All categories

3 years ago

Explain the role of Otto von Bismarck played in he unification of Germany

1 answer:

5 0

The man who did most to unite the German states was Otto Von Bismarck. He was the Prussian Chancellor and his main goal was to strengthen even further the position of Prussia in Europe. His primary aims were to:

unify the north German states under Prussian control

weaken Prussia's main rival, Austria, by removing it from the Bund

make Berlin the centre of German affairs - not Vienna

strengthen the position of the King of Prussia, William I, to counter the demands for reform from the Liberals in the Prussian parliament (the Reichstag).

It is important to note that there is much debate about Bismarck's aims to unify all German states under Prussian rule. Some historians argue that Bismarck only intended to unify the north German states but the strength of nationalist feelings after 1866 led to German unification under its own steam. According to this opinion, Bismarck actually reacted to political changes in other German states and capitalised on it rather than pursuing a master plan from the beginning to control all German states.

Army reforms

Bismarck wanted to build up Prussia's army in case his unification plans led to war. To do this he needed money. The Prussian parliament refused to allow money to be raised for Bismarck's military reforms.

Bismarck ignored the Reichstag and simply collected the money for army reforms through general taxation. He never bothered to obtain permission from the Reichstag.

Congress of Princes 1863

To counter Prussia's growing influence, Austria tried to strengthen its position in the Bund. Since it was in theory the leading member of the Bund, an increase in the power of the Bund would strengthen Austria.

Bismarck thwarted Austria's plans by insisting on popular elections to the Diet (the Bund's parliament). Austria refused and neither its or Bismarck's reforms happened.

Bismarck had successfully ruined Austria's plans and was seen, ironically, as a defender of the Liberal nationalists.

You might be interested in

Who was the first. person to sign the constitution

juin [17]

George Washington:)))

4 0

3 years ago

Many things were invented during WW2. Please name and describe three of these inventions. Often, new inventions are discovered d

musickatia [10]

Answer:

the jerry can. a handheld plastic container used to transport water or fuel

nylon. an artificial alternative to silk used to make clothes

Aerosol can a pressurized can usually used to store a gas or pressurized liquid

6 0

3 years ago

The app has been on for a while now I have been trying

Alja [10]

I dont have that good of a shot try and get a better one

3 0

3 years ago

What did Hindus call the tally of all the good and bad a person had done in their lifetime?

Delvig [45]

Karma is the concept that comes from the Hindu religion that believes at death all of your good deeds and all of your bad deeds are added up and those amounts will determine your next life.

4 0

4 years ago

PLEASE HELP

ira [324]

Answer:

Question 3: The answer is false.

Question 4: The answer is true.

Question 5: The answer is true.

Question 6: The answer is false.

Question 7: The answer is true.

Question 8: The answer is true.

Question 9: The answer is true.

Explanation:

Question 3: About 2.75 million soldiers fought in the Civil War — 2 million for the North and 750,000 for the South.

Question 4: The North produced 17 times more cotton and woolen textiles than the South, 30 times more leather goods, 20 times more pig iron, and 32 times more firearms. The North produced 3,200 firearms to every 100 produced in the South. Only about 40 percent of the Northern population was still engaged in agriculture by 1860, as compared to 84 percent of the South.

Even in the agricultural sector, Northern farmers were out-producing their southern counterparts in several important areas, as Southern agriculture remained labor intensive while northern agriculture became increasingly mechanized. By 1860, the free states had nearly twice the value of farm machinery per acre and per farm worker as did the slave states, leading to increased productivity. As a result, in 1860, the Northern states produced half of the nation's corn, four-fifths of its wheat, and seven-eighths of its oats.

Question 5: The South had much better leadership during the American Civil War than the North. Generals such as Robert E. Lee , Stonewall Jackson, and J. E. B. Stuart were well trained, skilled generals, contrasting to the ineffective generals of the North. Lincoln was so displeased with his military leaders, he fired General McClellan because he did not trust him.

Question 6: The outcome of the victory of the South could have been another Union, ruled by the Southern States. The United States of America would have another capital in Richmond. They would have kept the name of “confederation” in memory to the “civil war” and to the position of the Southern states, but being a true federal country. The industrious prosperity of the North would have been stopped and slavery would have remained in the entire United States for a long time.

Question 7: The 1862 Homestead Act accelerated settlement of U.S. western territory by allowing any American, including freed slaves, to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land. President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Homestead Act on May 20, 1862 granted Americans 160-acre plots of public land for the price a small filing fee. The Civil War-era act, considered one of the United States’ most important pieces of legislation, led to Western expansion and allowed citizens of all walks of life—including former slaves, women and immigrants—to become landowners.

The incentive to move and settle on western territory was open to all U.S. citizens, or intended citizens, and resulted in 4 million homestead claims, although 1.6 million deeds in 30 states were actually officially obtained. Montana, followed by North Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska had the most successful claims. Native Americans were forced from their lands and onto reservations to make way for homesteaders.

Question 8: The initial British goal was to contain revolutionary sentiment to Massachusetts. But the British redcoats suffered horrendous casualties at the Battle of Bunker Hill outside of Boston in July 1775, where 47 percent of the British redcoats were killed or wounded. In January, 1776, cannons that the patriots had captured at Fort Ticonderoga, a British post at the southern end of Lake Champlain in New York, reached Boston. The cannons enabled the patriots to fortify the high grounds south of the city. Recognizing that they could no longer hold the city, the British evacuated Boston and sailed to Canada.

The new British strategy was to capture New York, where many Loyalists lived, and use it as a base to conquer the middle colonies. In 1776, the British launched the largest sea and land offensive before the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942, and nearly trapped Washington's army in Brooklyn. Washington's forces retreated through New Jersey into Pennsylvania.

In 1777, the British launched another offensive, designed to split New England off from the rest of the colonies. While one British army marched south from Montreal, another was to march northward from New York City. The northern army was defeated at the battle of Saratoga, 30 miles north of Albany, N.Y., and 5,000 British soldiers surrendered.

Question 9: Jefferson was a “brutal hypocrite” even when judged by the standards of his time. It is noted that “while many of his contemporaries, including George Washington, freed their slaves during and after the revolution--inspired, perhaps, by the words of the Declaration--Jefferson did not.” Jefferson also avoided opportunities to diminish slavery or advance racial equality.

4 0

3 years ago