At the beginning of the 19th century, Germany was called the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, which included more than 300 states. Among them, Austria, Bavaria, Saxony, Prussia, Württemberg and others had the greatest influence. These states were subordinate to the emperor and the Sejm only formally, having almost complete independence.
The unification of Germany in the 19th century was carried out under the influence of many factors. For example, from an economic point of view, the need arose to create a single economic space. Various monetary currencies and numerous customs barriers hindered the development of trade. In addition, to repel external threats, the state had to be united, strong and powerful, and not fragmented. It needed a single centralized power. That is why the unification of Germany was only a matter of time.
As a result of the war with Napoleon, the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation ceased to exist. In the territories of western Germany from 1806 to 1813 the Rhine Union was formed , which included 16 states pledged to participate in hostilities on the side of France. On these lands Napoleon abolished serfdom and in 1804 introduced the Civil Code. However, after the defeat of Napoleon, the union broke up.
In 1815, at the Vienna Congress, under the hegemony of Austria, 4 free cities and 34 states were merged into the German Union. They maintained their independence, but the dominant role was given to Austria, which presided as the largest state in the ruling body - the Union Diet.
In 1834, the Customs Union was formed, which included Prussia, Bavaria and another 16 states. It was led by Prussia, which also sought to unite Germany. This was facilitated by the increasing industrial power every year.
For the unification of Germany, two large states, Austria and Prussia, fought under their leadership. The first was a Catholic and multinational country. Therefore, the national question was acute before her. In addition, it was economically backward.
Unification of Germany was carried out by military means. In 1866, O. Bismarck, who was at the head of the Prussian troops, concluded a secret agreement with Italy against Austria. In June of that year, he provoked a war, occupying Holstein. At the suggestion of Austria, the Union Sejm decided to mobilize troops against Prussia. As a result, Prussian and Italian troops attacked Austria and its allies. The latter were broken. On August 24, 1866, a peace treaty was signed in Prague with Prussia, according to which Austria renounced claims to hegemony in the states of Germany.
After the victory of Prussia over Austria, the first became the only unifier. To unite the northern German lands, Prussia defeated Denmark, and the southern and western ones defeated France. As a result of the unification of states, Berlin, the political center of Prussia, became the capital of the German Empire. In form of government, it became a constitutional monarchy. The emperor (Kaiser) was the king of Prussia. Legislative power was exercised by parliament. It consisted of two chambers: the Bundesrat (Union Council) and the Reichstag (Imperial Assembly).
The unification of Germany in 1871 was enshrined in the Constitution, which was adopted on April 16 by the Constituent Reichstag. The state was a federation built on a territorial basis and consisting of three groups. The first included 22 monarchies: 4 kingdoms, 7 principalities and 11 great principalities. The second consisted of free cities with a republican system. And the third included imperial lands - Alsace and Lorraine.
The unification of Germany led to its significant strengthening: it became a great European power, which had a great influence on subsequent history.