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War
with
Denmark
The war was over disputed control over the duchies of Schleswig
and
Holstein
. The two territories were placed under Danish control by the Congress
of Vienna. When the king of
Denmark
attempted to include Schleswig as a part of his nation’s
consolidation,
Prussia
, led by
Bismarck
protested. An alliance between
Austria
and
Prussia
was formed and together they quickly defeated the Danes. Schleswig and
Holstein were ceded to
Austria
and
Prussia
. The two victorious nations argued over who should control the two
territories.
Bismarck
was not interested in a
Germany
that included
Austria
, so he used the dispute as a way to lead to war between the two
countries, a move that would leave
Prussia
as the dominant state among the unified German states.
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Austro-Prussia
War (Seven Week’s War)
The disagreement over Holstein and Schleswig continued and
Austria
also protested the liberal reforms being accepted in the German
parliament.
Bismarck
used this opportunity to start a war with
Austria
and he moved his troops into
Holstein
. Most other German states joined
Austria
, but
Prussia
’s army with its modern weapons overwhelmed its opponents.
Prussia
’s victory eliminated
Austria
’s presence in the German Confederation. After the war,
Bismarck
replaced the German Confederation with the North German confederation.
The remainder of the German states that did not join
Prussia
or
Austria
(south German states) would not be included until a crisis in
Spain
which drew
Bismarck
into war with
France
.
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Franco-Prussian
War
In 1868, Queen Isabella of
Spain
was driven into exile by a revolution. The vacant Spanish throne was
offered to a Prince Leopold, a cousin of the Prussian king. Even though
he was offered the throne three times, he refused. Upon the fourth
offering, Leopold accepted. This move angered the French as they felt
threatened by a potential family alliance between the Prussian and
Spanish kingdoms. King Wilhelm of
Prussia
was delivered a telegram which demanded that Leopold withdraw his claim
to the throne and guarantee that no German prince every occupy the
Spanish throne. King Wilhelm, who was unwilling to go to war with
France
, wrote a telegram agreeing to
France
’s demands.
Bismarck
saw an opportunity to further exert Prussian dominance in central
Europe
and edited King Wilhelm’s reply by making it appear that the Prussian
king was insulted. This “Ems Telegram” built German nationalism
against the French and led to war. The South German states joined with
the North German Confederation against
France
. The French army was no match for the Prussian soldiers. Terms of the
peace were formalized in the Treaty of Frankfurt in 1871. The terms
demanded that
France
pay
Germany
for reparations, give up the territories of Alsace-Lorraine and
acknowledge the new German Empire. King Wilhelm of
Prussia
was named German Emperor by the Treaty of Frankfurt.
Read
a War Correspondent's point of view of the Franco-Prussian War.
Additional
resource
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How
the Balance of Power Shifted
The balance of power established by the Congress of Vienna was shattered
by a unified
Italy
and
Germany
.
Germany
especially changed the landscape dramatically as it was an industrial,
political, economic and military force.
Europe
would have to adjust once again to the arrival of a strong power that
could threaten the peace and security of the continent.
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