If this all sounds complicated, that’s because it is. This would become known as the Franco-Prussian War. This could potentially disrupt the balance of powers, so Bismarck used this as an excuse to start a war with France. He also knew that the new king of Spain might end up being a distant relative of both William I of Prussia and Napoleon II of France. He defeated Austria without too much effort (mostly because he went behind the Parliament’s back and was funding the military very early on in his political career).īut Bismarck also knew that a war with France would be a guaranteed way to get the southern states to join the confederation. Instead of working together, he decided to invade Austria. Ultimately, he got both Prussia and Austria to invade Denmark but instead of sharing the victory, Bismarck created a new Northern German Confederation with Prussia in charge. Prussia and Austria both wanted control of the northern German states, which made Bismarck nervous enough to start a war with Austria. The first thing Bismarck wanted was Austria out of the picture. What for? Well, he was preparing himself for war. He constantly fought his own parliament, even illegally collecting taxes in order to fund his growing army. He began to start a series of wars with France, Denmark, and with Austria in order to talk all of the German states in to banding together and fighting under one flag.īismarck used his political smarts to get everyone on the same side. The French kept invading, after all.īismarck used these two things to his advantage when he was Minister President of Prussia. That and a growing hatred the German peoples had towards the French. Unification of those different states was often discussed, but ultimately infighting kept them all separate.īut following Napoleon’s reign over the region, ideas about national pride kept getting stronger and stronger. When the Holy Roman Empire collapsed in 1806, the various German peoples formed different states as a way to create political stability. Germany fast became one of the most influential powers in Europe.īut how did he accomplish all of this? Bismarck and German Nationalismīismarck helped to create a unified Germany through two key processes: the exploitation of German nationalism and warfare. Eventually he would get his wish and managed to force what had once been the independent states of Germany into a single nation, the German Empire. He was so popular, in fact, that he would be appointed as Minister President of Prussia (kind of like a Prime Minister) by the king in 1862. He became an extremely popular political leader who believed in unifying all of the different German states into a single nation. He was born to a wealthy Prussian family in 1815 and very quickly went into the political arena as he grew older. Otto Van Bismarck was one of the most influential political leaders in German history. Who was Otto Von Bismarck? Image Source: Wikimedia Commons So, always remember this information in its historical context. Similar events were taking place in Italy, Austria, etc. In other words, Bismarck acts as a perfect example of Key Concept 3.4 How European States Struggled to Maintain International Stability in an Age of Nationalism and Revolutions from the College Board’s AP® European Course and Exam Description. You’re gonna want to use this AP® World History Crash Course on Otto Von Bismarck by thinking about him in relation to what else was taking place in Europe at the time.īismarck was around in Germany during the 19 th century, smack-dab in the middle of growing nationalist movements spreading throughout Europe. A Quick Note on Otto Von Bismarck and the AP® European History Exam That means we are not only going to cover the most important dates and events of Otto Von Bismarck’s life, but we are going to guide you through the ways that the AP® exam itself is most likely going to approach this topic. We’ve built this AP® European History Crash Course review around everything you’ll need to know for the AP® Euro exam. His entire political career represented the ongoing political changes and national unifications swept through the entirety of Europe during the 19 th century. He was a central figure in the unification of modern Germany as we know it today. Well, one thing’s for certain: Otto Von Bismarck is someone you are going to want to get to know during your AP® Euro review sessions. So much that you may not be entirely certain who or what to focus your studies on. Over the course of your studies for the upcoming AP® European History exam you’ve probably come across countless key historical figures and numerous important dates.
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