Bismark creates Greater Germany

After the Battle of Sadowa, Bismark bows to the pressure of the more hawkish elements of the Prussian General Staff. He decides to incorporate Austria and Bohemia Moravia into the new Germany, while mobilising the support of the irredentist elements in that Empire by backing the establishment of an independent Hungary. How would the other European powers have reacted? Would the dissolution of the Habsburg monarchy and its Balkan aspirations have resulted in a much more peaceful twentieth century?
 
After the Battle of Sadowa, Bismark bows to the pressure of the more hawkish elements of the Prussian General Staff. He decides to incorporate Austria and Bohemia Moravia into the new Germany, while mobilising the support of the irredentist elements in that Empire by backing the establishment of an independent Hungary. How would the other European powers have reacted? Would the dissolution of the Habsburg monarchy and its Balkan aspirations have resulted in a much more peaceful twentieth century?

The whole POINT of Bismarck's political life was to avoid that. While I can envision scenarios where's he forced to accept it, it's hard to see it in the immediate aftermath of Sadova short of total Austrian collapse that isn't coming.
 
Possible war with France (and even Russia) as Germany would be too big too soon. Brits would not like it either - balance of power and all that!

What he said. Its one thing for Prussia to bloody up Austria, its another thing to completely change the balance of power. Austria would not accept this and would fight on. France would intervene in favor of Austria. Britain would diplomatically pressure Prussia back down, like they did with Russia over Bulgaria in 1878. Even Russia might get involved and this time there would be no Miracle of the House of Brandenburg to save them. The creation of Greater Germany only happened after WWI, when the Great powers where exhausted and would rather allow the balance of power to be changed if it bought peace.
 
I think the fact that the Prussian army was the only one at that time equipped with a breech-loading rifle would have acted as a serious deterrent to intervention by other powers. Also, Bismark probably could have reached some compromise with Napoleon III over Luxembourg or Belgium which would have secured his western borders. The Russian Army if it had intervened would have been trashed.
 
The Dreyse rifle would have a minimal effect on the intention of any country to intervene. At the time, and rightly, the most important factors in intervention would have been the size of mobilization pools, speed, and ability to concentrate and use troops and supplies, not minor technological advantages.
 
I think the fact that the Prussian army was the only one at that time equipped with a breech-loading rifle would have acted as a serious deterrent to intervention by other powers. Also, Bismark probably could have reached some compromise with Napoleon III over Luxembourg or Belgium which would have secured his western borders. The Russian Army if it had intervened would have been trashed.
Most of the South German states, some of the North German states, and "Austrian" Empire all fought Prussia at the time it had the needle gun. Austrian artillery faired better than Prussia's and British weaponry was tried and tested in several wars - therefore I doubt the needle gun would have deterred a sovereign state from sticking up for itself in a war with Prussia - especially a war that would leave a potentially stronger Prussia.
If you read my time lines, you will see I am as pro-Prussian as anyone, but you have to do your research and "keep it real" or you will get trounced on in this discussion board.
Prussia got where it did through blood sweat and iron. Bismark new what he could achieve on the world stage - or more to the point - what others would let him get away with, without attracting too much attention from his neighbours. Russia and Austria, or France and Austria combined would have been the death of Prussia.
 
I think the fact that the Prussian army was the only one at that time equipped with a breech-loading rifle would have acted as a serious deterrent to intervention by other powers. Also, Bismark probably could have reached some compromise with Napoleon III over Luxembourg or Belgium which would have secured his western borders. The Russian Army if it had intervened would have been trashed.

First, the Prussian victory IOTL was not that clear. Now you'd have fresh French troops attacking in the West, where Prussia just has no armies that could wield those guns. And if Prussia really wants to dismantle Austria as a great power, they might also have Russians in Posen and Britains in Hannover soon. There's just no way Prussia can achieve this, and Bismarck knew it.

Aside from that, nobody in Prussia planned for that either. They wanted annexations, but taking Saxony, Austrian Silesia and maybe the northern Sudetenland would be more than enough. The Prussians wouldn't want all those Catholics.
 
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