A United Germany
History: KS3, topic 16.1.1
A United Germany
The German states were unified in 1871 after winning the Franco-Prussian War. Germany then became so powerful that it began to threaten other European states.
Unified Germany
- Before 1871, the country of Germany did not exist.
- Instead, there was only a collection of separate and independent states.
- They became a united 'empire' in 1871 by winning the Franco-Prussian war against France.
- Germany now had greater strength to develop.
Balance of power
- This new country, Germany, was a threat to the balance of power in Europe.
- The reasons for this included:
- Germany had industrialised very quickly and was seeing fast economic growth.
- Germany had an experienced and strong military because of the wars they fought before unification in 1871.
Alliances
- The German leaders wanted to consolidate Germany, not cause difficulties by challenging other nations.
- They wanted to keep the balance of power stable in Europe so there would be no war.
- To make sure that there was peace in Europe, they began a series of alliances with European powers.
Test yourself on A United Germany
When was Germany unified?
Which event led to German unification?
Which aims did Germany have after unification?