Unification of Germany was bound to lead to the war between Prussia and Austria, Bismarck anticipated this in 1856.
Fight for Hegemony
Deleuz Schleswig and Holstein were deliberately chosen by Bismarck as good reasons for war with Austria. First, the conflict over the duchies reduced the likelihood of interference by other powers on the side of Austria; secondly, in case of victory, both duchies retreated to Prussia as an additional trophy in addition to the main prize – hegemony in German affairs.
Possession of Holstein under unclear conditions of joint ownership under the Gastein Convention rather created problems for Austria, than gave it benefits, as this duchy was separated from the empire by Prussian territory. An attempt by Austria to settle the matter by exchanging Holstein for a modest territory in the region of the Prussian-Austrian border came upon Bismarck’s categorical refusal. By February 1866 he decided on war, which was extremely unpopular both in Germany and among the Prussian society.
Before continuing with his plans he needed to put diplomatic efforts with some of the great powers first.
Tsar Alexander II favorably treated Prussia, the only great power that did not oppose Russia in the Crimean War. Bismarck won the king’s confidence even more with the promise in 1866 to support Russia’s demand for the repeal of the article of the Paris Treaty of 1856, which banned Russia from having the Black Sea navy.
The contradictions between France and Austria did not outweigh the fact that the politically united Germany was a serious threat to France’s national security. Bismarck in the fall of 1865 met with Napoleon III at a seaside resort in Biarritz, where he offered France the duchy of Luxembourg in exchange for neutrality. Napoleon made it clear that he wanted more, namely the Belgian kingdom. This strengthening of France was not part of Bismarck’s plans, he preferred to take a break in the state bargaining. France continued to be the most serious threat to Prussian expansion. Success could be brought only by a swift campaign in time to free the Prussian army before Napoleon III decided to enter into conflict. To do this, it was necessary to weaken the Austrian army by war on two fronts.
Bismarck used the discontent of the Italian Kingdom, formed in 1861, by the fact that Austria continued to hold the Venice area. Bismarck pledged to King Victor Emmanuel II to give him Venice at any outcome of the war between Italy and Austria. April 8, 1866, was signed a treaty of alliance, according to which Italy was to attack Austria, if Prussia begins the war in a 3-month period.
War With Austria
June 7, 1866 Prussian troops began to occupy Holstein under the pretext of stopping anti-Prussian agitation. June 14, Austria, with the support of other major states of the German Union, held a decision at the All-German Seim on the mobilization of troops against Prussia. Bismarck addressed the German people with a speech in which he introduced Prussia as a victim of Austrian aggression caused by the Prussian proposal to reform the German Union towards closer unity. On June 16 Prussian divisions crossed the borders of Austrian Bohemia and other German states, allied to Austria. On June 20, Italy joined the war against Austria.
In fact, the alignment of forces was as follows: Prussia in alliance with Italy against Austria and Saxony. The allies of Prussia were small northern German states. Austrian allies were the big states of the German Union of Bavaria, Hannover, Saxony, etc. but only Saxony exhibited any significant armed forces.
Prussia had to deal with three enemy groups. Austria and Saxony in the south; Bavaria and Württemberg in the south-west; Hanover, Hesse and Kassel in the west. The German troops did not bring much trouble to the Prussians. On June 29, the Hanoverian army capitulated, after which 3 Prussian divisions (48 thousand) turned to the South German states, which did not manage to mobilize forces. The successful advance of the Prussians in Bavaria was stopped only by the ceasefire.
The main events unfolded in Bohemia (Czech Republic), where 280 thousand troops were located. The Prussian army was opposed by the slightly weaker Austrian grouping. In a number of battles the Austrians were defeated, their demoralized troops retreated from the border. On July 1, the Austrian commander Benedek asked Emperor Franz Joseph to conclude peace. July 3 at the Battle of Königgrätz in the upper Elbe Prussians defeated the main Austrian army and by mid-July they reached the approaches to Vienna. Huge trouble was in Hungary, whose inhabitants were preparing to secede from the Austrian Empire. Although the Austrians still had enough troops to continue the war, further resistance could lead the empire to collapse.
Bismarck, overcoming the discontent of his king and the Prussian generals, was in a hurry to defeat Austria for other reasons: Russia and France could increase the price for their neutrality. The French Foreign Minister advocated an immediate attack on Prussia. Napoleon III, embarrassed by the rapid defeat of the Austrians, hesitated, nevertheless, a few days before the truce, the French ambassador in Berlin proposed that Prussia agree to the annexation of Luxembourg. The war ended sooner than the great powers managed to come to their senses. July 26, 1866 in Nicolsburg, with the mediation of France, the preliminary peace was signed.
Peace and Results
During the peace talks on August 16, Napoleon III, through the ambassador in Berlin, offered Bismarck to conclude a secret offensive and defensive alliance, the condition of which was the accession of Belgium and Luxembourg to France. Bismarck pretended that he was ready to come to terms with the future strengthening of France, but actually delayed the consideration of the issue. Meanwhile, August 23, 1866 in Prague was concluded the final peace treaty with Austria .
The main result of the victory of Prussia was the withdrawal of Austria from the German Union. The subsequent creation of the North German Union and the accession of Jan. 12, 1867 Schleswig-Holstein to Prussia, were the logical completion of the removal of Austria from German affairs.
Venice was annexed to the Italian kingdom, although this can not be considered a direct result of the fighting. Even before the outbreak of the war on June 12, 1866, Austria agreed to cede Venice to the French emperor so that he transferred it to his ally, King Victor Emmanuel II. However, the Italians still decided to fight, formally observing the terms of the Prussian-Italian treaty, but in fact hoping for more significant territorial acquisitions.
Bismarck deliberately refused territorial acquisitions at the expense of Austria, not wanting to stir up a thirst for revenge in her. A burdensome indemnity was imposed on Austria.
The German allies of Austria suffered grate losses as well. Bavaria and Hesse-Darmstadt lost to Prussia part of their lands north of the River Main. In September 1866 Prussia annexed the kingdom of Hanover, the Electorate of Hesse-Kassel, the Duchy of Nassau and the city of Frankfurt. Saxony avoided absorption only thanks to the demand of Austria. The Prussian kingdom in 1867 had 24 million inhabitants.