184 



GERMANY 



the Trentino, as well as Venetia, reluctantly agreed 

 to the armistice (August 12). 



A brief campaign sufficed for the defeat of the 

 minor states of Germany that had joined Austria 

 viz. Bavaria, Wlirtemberg, Baden, and Hesse- 

 Darmstadt ; and, after peace had at last been 

 arranged, some of them were forced to submit to 

 a certain loss of territory. Saxony only escaped 

 incorporation with Prussia through the resolute 

 opposition of Austria supported by France ; but the 

 little kingdom, like all the other states that had 

 taken arms against Prussia, was forced to pay a 

 heavy war indemnity. Even the little principality 

 of Reuss had to pay 100,000 thalers into the fund 

 for Prussian invalids. The states north of the 

 Main which had taken up arms against Prussia 

 were completely incorporated viz. Hanover, Hesse- 

 Cassel, Nassau, Frankfort, and a small portion of 

 Hesse-Darmstadt, as well as Sleswick-Holstein and 

 Lauenburg ; and the other states north of the Main 

 were united with Prussia in a confederacy of a 

 more intimate nature than before existed, called 

 the North Germctn Confederation. 



Austria, by the treaty of Prague (20th August 

 1866), was completely excluded from participation 

 in the new organisation of the German states, and 

 formally agreed to the surrender of Venetia to 

 Italy, to the incorporation of Sleswick-Holstein with 

 Prussia, and to the new arrangements made by 

 Prussia in Germany. A portion of the fifth article 

 of this treaty secured that, if the ' inhabitants of 

 the northern districts of Sleswick declare, by a free 

 vote, their desire to be united to Denmark, they 

 shall be restored accordingly ; ' but this was with- 

 drawn in 1878 by secret treaty between Austria and 

 Germany. Though losing no territory to Prussia, 

 Austria had to pay 40 millions of thalers for the 

 expense of the war. 



The North German Confederation, as thus con- 

 stituted, possessed a common parliament, elected 

 by universal suffrage, in which each state was re- 

 presented according to its population. The first or 

 constituent parliament met eaily in 1867, and 

 adopted, with a few modifications, the constitution 

 proposed by Count Bismarck. The new elections 

 then took place, and the first regular North German 

 parliament met in September 1867. According to 

 this constitution, there was to be a common army 

 and fleet, under the sole command of Prussia ; a 

 common diplomatic representation abroad, of neces- 

 sity little else than Prussian ; and to Prussia also 

 was entrusted the management of the posts and 

 telegraphs in the Confederation. 



The southern German states which up to this 

 point had not joined the Bund, were Bavaria, 

 Baden, Wurtemberg, Hesse-Darmstadt, and Liech- 

 tenstein, with a joint area of 43,990 sq. m., and a 

 total population (1866) of 8,524,460. But, though 

 ^hese states were not formally members of the 

 Bund, they were so practically, for they were 

 bound to Prussia by treaties of alliance offensive 

 and defensive, so that in the event of a war the 

 king of Prussia would have at his disposal an 

 armed force of upwards of 1,100,000 men. 



During the next few years the North German 

 Confederation was employed in consolidating and 

 strengthening itself, and in trying to induce the 

 southern states to join the league. The Zollverein 

 (q.v.) was remodelled and extended, until by the 

 year 1868 every part of Germany was a member 

 of it, with the exception of the cities of Hamburg 

 and Bremen, and a small part of Baden. This paved 

 the way for the formal entrance of the southern 

 states into the confederation ; but they still hung 

 back, though the ideal of a united Germany was 

 gradually growing in force and favour. 



In the spring of 1867 a war between Prussia and 

 France seemed imminent, from difficulties arising 



out of the occupation of Luxemburg by the former; 

 but by the good offices of the British government 

 a congress of the great powers (Italy included) 

 was assembled at London, at which an arrange- 

 ment satisfactory to both nations was amicably 

 agreed upon, Luxemburg remaining in the posses- 

 sion of the king of Holland. It was evident, how- 

 ever, that hostilities had only been postponed, and 

 on both sides extensive military preparations were 

 carried on. 



In 1870 the long- threatened war between Prussia 

 and France broke out. On July 4 of that year the 

 provisional government of Spain elected Prince 

 Leopold of Hohenzollern, a relative of King William 

 of Prussia, to fill their vacant throne. This step 

 gave the greatest umbrage to the French govern- 

 ment ; and though by the advice of William I. of 

 Prussia Prince Leopold resigned his candidature, 

 it was not satisfied, but demanded an assurance 

 that Prussia would at no future period sanction his 

 claims. This assurance the king refused to give ; 

 and on the 19th of July the emperor of the French 

 proclaimed war against Prussia. Contrary to the 

 expectation of France, the southern German state* 

 at once decided to support Prussia and the northern 

 states, and placed their armies, which were event- 

 ually commanded by the Crown-prince of Prussia, 

 at the disposal of King William. 



By the end of July the forces of both countries 

 were congregated on the frontier. Napoleon, how- 

 ever, lost a fortnight in delays after the declaration 

 of war, and it was discovered that the French army 

 was by no means in a state of satisfactory prepara- 

 tion, while the Germans were splendidly organised, 

 and much superior in number. The result was 

 that the French, instead of marching to Berlin as 

 they anticipated, never crossed the Khine, and had 

 to fight at a disadvantage in Alsace and Lorraine. 



On August 2 the French obtained some trifling 

 success at Saarbriick, but the rapidly following 

 battles of Weissenburg (August 4), Worth, and 

 Spicheren (both August 6) were important Ger- 

 man victories. The German advance was hardly 

 checked for a moment, though the losses on both 

 sides were very heavy. The battle of Gravelotte, 

 in which King William commanded in person, was 

 fought on the 18th ; and, though the Germans 

 suffered immense loss, they were again victorious, 

 and forced Bazaine to shut himself up in Metz. 

 The Emperor Napoleon and Marshal MacMahon in 

 vain attempted to proceed to the relief of Bazaine. 

 They were surrounded at Sedan, and completely 

 defeated with heavy loss. The emperor surren- 

 dered on the 2d September, with his whole army, 

 about 90,000 men, and was sent a a prisoner into 

 Germany. By the 19th of September the Prussians 

 had reached Paris, and commenced a vigorous siege. 

 Strasburg capitulated on the 27th after a severe 

 bombardment ; and on 28th October Bazaine sur- 

 rendered Metz with an army of 6000 officers and 

 173,000 men, 400 pieces of artillery, 100 mitrailleuses, 

 and 53 eagles. Verdun capitulated on the 8th 

 November ; Thionville followed on the 24th ; after 

 which there were several capitulations of lesser 

 importance. 



The French made extraordinary efforts to raise 

 armies and relieve Paris, but, with the exception of 

 .a momentary gleam of success on the Loire, they 

 met with nothing but severe defeats. Of these may 

 be mentioned the battle of December 3 in the Forest 

 of Orleans, and that of Le Mans, January 12, in 

 which contests Prince Frederick-Charles took alto- 

 gether 30,000 prisoners. After numerous unsuc- 

 cessful sorties, and enduring great sufferings from 

 famine, Paris surrendered on the 29th of January, 

 and the war was virtually at an end. The French 

 army of the east, 80,000 strong, under Bourbaki, 

 was compelled to retire to Switzerland on the 31st, 



