Outline


 * I. Germany's Initial Steps Towards Unification
 * A. Napoleon's new changes pushed Germany towards unification
 * i. Napoeleon conquered most of the German states
 * ii. Napoleon added land from France along the Rhine River to Germany
 * iii. Napoleon organized the annexed lands and the German states he conquered into the Rhine Confederation
 * iv. Napoleons freed serfs and Jews
 * v. Napoleon made trade easier
 * B. Germany unites against Napoleon
 * i. Not everyone liked Napoleon's new laws
 * ii. People united against Napoleon and fought to free their lands
 * iii. People called for a united Germany to fight Napoleon
 * a. Germany couldn't easily be united because that would involve replacing the government of all German states
 * b. Instead the German Confederation is created and is then headed by Austria
 * C. Economic changes promote unity
 * i. In the 1830's Prussia creates the Zollverein, an economic union
 * ii. The Zollverein dissolves tariff barriers between German states
 * D.Germany struggles politically to unify
 * i. In 1848 the Frankfurt Assembly demands Germany to unify
 * ii. The Frankfurt Assembly offered the throne to Frederick William IV of Prussia
 * iii. Frederick William IV declines throne
 * II. Bismarck Unites Germany
 * A. Bismarck (a chancellor at the time) united Germany under Prussia with the Blood and Iron Policy
 * i. The Blood and Iron Policy supported strengthening the army
 * ii. The new strengthened and well-equiped army was able to have a tough foreign policy
 * iii. The more wars Prussia was in, the more its prestige and strength grew
 * iv. Most importantly the more wars Prussia was in, the more united Germany became
 * B. Bismarck was a master of Realpolitiks
 * i. Realpolitiks is based on the needs of a state
 * ii. Realpolitiks values power > principles
 * III. War Supports German Unification
 * A. Prussia "backstabbed" Austria
 * i. In 1848 Prussia and Austria were allies
 * ii. Together they took over (and then shared) Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark
 * iii. In 1866 Bismark came up with an excuse to attack Austria
 * a. This started the Austro-Prussian War which last 7 weeks
 * b. Prussia won
 * c. Prussia annexed northern German states
 * d. Austria wasn't annexed because Bismark didn't want Prussia to get into another war
 * B. France Declares War on Germany
 * i. The Prussian victory over Austria angered France
 * ii. The Franco-Prussian Wa broke out in 1870
 * iii. Bismarck degraded France's image to support German nationalism
 * iv. France surrendered after having its army badly beaten
 * IV. The German Empire Is Born
 * A. Princes from southern German states and the Northern German Confederation convinced William I to be the Kaiser (ruler)
 * B. In January 1871 the 2nd Reich (or empire) was born
 * C. They considered themselves to be the heir to the Roman Empire (hence the 2nd Reich)
 * D. The constitution written by Bismark set up 2 houses of legislation
 * i. The Bundersrat was the upper house and its officials were elected by the rulers of German states
 * ii. The Reichstag was the lower house and it was appointed by voting (only males could vote)
 * iii. The Bundesrat could veto decisions made by the Reichstag
 * iv. Real power was held by the emperor and his chancellor