Essential+Questions

=__ Germany Essential Questions __=

1.What events promoted German unity during the early 1800' s? A. There were many events that promoted German unity. Napoleon annexed the land along the Rhine River. He also dissolved the Holy Roman Empire by making the emperor of Austria to agree to give up the title of king. Napoleon organized German states into the Rhine Confederation. Some Germans accepted the French emperor. He wanted to free the serfs abolished the laws against Jewish people. But not all Germans liked Napoleon. They fought the French to free their land from French rule. The Germans demanded a unified German state.

2. Explain the difference between a conservative and a liberal during this time period. A. Conservatives liked the traditional ways before the French Revolution. They wanted kings and royal families back. Napoleon wiped them out of Europe. They believed that lower classes should obey a higher social class person. They also liked catholic churches. Conservatives said that natural rights and constitutional would lead to chaos. They also believed that people benefited from defending peace and stability. Conservative leaders wanted to suppress revolutionary ideas. Liberals on the hand stood up for the middle class. Liberals were business owners, bankers, lawyers, politicians, newspaper editors, writers and others. They wanted governments to be based on constitution and separations of powers. Liberals spoke out against the monarchy and established churches. They defended the rights of liberty, people’s property and equality. Liberals called rulers that were picked by people. They were nationalists that wanted change. Most liberals were Bourgeoisie, rising middle class. They worked for a constitution and were Anti-Metternich and Congress of Vienna.

3. What was the Congress of Vienna? What is Balance of Power? How does this effect the German states? A. Congress of Vienna was a meeting between Prussia, Russia, Austria, and the UK. It was held from September 1814 to June 1815. The purpose of the meeting was to establish states along the eastern French border to make it stronger. The four great powers of Europe created the Netherlands out of Belgium and Holland. They also brought back the Italian kingdom of and also Genoa. Lands were being given to Prussia and Austria. Those two states were the first defense against attacks. Balance of power is the evenness of social, political, and economic strength. It didn't allow other states, nations, or groups from trying to inter with another nation or group.

4. How does economic unity help bring about political unity? A. Prussia made a new economic group called the Zollverein. It broke down many tariffs between German states. Germany's political stance was in pieces. Liberals had a meeting in the Frankfurt Assembly about political unity. Liberals offered a German state to Fredrick William IV but he rejected the offer. Bismarck was a diplomat for Prussia. In 1862, he became a prime minister. He had become a chancellor, the highest official for a monarch. Bismarck used the "blood and iron" mentality to unite Germans under Prussia.

5. Explain realpolitik and provide examples of how Bismarck used that to his advantage. A. Realpolitik is realistic politics based on the state. Bismarck was a supporter of Hohenzollerns, they were the legacy of Prussia. He wanted to strengthen the army with the help of liberals. The liberals didn't want to fund the army's expenses. Bismarck took money that was used for other things to fund the army. With the funds, Bismarck had a good and powerful army which he lead to three wars. They all increased Germany's unity.

6. What does the famous "blood and iron" speech represent, and how does this further impact the unification movement? A. The "Blood and Iron" Speech represents Prussia's role in the various German states and the military's superiority and aggressiveness. He believes this will eventually unite the German people into one nation. This speech impacts the Unification Movement because Otto Von Bismark told how it was difficult in Prussia to rule under the constitution leading to the Unification Movement.

7. How does warfare play a role in the unification process? A. Warfare plays a role in the Unification Movement because it led to a force composed of troops from most of the German states.

8. How was the new German government structured, and who held the real power in the new, unified State? A. After the win over France, southern German princes and the North German Confederation decided that William I should be emperor. Bismarck created a two house legislature. The two houses were named the Bundesrat, which was the upper house and the Reichstag, the lower house. The upper house could veto the lower house, which means that the power was in the hands of the emperor.

9. What economic and industrial advancements does Germany make well after the unification process?

Germany had many economic and industrial advancements. They had natural resources like coal and iron. They also had education for the middle and upper class. Germany had a huge amount of factory workers. They already had railroads which helped transport goods from place to place. Germans were the first to create synthetic chemicals. The government supported the development of the new universities.N

10. How does Nationalism unify the people of the German States? Nationalism unified the German states. All of the German states came together to help make Germany better. They created a new government, changed all the borders of the states, and the raised the spirits of the country. Bismarck and Napoleon were the two biggest people that help nationalism spread throughout Germany. Bismarck used his "blood and iron" speech to unite people under the Prussian rule. Napoleon created more territories throughout the country.