What was the condition of Germany before 1871?

Answer 1

From 1815-1866 Germany consisted of 39 states which for most purposes were sovereign. (Before about 1794 it had just over 360 states!) Many of the states were poor and some were badly run. Nearly all were undemocratic till the late 1850s, and even in those states which nominally had parliaments the governments sometimes just did what they wanted and treated the constitution with utter contempt. Many of the German states kept their citizens under surveillance and censored the press. 'Insulting the monarchy' could - and did - land people in jail. Some parts of the German lands began to industrialize, initially on a modest scale, from about 1825 onwards (Kingdom of Saxony, the Ruhr and parts of the Nothern Rhineland) and from 1840 onwards also Upper Silesia. From 1850-1873 there was a prolonged boom. and living standards rose, especially in the industrial and adjacent areas and the big cities. There was a significant gap in living standards between these regions and agricultural areas far away from industry. Some parts of the country far from industry were still poor even c. 1870. However, many of the German-speaking countries were among the first to make education compulsory and the school system in Prussia was envied and copied abroad. Its universities, with their emphasis on research were held in very high regard, too. From 1862 onwards Prussia took the leading role in uniting Germany. One of the most important steps was the expulsion of Austria from Germany by war in 1866. (Until then Austria had been the official 'tog dog' in Germany ...) In the war of 1866 Prussia annexed a number of states such a Hanover and Electoral Hesse that had backed Austria. In 1867 Prussia established the North German Confederation, and during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 the South German states also joined to create the German Empire - which was firmly under Prussian leadership. By 1880 at the latest Germany was acknowledged as the leading military and industrial power in Continental Europe. Joncey
Germany was divided in to many small areas with all different governments

Answer 2

Germany did not exist as a unified country prior to 1871. Before then it was made up of a bunch of little countries, and one larger one, Prussia. The little countries were frequently attacked by their neighbors, so there was a lot of support for a unified German country that would be stronger. Gradually the king of Prussia conquered the rest or convinced them to join the new German Empire.

Answer 3

After about 1815 there was a growing movement in favor of German unification. Many in the German-speaking felt that being divided into 39 more or less sovereign states (countries) put them at a disadvantage by comparison with nation-states like France or Britain. Until about 1860 the German states had resisted unification. However, in the early 1860s Bismarck (and others) decided to use German nationalism as a means to creating a kind of 'Greater Prussia' (without Austria).

Answer 4

Condition of Germany before 1871 & Need for Unification Before unification, German territory was made up of 26 http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Constituent_state. These states consisted of kingdoms, grand duchies, duchies, principalities, free Hanseatic cities and one imperial territory. The http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Kingdom_of_Prussia was the largest of the constituent states, covering about 60 percent of the territory of the German Empire. Several of these states had gained sovereignty following the dissolution of the http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire. Others were created as sovereign states after the http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Congress_of_Vienna in 1815. Territories were not necessarily contiguous - many existed in several parts, as a result of historical acquisition, or, in several cases, divisions of the ruling family trees. These constituent states were loosly bound togather as the German Confederation. Each component of the German Empire sent representatives to the Imperial Council (http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Bundesrat_of_Germany) and the Imperial Diet (http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Reichstag_(institution)). Relations between the Imperial centre and the Empire's components were somewhat fluid, and were developed on an ongoing basis. The extent to which the http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/German_Emperor could, for example, intervene on occasions of disputed or unclear succession was much debated on occasions. (for example with the http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Principality_of_Lippe inheritance crisis.) The States have conflicts on various issues -( like teritory, inheritance of property, suprimacy over others, socialism & liberalism etc. ) & fight with each others. Unified Germany was also a necessicity for rapid industrial growth, free trade across various states (A common market), & to gain political & miltory suprimscy over nebouring countries.

Answer 5

Prussia - Northern Section Kingdom of Baden-Wurttenberg Kingdom of Bavaria Saxony-Coburg

Answer 6

To get to the other side.