HIST2086Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor

War with Austria 1866

Lecture 1112 October 2010

Austria’s foreign policy

• Anti-Prussian + pro-French orientation of new Austrian foreign minister Mensdorff-Pouilly + his adviser Biegeleben

• Promoted war with Prussia:

→ Seen as chance to win fresh financial means (war indemnity) for Austria’s declining economy + empty cash-boxes

→ Seen as instrument to stop Prussia’s advance in Germany

= Provoked tensions with Prussia by supporting Duke of Augustenburg as ruler of independent S-H

Bismarck’s strategy (1)

• Overall goal: To exclude Austria from Germany + to create Prussia-dominated Germany

• Promoted annexation of Schleswig-Holstein by Prussia but searched for good opportunity

+ favourable international constellation

• Offered Austria acceptable solution for S-H: Further administrative division but joint rule

→ Strong disappointment of ‘Third Germany’ about Austria’s end of support for independent S-H

Bismarck’s strategy (2)

• Signed secret alliance with Italy, Apr 1866:

Italy agreed to follow Prussia in war with Austria + received Venetia from Austria as reward

• Stoked up tensions with Austria over Holstein + launched proposals to reform German Confederation → unacceptable for Austria

• Prepared war with Austria despite stiff resistance of King William + German public

Bismarck’s strategy (3)

• Reform proposal for German Confederation, Jun 1866:

• Directly-elected national parliament

• Exclusion of Austria from German Confederation

• Division-of-power in Germany between Prussia + Bavaria

Austria’s reaction

• Rejected Bismarck’s reform proposal

• Applied to mobilise Confederation troops against Prussia

• Cancelled diplomatic relations to Prussia

• Triggered Confederation’s vote against Prussia at Frankfurt Diet

= Clear break of Confederation Act

= Provoked Prussia’s declaration that Confederation Act was terminated

War with Austria

• ‘German Civil War’ – ‘German War’ – ‘Seven Weeks’ War’ – Brothers’ War

(Deutscher Krieg)

• Austria: 400,000 troops + support of most of ‘Third Germany’ ≠ Prussia 300,000 troops

• Italy’s entry into war: Two-front-war for Austria but Italy quickly defeated

Battle of Königgrätz (Sadowa)3 July 1866

Prussia

Technically & strategically superior

• 220.000 troops with breech-loaders

• Led by King Wilhelm I. and chief-of-staff Moltke (‘a genius strategist’)

• 9,200 dead & wounded

Austria + Saxony

Superior artillery but strategically inferior

• 178.000 As + 20,800 Ss with mainly muzzle-loaders

• Led by Benedek against his own will & skills

• 30,000 As + 1,500 Ss dead & wounded

= Decisive Prussian victory

France’s intervention

• Strong pressure of King William + P’s military to occupy Austrian territory

≠ Bismarck’s strong interest in quick peace with Austria to refuse Napoleon III’s mediation offer

+ his territorial claims

• French mediation role accepted by Austria but not by Prussia + Italy: Occupation of Austrian province of Venetia by Italy, July 1866

• French territorial claims on Germany east of Rhine River ‘as compensation for mediation’ strongly rejected by Bismarck with threat of all-German war on France

= Napoleon III’s diplomatic defeat = Seed for next war!

Treaty of Prague (1) (Prussia-Austria, Aug 1866)

• Prussia’s annexation of S-H, Hesse-Cassel, Hanover, Nassau, Frankfurt

• North German states to join North German Confederation under Prussian leadership

• Independence of South German states guaranteed due to French intervention + Bismarck’s fear

of too quick absorption but signing of secret military alliance between South Germany + Prussia in case of French attack

Treaty of Prague (2) (Prussia-Austria, Aug 1866)

• Usually seen as milestone on way to German unity

• Destroyed unity of German Confederation + secured Prussia’s dominance in Germany

• Separated Germans into 3 units: North German Confederation, 4 South German states, Austria

= Prussia enlarged by 1/5 with coherent territory

= German nation state now only blocked by France