WI Germany never unified?

[PatrickThePoet]

The French win the Franco-Prussian War and Wilhelm I is not able to unify the German states. The Protestant north and Catholic south become even more divided and a German Empire never exists. There cannot be a World War I because the Dual Alliance of 1876 is never formed between the Kaiser and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the cause of most of the Entente alliances leading up to WWI.

I'm thinking of a war between France and an Anglo-Russian alliance over Africa. The French back the Boers causing the British to attack French colonies in West Africa. Somehow the Russians are thrown into the mix, delaying the Russian Revolution of 1905.

[Zyzzyva]

Counting down to Susano in 3... 2... 1...

I expect the NGC is still going to be the 1000lb gorilla on the European scene - if it doesn't get Baden, Wurttenburg, and Bavaria, that doesn't do much to its manpower or industrial strength. And, of course, they'll have a grudge against the French too. Expect Franco-Prussian II, III, IV, and however many it takes for the situation to stabilize (eg, until we get MAD).

[Susano]

Originally Posted by Zyzzyva

Counting down to Susano in 3... 2... 1...

Yeah I already thought when I saw the title: "Oh come on, thats blatant Susano-bait, isnt it?"

If Germany doenst reunify at the Franco-German War, it will reunify later. Simple as that. Why the hell would you even think that this singular instance of change would prevent German reunification forever?

[PatrickThePoet]

Not that there would NEVER be German unification, just later into the 20th Century and not under Wilhelm I. WWI would have been different, perhaps an Eastern European war with the Austro-Hungarians and Ottomans against the Serbs and Russians over the Balkans.

[Boto von Ageduch]

First indeterminate: What happens in the colonies? Does Prussia turn to get itself some of those?
It seems more likely that it doesn't, but who can tell how long Bismarck's carreer would have survived a defeat?
When you see the Prussian flag flowing over some empty savannah you may almost forget the humiliations of the past war ...

Second remark: All German states (including Austria) will face appreciable internal unrest. Many people support republican reforms, easing of social disparaty, and - yes! - for a unification of all German speakers, regardless of the claims of individual noblemen.

Bismarck managed to silence them to a large degree by abusing the national idea to his own purposes, and by introducing social insurances.
How do you want the Prussian authorities face these issues in your ATL?