent), which would later influence Karl Marx and others. -
Publication of "The Communist Manifesto."
In their work, Marl Marx and Friedrich Engel criticize capitalism and introduce the idea of capitalism to describe an economic system of "common ownership". They call for the "Workers of the World, UNITE!" -
Frankfurt Assembly.
Germany fails to unify, as the "Greater Germans" [of the South] wish to include Austria while the "Lesser Germans" [of the North] do not. -
Blood and Iron Speech.
In his speech, Bismarck calls for Prussia to preserve their power, pointing out the disaster of Prussia`s diet. -
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Austro-Prussian War.
The war was between the two superpowers of Germany. The Prussians are the ultimate victors, through their use of modern warfare and weapons. The Peace of Prague signifies the end of the conflict, declaring Prussian dominance. -
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Kulturkampf.
Busmarck tries ending the Centre Party`s influence in Germany by limiting the Catholic Church in education, marriage, and divorce. -
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Franco-Prussian War.
Napoleon III declares war on Prussia in the the Franco-Prussian War. It was brought on by the conflict over Spanish succession. Although Prince Leopold of the Hohenzollem House, a distant relative of Prussia`s Wilhelm I, was supposed to rule next, France feared that would result in a Spanish-Prussian alliance. As a result, they fought for the withdrawal of Leopold. However, Prussia triumphs due to its modern warfare methods and weapons. -
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Franco-Prussian War.
Napoleon III declares war on Prussia in the the Franco-Prussian War. It was brought on by the conflict over Spanish succession. Although Prince Leopold of the Hohenzollem House, a distant relative of Prussia`s Wilhelm I, was supposed to rule next, France feared that would result in a Spanish-Prussian alliance. As a result, they fought for the withdrawal of Leopold. However, Prussia triumphs due to its modern warfare methods and weapons. -
Battle of Sedan.
On 1 Sep 1870, the two sides fought. Prussia`s victory over France and the capture of Napoleon III brought the end of his reign and the Second Empire, alongside the culture and prosperity coupled with them. -
Constitution of 1871.
The Constitution of 1871 acts as a symbol for German democracy. Although elected, the Reichstag has limited powers, could not begin legislations (only approve or disapprove of them), and did not approve any budgets. -
Treaty of Frankfurt
Under the Treaty of Frankfurt, Germany is given Alsace & Lorriane, payment of 5 billion francs, and occupation in France. -
Effects of Industrialization.
After industrialization, more workers can be employed in the cities. This is seen with the 12 000 employees in Krupp, Germany`s most dominant steel, engineering, and munitions company. -
Formation of Social Democratic Party.
Marxists and followers of Ferdinand Lassalle join together to form the Social Democratic Party [SDP]. The party is especially favoured by the urban-working class, who want political action to benefit them. -
Anti-Socialist Laws.
Seeing that Kulturkampf is useless, Bismarck hopes to retain his power by turning on political enemies. He passes many anti-socialist laws, claiming that socialists are the "enemy of the state." Ironically, by 1899, the Germans have embraced the Social Democratic Party, voting it in with a majority. That incident causes German socialist theorist Eduard Bernstein to propose socialism will ultimately triumph anywhere if introduced through diffusion. His hypothesis is false in the rest of Europe. -
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Universal Healthcare.
Hoping to gain public support, Bismarck passes a medical legislation. These medical reforms introduce universal sickness and accident insurance, as well as elderly pensions. -
Dismissal of Bismarck.
Due to his lack of popularity, Bismarck is dismissed. After his dismissal, many social reform programs are developed by French & German advocates. -
Publication of "The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism."
In his "The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism," Max Weber argues that religion shapes a nation`s economy. -
Einstein`s Theory of Relativity.
Eistein proposes his Theory of Relativity, stating that time and space are dependent on the location of the observer. He follows that with his infamous "E = mc^2" to describe the equivilance of matter and energy. -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand & WWI.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is shot. This event, alongside European tensions (which could not be solved by further expansion since Europe & its colonies accounted for 80% of the globe) caused the outbreak of WWI. -
Crisis Diplomacy.
Countries meet, trying to dissuade Germany from war. Germany feels that war is inevitable, as it is the only way that Germany will retain its rightful place on the continent. -
Assassination of Jean Jaures.
Jean Jaures, who campaigned against militant nationalism, is assassinated.
