The Austro-Prussian War / Seven Weeks War was the war that took place between Prussia and Austria in order to decide the fates and control of Germany. It was also the second major war that resulted in the formation of Germany as one state. It was triggered by rivalries between Prussian and Habsburg monarchies over Germany’s supremacy.
The relationship between Austria and Prussia had been severely damaged over the winter 1865-1866. It would not be necessary to settle the fates of Schleswig or Holstein if there were to be war. Prussia had control over Schleswig, while Austria held Holstein. But also over the question who should take control of Germany. The Prussian government acknowledged that war against Austria was inevitable. The war ended in victory by Prussia which saw the exclusion Austria from Germany. The Treaty of Prague of August 1866 which saw Austria agreeing that Prussia annex Schleswig, Holstein to Prussia, ended the German Confederation. The North German Confederation included all German states north of River main. The Zollverein German customs association was established 1834 under Prussian rule. This idea was raised in 1818 by Prussia, who announced their openness to free trade with other countries. It was a step toward unification of Germany. It was a German-led trading union that allowed trade to flow freely between all German states. The German Confederation was instrumental in unifying Germany. However, the new German States also gained a sense nationalist sentiment for their newly discovered countries and cultures. This was the catalyst for the Zollverein.
The Zollverein was an important German trading union that allowed trade across all German states. This made it possible to quickly share resources between states. This created a sense of nationality by allowing each state to experience its culture. International tariffs were abolished by the Zollverein, which led to higher rates and greater economic growth. Overall, the Zollverein was a larger version of Prussian Customs Union and included far more German states. Otto Von Bismarck Was Born
Because Otto Von Bismarck was responsible for most of the unification efforts in Germany, this was important. He sought to strengthen King Wilhelm I’s status to counter the Liberals in Prussian politics. Bismarck was in fact in charge of King Wilhelm I’s affairs, and he was controlled by him. Bismarck created tensions between France & Prussia that led to the Franco–Prussian war. The French declared war on the Prussians but they won. Wilhelm I was then crowned Emperor of a united Germany. Germany being unified, Wilhelm I was crowned emperor of a united Germany. Bismarck used their domestic power to benefit from it.
www.history.com says that Bismarck engaged in cultural warfare against Catholics (36% of Germany) for much of the 1870s. This included putting parochial school under state control and exiling the Jesuits. Bismarck also created North German Confederation. The North German Confederation consisted of 22 states from northern Germany and the Kingdom of Prussia. It was created in August 1866. Later, it was merged into one state. It gave Germany a constitution.
