If anything, it was the idea of personal superiority that consumed Prussian thought during the late-19th century, and Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) was the foremost follower of Prussian nationalism. Throughout his political career, all of his actions seemed to stem from a universal hatred of all things Austrian and a personal belief that Prussia stood as the greatest German state and certainly a state better than Austria. Ironically, his attitude towards Austrians is similar to the modern-day Texan attitude towards Californians, but I digress. As ambassador to the German Confederation, he did everything in his power to oppose Austrian interests, and when he became the prime minister in 1862, he used his power to advocate a policy of strength around the Prussia State, both domestically and abroad.
The first step towards German unification came in 1864 when war broke out between Denmark and the German states over Denmark’s annexation of Schlesweg and Holstein. However, this conflict was over quickly, and Denmark could not withstand the might of the Prussian military. Both Schlesweg and Holstein were then given into the hands of Prussia and Austria.
Despite this win, Austria and Prussia went to war with each other in 1866. However, Austria was significantly disadvantaged. Historically, Austria and Russia had enjoyed a mutual alliance of guaranteed protection, giving Austria a slight edge against Prussia. But during the Crimean War, Austria had deliberately enjoyed a neutral position and refused to send Russia support, alienating its long-time ally. When Bismarck and his Prussian forces entered their conflict with Austria, Russia refused to participate, resulting in a crushing defeat of Austrian forces within a mere seven weeks. In the aftermath of the conflict, no reparations were put in Austria, but it was forced to accept Prussia’s annexation of northern German territories, and it was forced to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Prussian-led North German Confederation, which deliberately excluded Austria from any leadership.
The Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) arose when Louis Napoleon III of France grew suspicious of Prussia’s growing influence. It came to blows, and French forces were humiliated by Prussia, only causing the other southern German states to rally behind their new leader and accept Prussian governance under a unified Germany. After the war, Alsace and Lorraine were annexed by Prussia, being a continued French grievance until WW1.
With all of these German states accepting Prussian-led unification, King William I was proclaimed Emperor William I, and the nation of Germany was born.
Asher Sisneros 