The Unification of Germany, c1840-71 | Edexcel A-Level History (9HI0)

The Unification of Germany, c1840-71

158 questions
16 subtopics
Paper 2: the depth study, one option of sixteen
Paper 2

A Paper 2 depth study of German unification from the eve of the 1848 revolutions to the proclamation of the Empire at Versailles, covering the Confederation and Austrian dominance, the failure of the liberal revolution, the economic rise of Prussia, and the three wars by which Bismarck excluded Austria and brought the southern states into a Prussian-led empire..

It covers the political situation in the 1840s, economic and social developments in the 1840s, short-term causes of revolution, 1846–48, outbreak of revolution in 1848, the Frankfurt Parliament, 1848–49, revolution in Prussia, 1848–49, reasons for the failure of the revolutions, the political impact of the German revolutions, austrian strengths and weaknesses, economic developments in Prussia, political developments in Prussia, prussia’s victory over Austria, 1862–1866, prussia’s role in Germany, 1866–67, prussia’s relations with France, 1866–70, the Franco-Prussian War and the German Empire and reasons for Prussia's success.

Sample questions from The Unification of Germany, c1840-71

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

The political situation in the 1840s

How did Austria dominate the Confederation?

Show the answer
It held the permanent presidency, controlled the Diet's agenda, and used Metternich's system of censorship and the Carlsbad Decrees to suppress nationalism.
Short-term causes of revolution, 1846–48

What did the middle-class nationalists want in 1847-48?

Show the answer
A national parliament, a written constitution, freedom of press and assembly, trial by jury, and a united German state with a single market.
The Frankfurt Parliament, 1848–49

Why did Frederick William IV refuse the imperial crown in 1849?

Show the answer
He would not accept a crown offered by an elected assembly (a 'crown from the gutter') rather than by fellow princes, and feared Austria.
Reasons for the failure of the revolutions

What divisions weakened the revolutionaries?

Show the answer
Grossdeutsch against Kleindeutsch, republicans against constitutional monarchists, liberals against democrats, and every state's interests against Frankfurt's.
Austrian strengths and weaknesses

What financial problems weakened Austria?

Show the answer
Chronic deficits, an inconvertible currency, the cost of the 1859 and 1866 wars, and the need to garrison a multinational empire.
Political developments in Prussia

How did events in Italy in 1859 affect German opinion?

Show the answer
Italian unification under Piedmont suggested that a strong state could unite a nation, which strengthened the argument for Prussian leadership.
Prussia’s role in Germany, 1866–67

Why did the southern German states remain outside in 1867?

Show the answer
The southern states (Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden), Catholic Bavaria and Baden especially, were wary of Prussian dominance, though tied to Prussia by military alliances.
The Franco-Prussian War and the German Empire

Who became the first Kaiser of the German Empire?

Show the answer
Wilhelm I of Prussia.

The 16 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic	What it covers	Questions
The political situation in the 1840s	Recall questions on the German Confederation and Austrian presidency, Prussia's position, the Carlsbad Decrees, the Hambach Festival, and how liberalism and nationalism were joined.	10
Economic and social developments in the 1840s	Recall questions on regional economic divisions, Prussia's growing dominance, railway building, the social question, the Silesian weavers, and why economic change favoured unity.	10
Short-term causes of revolution, 1846–48	Recall questions on the harvest and credit crisis, the March Demands, the effect of the February revolution in Paris, and why rulers conceded so quickly.	10
Outbreak of revolution in 1848	Recall questions on Metternich's fall, the Berlin barricades, the March governments, the Vorparlament, and the Malmo armistice that exposed Frankfurt's weakness.	10
The Frankfurt Parliament, 1848–49	Recall questions on the Fundamental Rights, how long the constitution took, the Grossdeutsch and Kleindeutsch positions, and the refusal of the imperial crown.	10
Revolution in Prussia, 1848–49	Recall questions on Frederick William IV's response, the Prussian National Assembly, the imposed constitution, the three-class franchise, and the Junker counter-revolution.	10
Reasons for the failure of the revolutions	Recall questions on the survival of the armies, the revival of Habsburg power, divisions among the revolutionaries, the national question, and the risings of May 1849.	9
The political impact of the German revolutions	Recall questions on the Erfurt Union, Schwarzenberg's response, Olmutz, the restored Confederation, and what Prussia learned from the humiliation.	10
Austrian strengths and weaknesses	Recall questions on its political assets in Germany, its financial problems, exclusion from the Zollverein, the effect of 1859, and the Frankfurt Princes' Congress.	10
Economic developments in Prussia	Recall questions on the growth of the Zollverein and its political use, Prussian finances, the Ruhr and Krupp, railways, and how far economics explains unification.	10
Political developments in Prussia	Recall questions on Manteuffel's reforms, the Nationalverein, the New Era, the army reforms and the constitutional crisis, and Bismarck's gap theory.	10
Prussia’s victory over Austria, 1862–1866	Recall questions on Bismarck's aims, the Schleswig-Holstein question and Gastein, the diplomatic isolation of Austria, Koniggratz, and the Treaty of Prague.	9
Prussia’s role in Germany, 1866–67	Recall questions on why Austria was treated leniently, the annexations, the structure of the North German Confederation, universal male suffrage, and the southern alliances.	10
Prussia’s relations with France, 1866–70	Recall questions on the Luxemburg Crisis, the Hohenzollern candidature, the Ems Telegram, why France declared war, and how Bismarck isolated her.	10
The Franco-Prussian War and the German Empire	Recall questions on Sedan and the siege of Paris, how the southern states joined, the proclamation at Versailles, and the taking of Alsace-Lorraine.	10
Reasons for Prussia's success	Recall questions on Bismarck's personal role, the general staff and mobilisation by rail, economic weight, the part played by nationalism, and the role of luck.	10

The Unification of Germany, c1840-71 is 158 of the 6,832 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £9

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.