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Napoleon invades German lands
Napoleon made major territorial changes to the Germany. He is unsuccessful. -
House of Krupp
The hosue of Krupp began in 1810. It was created by Frederick Krupp -
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Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states, held in Vienna from September 1814 to June 1815.The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, and the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. This objective resulted in the redrawing of the continent's political map, establishing the boundaries of France, the Duchy of Warsaw, the Netherlands, the states of the Rhine, the German Kingdom of Saxony. -
Otto Von Bismark birth
Bismarck was born in Schönhausen, a wealthy family estate situated west of Berlin in the Prussian Province of Saxony. Bismarck was well educated and cosmopolitan, with a gift for conversation. He was fluent in English, French, Italian, Polish, and Russian. -
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Zollverein
The Zollverein, or German Customs Union, was a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories. Prussia was the prime motivating force behind the creation of the customs union. Austria was excluded from the Zollverein because of its highly protected industry; this economic exclusion exacerbated the Austro-Prussian rivalry for dominance in Central Europe. -
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Frankfurt Assembly demands unity
The Frankfurt Assembly was the first freely elected parliament for all of Germany. After long debates, the assembly produced the Frankfurt Constitution which proclaimed a German Empire based on the principles of parliamentary democracy. This was a huge part in German unification. -
Frederick William IV is offered the Throne
Frederick William IV the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, reigned as King of Prussia from 1840 to 1861. In politics he was conservative and he crucially rejected the title of German Emperor offered to him by the Frankfurt parliament in 1849. -
Bismarck become prime minister
On 23 September 1862, Wilhelm appointed Bismarck Minister-President and Foreign Minister. Bismarck, Roon and Moltke took charge at a time when relations among the Great Powers. -
Blood and Iron Speech
Bismarck made a speech to the Budget Committee of the Prussian Chamber of Deputies, which included Bismarck's emphasis on using "iron and blood". That is, military power, to achieve his goals. -
Bismarck declares war on Denmark
Prussia and Austria teamed up and declared war on Denmark. They won easily. -
Bismarck declares war on Austria
Bismarck delcared war on Austria. This war was also known as the 7 weeks war. -
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Campaign against the Socialists
Bismarck saw socialists as a threat because he thought that they would cause German workers to revolt He passed laws that got rid of socialist newpapers and stopped their meetings. This did not work. -
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Franco Prussian War
The conflict emerged from tensions regarding the German unification. A war against France was deemed necessary to unite the North German Confederation and the independent southern German states. Napoleon III seized on a supposed insult in the Ems Dispatch to declare war, which most French leaders expected to win. -
Bismarck becomes Chancellor
In 1871, Otto von Bismarck was raised to the rank of Prince. He was also appointed Imperial Chancellor of the German Empire. He was also promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general, and given another country estate. -
Second Reich is created
The unified Germany which arose under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1871 was the first entity that was officially called in German Deutsches Reich, also the Second Reich succeeding the HRR. Deutsches Reich remained the official name of Germany until 1945, although these years saw three very different political systems -
William I of Prussia becomes Emperor
During the Franco-Prussian War, on 18 January 1871 in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles Palace, William was proclaimed German Emperor. It was chosen by Bismarck after discussion until the day of the proclamation. -
Constitution drafted by Bismarck
The North German Constitution was the constitution of the North German Confederation. On 16 April it accepted the constitution, which was essentially written by Otto von Bismarck, the Prussian minister-president -
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Campaign against the church (Kulturekampf)
Bismarck saw the catholic church as a threat because they put God above the state. He launched the "Kulturkampf" which gave the right to the state to supervise Catholic education. This did not work. -
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Population Growth
German society grew and changed dramatically in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. In the twenty years prior to the First World War, the rate of population growth averaged 1.34 percent. The result was that Germany’s population, 41 million in 1871, grew to 49.7 million by 1891 and increased to 65.3 million by 1911. -
William II Becomes Kaiser
William II suceeded his grandfather as kaiser. He wanted to make a mark on Germany just like his grandfather. -
Bismarck resigns
When William II became kaiser, he believed that his right to rule came from God, so he should be the only master. He forced Bismarck to resign.
