German Unification

German Unification German UnificationIn 1862, Bismarck became the Prussian chancellor, and he had huge plans for his country in the years to come. He intended to with unite Germany under Prussian rule. Bismarck thought that he could achieve these goals by controlling the people and making them believe in the same thing he did. Bismarck thought if he made the lower class believe in his thoughts and get them to vote his way he could use this against the liberals and Austria. He also believed that if he could get leaders of other countries to believe his ways this would play as a key part of obtaining his goal of German unification.Bismarck knew that to achieve his goal he was going to have to get the people on his side and stop other countries from fighting against him. He also knew there had to be war to reach his goal, but using his own army would make it look like he was trying to gain to much power.Preussischer MinisterprsidentBy the beginning of the 19th century in Prussia, the monarchy was already on shaky ground. Revolution had spread throughout europe, in economics, politics and thought. The philosophy of the enlightenment had questioned the rules and beliefs of the Christian church in Europe and the hierarchical feudal system in which wealth and political power rested with royalty and the nobility. The right of European kings and queens to govern with absolute power was questioned through passionate discussion of concepts such as human rights, liberty and the law. In England, monarchs had abandoned divine rule 300 years previously. Through the American War of Independence, it was declared that every man's had the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" and that "whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it was the right of the people to alter or abolish...