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A Nazi Postcard from 1933
• The slogan on the postcard (not in the picture) was:
‘What the King conquered, the Prince shaped, the Field Marshal defended, the Soldier saved, and united’
‘What the King conquered…’
• Under Frederick the Great (right), Prussia increased its size and importance in Europe in the late 18th Century.
• By the beginning of the 19th Century Prussia was challenging the Austrian Empire as the dominant Germanic state.
• The Prussians achieved this through having a powerful military.
The Prince shaped…• In 1861 Bismarck was
appointed Minister-President of Prussia.
• He brutally suppressed Liberal opposition to increase military expenditure.
• He is best known for his genius in foreign policy.
Wars of Unification• Under the leadership of
Bismarck Prussia engaged in 3 wars to unify Germany.
• These wars were against:1864 – Denmark1866 – Austria1870 – France
• The Second German Reich was proclaimed 18th January 1871 in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles. (pictured right)
• Kaiser Wilhelm I became Kaiser of all of Germany.
The Power Structure of the New Germany
• The Hohenzollern monarch (Kaiser) was Commander-in-Chief of the German Armed forces and could declare war as he saw fit.
• The Imperial Chancellor was appointed by, and was responsible only to the Kaiser.
• The Reichstag was a popularly elected House of Representatives. This institution did have some powers, but was largely a rubber-stamp for Bismarck’s policies.
Summary – Bismarck’s Achievement• Otto von Bismarck was the principal architect of a
German state which:Valued the end above consideration of the means;Preached the necessity for submission to higher
authority;Taught its citizens to believe in their special destiny;Saw war as the continuation of diplomacy by other
means;Demonstrated the German ability to overcome
adversity through planning and preparation;Proved the value of order, system, method, and
stability;
Pre-1918 Germany
• Had traditions of:NationalismMilitarismAuthoritarianism
Weimar Republic• During the turmoil of the Weimar republic
many Germans looked back on the old Imperial Germany with fondness.
• They were looking for someone to lead them back to the “good old days” when Germany was great.
• Hitler and the Nazis took advantage of these feelings...
• Some Germans wanted a ……?
• A knight in shining armour!
• To save them!