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Briefly trace the process of German Unification
Answer:
A Prussian-dominated nation-state with federal features, that is unification of Germany officially occurred on 18th January 1871 at the Palace of Versailles in France. The princes of most of the German states assembled there to proclaim King Wilhelm I of Prussia as German Emperor during the Franco- Prussian War. This crucial event had a major impact on European politics for decades.
The treaty of Verdun in 843 gave an opportunity for Germany as it was a confederation of German princedoms that came into existence. German nationalism had no emotion among the people till the 1800s. The states other than princely states were directly ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. The Princely States were autonomous. The famous ‘practice of kleinstaaterei’ is the system of having small states within the empire. The Industrial Revolution has improved transportation and communication and brought many loosely bound nations into close contact with each other. In 1806, the Holy Roman Empire dissolved with the abdication of Emperor Francis II during the Napoleonic Wars. German-speaking regions were connected on a linguistic and cultural basis but the administrative disruption had little effect on these regions.
Significance of unification of Germany
- In European history, German unification was a watershed moment. The new unified German nation brought about a major change in the political scenario of the regions. The changes in balance and other powers became cautious.
- Unified Germany successfully brought together the quarrelling states under one state in a short period of time and boasted a powerful army.
