Did Otto Von Bismarck single handedly achieve German unification?

Answer 1

One can not solely claim that Otto Von Bismarck brought about German unification. It was a number of factors which worked in his favor.

For example, the Zollverein was an effective economic force in unifying some of the disgruntled southern states with Prussia.

But in relation to Bismarck 'single-handedly' achieving German Unification, one could state that he did so pragmatically, in such events as the annexation of Luxembourg, which caused an upsurge in nationalism and anti-french feeling throughout Germany, this allowed him to have a huge military budget passed and gave him the ample opportunity to defeat Napoleon II.

One could not just argue that Bismarck single-handedly achieved German unification, it was brought about through 'blood and iron' and not 'coal and iron' as Keynes later argues. Pragmatic actions coupled with the superiority of the free trading Zollverein under the helm of Von Roon. It should also be noted that Bismarck never planned full German Unification, a key primary source that concludes this can be found in a letter to his wife, which reads 'There is nothing left to achieve in our lifetime'.

But evidently the military pacts Prussia had made with southern states on the eve of warfare meant that if warfare broke out, Prussia would have political dominance over those states.

Nationalism within Germany at the time can not be credited as a significant factor in German unification. Numbers within nationalist groups were always relatively low, and it is important not to confuse nationalism with patriotism.

Thus concluding this short response. It was pragmatic Bismarck actions that brought about German unification, but Germany was certainly not unified by Bismarck 'single-handedly'.