Prologue: Grossdeutchland und Grossitalien
1848. Frankfurt. A group of German delegates assembled in the halls of the Frankfurt Parliament as they discussed on which Prussian king should accept the crown of a proposed German Empire. The decision lay on Frederick William IV to accept the German crown, but there were conditions attached to it: first and foremost, the German Emperor or Kaiser rather, would have to forego the Divine Right of Kings and become the guardian of the German people. Moreover, the Frankfurt Parliament had also suggested to the Prussian king that although he may not be able to reign as a divine king, the idea of including Austria into a united German state would effectively cement it as a fully fledged nation. Moreover, Otto von Bismarck hesitated to allow the Prussian king to take the crown, but when he discussed the pros and cons of a united Germany with the other councilors around the German states, most of the Princes were in complete agreement with Frederick William IV’s plans to take the German crown. Here's what Bismarck had to write in his diary before and after Wilhelm decided to take the German crown:
"It was now or never. In front of us was our destiny, waiting to be seized like a precious gift sent to us from God. German unity depends on our King's decision to take the crown. The polyglot Austrian Empire could fall apart for all I care, but it's necessary to unite all German lands under a single ruler, der Kaiser. And I would be His Majesty's advisor and guide, helping him with his humble task of governing Grossdeutschland."
Finally, after several days and weeks of procasternating with the decision at hand, Frederick William IV graciously accepted the German crown and declared himself Kaiser of Germany. German unification has at last been achieved as the Day of Unity was officially proclaimed on October 9th, 1849, a year after the 1848 Revolutions began. In addition to the completion of German unification, Italian nationalist movements gain a momentum when the new Germany began to help train the Italian Army in an effort to help them with achieving their own goals. By 1850, Italian unification had been achieved with the help of a few token German soldiers who participated in their campaigns. However, they did not stop there as both Germany and Italy began to support their brethren who were still ruled under the Habsburg monarchy. As a result of pan-German and pan-Italian nationalist sentiment within the Habsburg Empire, several subject peoples began to revolt, mainly the Czechs and Poles living under the Habsburgs. Nationalist rebellions then moved into the Balkans, where the Slav peoples living under the Ottoman yoke rose up. Russia, which monitored the situation in the Balkans, began to send troops into Galicia. However, they could not commit their armies into a full war against the Ottoman Empire and the Austrian Kingdom without risking any repercussions. Once Russian soldiers entered the Balkans, the South Slavic peoples made it clear that they only wanted independence and not to be ruled under their potential liberator. With the help of the Balkan armies, the Ottoman Empire was forced back into the gates of Constantinople. Russia’s growing position in the Balkans deeply worried the British, who feared for their territories in Egypt would be jeopardized. So on August 24th, 1851, the British Empire sent an ultimatum to the Russians, threatening to invade Central Asia if they continued to attack the weakened Ottoman Empire. The Russians agreed to withdraw from the Balkans under British pressure. However, the Russian withdrawal did little to stop the Austrian Empire from disintegrating as the Hungarian Kingdom declared its independence on August 29th and severed ties with its Austrian partner. Austrian soldiers did manage to weaken the Croatian forces attempting to defeat them.
On September 28th, 1851, the German Kaiser visited the Austrian capital, Vienna and offers the Austrian Emperor a chance to join the new German state. As a proud Habsburg monarch, the idea of joining a state ruled by a Hohenzollern seemed to be a bit appaling. Even worse, the Catholic Austrians would now be overshadowed by their Protestant cousins to the north, and God knows how the German state would handle the Catholic-Protestant relationship, given that it was no longer the famed Holy Roman Empire of the past. The idea of a Grand Duchy of Austria as a state within Germany, with a similar status to Bavaria was good enough for the Austrian Emperor to refuse the offer, proclaiming the need to maintain the unity of the now-collapsing Habsburg state. The Kaiser grew frustrated with his Habsburg counterpart and gave him only two options: either Austria joins Germany or the Habsburg monarchy would become extinct.
The next day, the Austrian Emperor gave a speech in front of nervous looking Viennese citizens with the German Kaiser sitting behind him. At first, he couldn't get his posture straight but as he gradually calmed down, he began to talk towards his own people.
"My fellow Austrians and other subjects who remained loyal to the Habsburg crown! Our fellow subjects have deserted us to form their own states, thanks to the chaos this revolution had unleashed. The Hungarians have severed ties with us and our Italian subjects are demanding to rejoin with their compatriots in the new Italian state. At first I was appalled by the sudden disintegration of the proud Habsburg Kingdom until I learned about the Ottoman collapse in the Balkans. Austrians! The German Kaiser has come to Vienna to ask of us if we want to join them in the new German state. We, as Germans with a different faith, would love to join but I feared for the end of the Austrian Empire. So in my last act as Emperor of Austria, I hereby declare the Grand Duchy of Austria and its incorporation into the new German state. Also, the Kingdom of Bohemia will also join us in new Germany but with either a Bohemian King or a member of a Hohenzollern Family as the ruling Prince. In my first act as the new sovereign of the Grand Duchy of Austria, I would gladly chant, Grossdeutschland Uber Alles!"
In a meeting with the German Kaiser and the Italian King on October 31st, 1851, Otto von Bismarck and the Italian advisor to King Victor Emmanuel II met in Rome to discuss their new ambitions. At first Victor Emmanuel II had doubts on whether Italy can grow strong as a powerful, unified nation after suffering centuries of partitions between Austria and Spain. Then, Bismarck told the Italian king that Germany was willing to help its southern neighbor regain the long lost Roman Empire.
Bismarck:
"Not only would Italy have a chance to regain her lost glory, but we can easily kick the Russians out of Europe and back into Asia where they belong. They have been affected by the disastrous policies the Tsars have implemented, which in our opinion, we have to do something about it."
Victor Emmanuel II:
"I'm not sure. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, most of the old Byzantine nobles fled north to the Russian lands, and even the Orthodox Church in Constantinople declared Moscow as the site of Third Rome. How are we going to take the title away from them? They're Christians, are they not?"
Bismarck:
"They may be Christians, but they allowed themselves to be humiliated and enslaved by the Asiatic Mongol tribesmen of the steppes rather than allow our Teutonic warriors to civilize them. It's their own misfortune that they rejected Western civilization, choosing to look east. I say they belong in the east and have no business in the west. What do you say, Your Majesty?"
Victor Emmanuel II:
"I am deeply unsure about this. Would Greece even be willing to join us? Our Christian faiths are different, the Pope and the Greek Patriarch excommunicated with each other, and the Eastern Orthodox Christians are not going to tolerate the Pope as long as he lives. I would accept your help, but in return you have to do something for us. Your country, I mean."
Bismarck:
"Name it."
Victor Emmanuel II:
"If Greece should join us, it deserves to have Albania and Macedonia. Parts of Rumelia can join Macedonia, while the Bulgarians can unite the Slavs of the Balkans."
Bismarck:
"You got it, and the German Empire will start freeing the Western peoples of the Russian Empire, from the Baltics to the Ukraine. Perhaps Hungary and Poland can unite with the Ruthenian lands, giving ourselves a useful buffer between the strong Germany, and a weakened Russia."
Their meetings were unrecorded, but Bismarck would later describe his accomplishments as an improbable success, and all he has to do is to kick the doors down and the whole structure will come crashing down. Germany would have to wait until a perfect situation would present itself and all Bismarck has to do is to contribute to the collapse of the gigantic Russian Empire. That chance happened, in the Crimean War.