A confederation called the German Union lasted a little over 50 years. It was an attempt to strike a compromise between numerous German states.
Creation Background
Throughout almost its entire history, Germany has been divided into many principalities, duchies and kingdoms. This was due to the historical features of the development of these territories. In the X century, the Holy Roman Empire was created . It united all German lands, however, various states within it enjoyed autonomy.
Over time, the emperor’s power waned, and at the beginning of the 19th century, Napoleonic wars broke out in Europe, which finally showed the inefficiency of the old system. Franz II abdicated in 1806 and became an Austrian ruler. In addition, he owned vast territories in Central Europe: Hungary, Czech Republic, Croatia, etc.
To the north of Austria there were a huge number of small states, as well as the kingdom of Prussia, which became Austria’s main rival. After Napoleon was defeated, monarchs from all over the continent met in Vienna in 1814 to discuss the future world order. The German question was one of the key, because the Holy Roman Empire de facto no longer existed.
Decision of the Vienna Congress
By decision of the Vienna Congress on June 8, 1815, the German Union was created. It was a confederation - an association of independent states. All of them had a common German identity. An important role in the creation of the confederation was played by the Austrian diplomat Clemens Metternich.
Borders
The borders of the German Union included 39 members. All of them were formally equal, despite the fact that the titles of rulers were noticeably different. The German Union included the Austrian Empire, the kingdoms - Bavaria, Württemberg, Hanover, Prussia, Saxony, as well as many principalities. There were also city republics (Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck and Frankfurt), which throughout the Middle Ages and modern times enjoyed the privileges granted by the Kaiser.
The largest countries - Prussia and Austria, also owned lands that de jure did not belong to the German Union. These were the provinces where other peoples lived (Hungarians, Poles, etc.). In addition, the creation of the German Union stipulated the special status of German territories located in other states. For example, the British crown also owned the kingdom of Hanover. The ruling dynasty in London inherited it from relatives.
Political Features
A representative body of the German Union, the Union Assembly, was also created. It was attended by representatives of all members of the confederation. Since the meeting met in Frankfurt, it was this city that was considered the formal capital of the association. The number of representatives of one state depended on its size. So, Austria had the most authorized representatives in the assembly. Moreover, the representative body rarely met in full force, and current issues could be resolved with a small number of votes.
The creation of the German Union was necessary primarily for small states that wanted to maintain the previous position that existed before the invasion of Napoleon. The pan-European war mixed borders within Germany. Napoleon created puppet states that did not last long. Now the small principalities and free cities, left without protection from the supreme power in the person of the Holy Roman Emperor, tried to protect themselves from aggressive neighbors.
The German Union of 1815 was distinguished by a wide variety of political forms. Some of its states continued to live under the autocracy, others had representative bodies, and only in units did they have their own constitution, limiting the power of the monarch.
Revolution of 1848
During the existence of the German Union, the industrial revolution and economic growth began on the territory of all its states. As a result, the situation of the proletariat worsened, which served as one of the reasons for the 1848 revolution. Popular protests against the authorities at the same time took place in many other countries, including France. In Austria, the revolution was also of a national character - the Hungarians demanded independence. They were defeated only after the troops of the Russian monarch Nicholas I arrived at the rescue of the emperor.
In other German states, the 1848 revolution led to liberalization. Some countries have adopted a constitution.
Austro-Prussian war and dissolution
Over the years, the difference in economic development between the various members of the union only widened. The most powerful countries were Prussia and Austria. It was between them that a dispute broke out - around whom Germany would be united. The German people increasingly wanted to unite in one state, as was the case in all European countries.
The German Union could not contain these contradictions, and in 1866 an Austro-Prussian war broke out. Vienna and Berlin decided to resolve their dispute using weapons. In addition, Italy sided with Prussia, who wanted to get Austria-owned Venice and complete their own unification. The small German states split up and stood on opposite sides of the barricades.
Prussia won this war thanks to economic superiority over the rival. The biggest contribution to the success was made by the legendary Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, who for many years pursued a policy of strengthening his country. The victory of Prussia led to the fact that the German Union ceased to be relevant. He self-dissolved on August 23, 1866, a month after the end of the war.
In return, Prussia created the North German Union, and in 1871 the German Empire was created. It included all German lands, including those recaptured after the war with France. Austria, however, remained behind these events and became a double monarchy - Austria-Hungary. Both empires were destroyed after the First World War.