Higher History: European and World
Germany, 1815–1939A study of the growth of nationalism in nineteenth century Germany leading to the overcoming of obstacles to unification of the nation by 1871, and the development of extreme nationalism after 1918, illustrating the themes of nationalism, authority and conflict.
Mandatory content / Illustrative areas
1. An evaluation of the reasons for the growth of nationalism in Germany, 1815–50
2. An assessment of the degree of growth of nationalism in Germany, up to 1850
3. An evaluation of the obstacles to German unification, 1815–50
4. An evaluation of the reasons why unification was achieved in Germany, by 1871
5. An evaluation of the reasons why the Nazis achieved power, in 1933
6. An evaluation of the reasons why the Nazis were able to stay in power, 1933–39 / Effects of French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars; military weakness; cultural factors; role of the Liberals; economic factors; the Zollverein.
Supporters of nationalism — educated middle class, Liberals; opponents of nationalism; attitudes of peasants; political turmoil in the 1840s; the Frankfurt Parliament, divisions; the collapse of revolution in Germany, 1848–49.
Divisions among the nationalists; Austrian strength; German princes; religious differences; economic differences; indifference of the masses; resentment towards Prussia.
Prussian military strength; Prussian economic strength; the decline of Austria; the role of Bismarck; the attitude of other states; actions of Napoleon III.
Weaknesses of Weimar Republic; resentment towards the Treaty of Versailles; economic difficulties; social and economic divisions; the appeal of the Nazis after 1928; the role of Hitler; weaknesses and mistakes of opponents.
Establishment of a totalitarian state; the crushing of opposition; fear and state terrorism; social controls; propaganda; successful foreign policy; economic policies; social policies.
Higher History – European and World
The Growth and Failure of German Nationalism
1815 – 1850
Issue 1 - An evaluation of the reasons for the growth of nationalism in Germany, 1815–50
Issue 2 - An assessment of the degree of growth of nationalism in Germany, up to 1850
Issue 3 - An evaluation of the obstacles to German unification, 1815–50
This is the only topic for which there are three different issues and essay questions. You must make sure that you identify correctly the questions which may come up for this topic.
Background – Europe in 1815
1. Provide definitions for the following: -
Republic
Monarchy
Duchy
Nationalist
Liberal
Constitution
Unification
Kleindeutschland
Grossdeutschland
2. Provide information about: -
Holy Roman Empire (First Reich)
Hapsburg Dynasty
Hohenzollern Dynasty
Emperor Napoleon I
Prince Metternich
Growth of Nationalism – Impact of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars
3. Explain in detail the impact of the Napoleonic Wars on the German States. (Mention reduction to 39 states, liberalism and nationalism).
4. Explain the impact of the decisions made at the 1815 Congress of Vienna on the German states.
Mention:
a) The Deutscher Bund
b) The two leading states in the Bund
c) How the formation and structure of the Bund helped to keep the German states divided
Ref: Richards, Chapter 10, Cameron, Robertson and Henderson, pp56-58
Factors Favouring Nationalism in the German States
5. Make a spider diagram illustrating the things that the German states had in common, i.e. what they shared. (Mention: language, race, history, music, literature, philosophy, military weakness and anything else that you can think of)
Ref: PowerPoint ‘Factors favouring German nationalism’
Obstacles to Nationalism in the German States
6. Explain the following external and internal obstacles to German nationalism:
Austrian strength and opposition
Opposition from other European countries (e.g. France and Russia)
Religious differences
Opposition from the rulers of individual states
Divisions within the nationalists
Indifference of the masses/Attitude of peasants
Resentment towards Prussia
Ref: PowerPoint ‘Obstacles to German nationalism’
Growth of Nationalism – The Liberals and the Burschenschaften
Ref: PowerPoint ‘Early Nationalism in the Universities’
7. Describe and explain the growth of nationalist societies (Burschenschaften) in the German states after 1815.
8. Describe the events of the 1817 Wartburg Festival and the murder of Kotzebue.
9. What were the Carlsbad Decrees of 1819?
10. What impact did these Decrees have on German nationalism?
11. Describe the events of the 1832 Hambach Festival.
12. Explain the Six Acts of 1832?
13. How important was this cultural/intellectual nationalism in the period 1818 – 1850 (do this as a +/- table)?
Growth of nationalism – Economic Factors and the Zollverein
14. a) Describe the population growth, urbanisation and industrialisation in the German states
during this period.
b) What impact did these developments have on German nationalism?
Ref: McGonigle pp13 - 18
15. a) What was the Zollverein?
b) When and why was it established?
c) By 1836 how many states were members of the Zollverein?
d) Which state did not become a member of the Zollverein and what effect did this have?
16. In what ways could it be argued that the Zollverein promoted German nationalism?
17. In what ways could it be argued that the Zollverein did not promote German nationalism?
Ref: PowerPoint ‘The Zollverein’
Growth and Failure of Nationalism –
The 1848 Revolutions and the Frankfurt Parliament
Ref Cameron, Robertson and Henderson pp59 – 61, Richards pp116 - 120
The 1848 Revolutions
18. Explain the revival of German liberalism after the succession of Frederick William IV to the throne of Prussia (Ref: Richards p108 and 116)
19. What factors were common causes of revolution in nearly every European state in the 1840s?
20. What happened to Prince Metternich (the Austrian chancellor) in 1848?
21. What effects did revolution in Austria have on German nationalism?
22. Describe events in Berlin in 1848.
23. What was the nature and purpose of the Frankfurt Assembly?
24. What were the main issues over which delegates disagreed?
25. Describe the eventual collapse and dissolution of the Assembly.
26. Create a detailed spider-diagram explaining the reasons why political nationalism failed to unite the German states in 1848 – 49. (Take care to consider the general reasons for failure as well as the specific ones related to the collapse of the Frankfurt Assembly.)
Ref: Grey table on p61 Cameron, Robertson and Henderson.
Postcript – Erfurt and Olmutz
27. Explain what the Erfurt Union and the Humiliation of Olmutz were.
28. Analyse the importance of Erfurt and Olmutz with reference to:
The opposition of kings and princes to nationalism and liberalism
The opposition of Russia and Austria
Ref: PowerPoint ‘The Erfurt Union 1849’
Conclusion
29. Copy and complete …
Otto Von Bismarck, the man who eventually played the leading role in uniting Germany, described the period before 1850 as ‘The time when nothing happened’. It is certainly clear that nationalists had not achieved their goal by 1850, in that Germany was not unified. However, Bismarck’s statement is not entirely accurate in that …..
Growth, Extent and Failure of Nationalism
Past Paper Questions
2009 – How important were economic factors in the growth of national feeling in Germany during the period 1815 to 1850?
2010 ------
2011 – How important were cultural factors in the growth of national feeling in Germany between 1815 and 1850?
2011 – To what extent was resentment towards Prussia among the German states the main obstacle to unification by 1850?
2012 – How strong was nationalism in Germany by 1850?
2013 – ‘By 1850 political nationalism had made little progress in Germany.’ How valid is this view?
2014 – How important was the Zollverein in the growth of German nationalism between 1815 and 1850?
2014 – ‘The German princes were the most important obstacle to German unification before 1850.’ How valid is this view?
2015 – By 1850 supporters of nationalism had made significant progress in their aims. How valid is this view?
The Unification of Germany
1850 – 1871
Issue 4 - An evaluation of the reasons why unification was achieved in Germany, by 1871
Germany was formally unified on 18th January 1871, at the end of the Franco-Prussian War. In the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles the German Empire was proclaimed. Wilhelm I of Prussia became the first German Kaiser and Otto Von Bismarck became the first German Chancellor.
Attempts to unify the German states before 1850 had been unsuccessful. There are several reasons why Germany became unified in the period 1850 – 1871.
In this section we will consider:-
1. Prussian economic strength
2. The decline of Austria
3. Prussian military strength
4. The leadership of Bismarck
5. The actions of Napoleon III
Prussian Economic Strength
(Ref: Power Point – ‘Growing Prussian Economic Strength’)
In the 1850s and 60s Prussia’s economy continued to grow. Economically, Prussia was starting to outstrip Austria. ‘This would have far-reaching political, economic and military consequences for both powers.’ (McGonigle)
1. Describe the growth of Prussian industry (mention coal, iron and railways).
2. Why was the acquisition of the Rhineland so important to the growth of Prussian industry?
3. Explain the continued importance of the Zollverein during this period.
Bismarck famously said in 1862 that it would be ‘iron and blood’ that would unite the German states. The British economist J.M. Keynes, however said that German unification was due more to ‘coal and iron’.
4. Explain the meaning of the quotes above from Bismarck and Keynes.
The Decline of Austria
(Ref: Power Points – ‘The Decline of Austria’ and ‘Prussian Growth/Austrian Decline’)
In the 1850s and 1860s the balance of power within the German states began to swing away from Austria and towards Prussia. Economically, militarily and politically Prussia was becoming the dominant state.
5. Why did Austria’s political power decline in the 1850s? (Mention: death of Schwarzenberg.)
6. Explain the failure of Austria to establish an alternative Zollverein in 1852 and the impact of Austria’s industrial backwardness on her military strength.
7. Explain why Austria’s previously good relationships with Russia ended. (Mention: Crimean War)
8. Why did Austria’s international power decline in the 1850s? (Mention: industrial backwardness and the French and Italian Wars)
Prussian Military Strength
The Key Men Come to Power
In 1858 Frederick William IV of Prussia was declared insane and his brother William, or Wilhelm, became Regent. In 1861 Frederick William died and William became Prussian King (Wilhelm I)
King William was a very different man to his older brother. He was by training and profession a soldier – thus, he was willing to use war an instrument of foreign policy. He was keen to avenge the ‘Humiliation of Olmutz’. Also he believed in the Divine Right of Kings, i.e. that monarchs were appointed by God and responsible only to God for their actions; certainly monarchs should not give too much power to elected assemblies. However, Wilhelm was willing to appoint government ministers who were strong-minded.
In 1859 upon becoming Regent, Wilhelm appointed Albrecht von Roon to be the Prussian Minister of War. Von Roon was determined to strengthen Prussia’s army. Next, Wilhelm appointed Helmuth von Moltke as Chief of the Prussian General Staff.
9. Explain von Roon’s and von Moltke’s plans to modernise and expand the Prussian army.
10. Take a page and divide it into three sections. In each section, summarise the role and importance of the Prussian army in each of the three Wars of Unification with Denmark, Austria and Prussia. (Leave a page and come back and do this question when you have learned about the Wars of Unification
The Role of Bismarck
New taxes were needed to pay for the army reforms and the Landtag (Prussian parliament, dominated by Liberals) refused to agree to the new taxes. This resulted in a constitutional crisis over who ruled Prussia – King or Landtag? Wilhelm considered abdication but was persuaded by von Roon to summon Otto von Bismarck from Paris to resolve the crisis.
11. Who was Otto von Bismarck and why was he chosen by Wilhelm to become the new Minister President of Prussia?
12. Quote the most significant part of Bismarck’s ‘iron and blood’ speech and explain how it illustrates Bismarck’s future approach to the unification process.
13. How did Bismarck resolve the crisis?
14. Bismarck is famous for his opportunism and Realpolitik. Explain.
The Schleswig-Holstein Crisis and War with Denmark 1864
Ref: Richards pp143 - 146
15. Put the following statements about the outbreak of the Prusso-Danish War of 1864 into the correct chronological order.
¨ The Prussians and Austrians formed an alliance
¨ Because there had been frequent disputes over the Duchies, the 1852 London Protocol guaranteed their virtual independence from Denmark.
¨ These two states were largely independent, though technically the King of Denmark was Duke of both of them.
¨ Holstein was a member state of the Bund.
¨ In 1863 the new Danish King attempted to increase his control of the two duchies, thus breaking the London Protocol.
¨ German nationalists protested to the Bund.
¨ Bismarck saw this as an opportunity to promote Prussia as the champion of German interests.
¨ Schleswig and Holstein were two Duchies (i.e. territories governed by a Duke) between Denmark and the Bund.
¨ The Bund sent troops to defend the German population of the duchies.
¨ War broke out on 1st February 1864.
¨ Holstein had a largely German population, as did southern Schleswig. Northern Schleswig was mostly Danish.
16. Who won the war and why? (Make sure to mention the isolation of Denmark – Ref Richards pp144 - 145)
17. Give details of the 1865 Convention of Gastein.
18. Why did Bismarck refer to the Convention of Gastein as ‘papering over the cracks’?
The Austro-Prussian War (The Seven Weeks’ War) 1866
Ref: Richards pp146 - 149
Bismarck’s primary goal had always been a Kleindeutschland, dominated by Prussia. In order to achieve this war against Austria was unavoidable. Building on what had been learned in the war against Denmark he began to prepare for such a war.
19. How did Bismarck ensure French neutrality in any future war between Prussia and Austira? (Mention Biarritz and the actions of Napoleon III)
20. What were the terms of the Prussian alliance with Italy drawn up in April 1866.