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Introduction to the Austro-Prussian War

Not by speeches and votes of the majority, are the great questions of the time decided — that was the error of 1848 and 1849 — but by iron and blood.
Otto von Bismarck
(Prime Minister of Prussia 1862-1868)

From the perspective of the 21. century, a movement advocating for a united country of all German speaking people in Central Europe seems weird. But various historians argued, that the 1848 revolution and the Austro-Prussian War offered real possibilities for the creation of such a power, which might have disrupted the European balance of power.

Instead the traumatic Austro-Prussian War is seen as the beginning of the slow death of Pangerman Nationalism and the decline of the Austrian Empire and Prussia in modern academia.

The term “Austro-Prussian War” is misleading. The war was not limited to Austria and Prussia. Italy and Hungarian Nationalists (at the end of the war) fought outside of the German Confederation against the Austrians. The medium and small countries of the "Third Germany" ("Drittes Deutschland") participated in the war against Prussia. Various names where used for the war in the past but fell out of use due to various reasons. German Civil War or Brothers War (“Deutscher Bürgerkrieg” or “Bruderkrieg” in German) where used in contemporary media, but the decline of Pangerman Nationalism after the conflict lead to the widespread use of the name “Austro-Prussian War” or “War of the Confederation” (“Österreichisch-Preußischer Krieg” or “Bundeskrieg” in German). In international academia, “War of the Confederation” is rarely used as a term since it is often mistaken for other civil wars with similar names.

The Austro-Prussian war is often compared to the American Civil War, since they shared various similarities. Both where traumatic events and lasted for several years. Both showed the world the possibilities and horrors of industrialized warfare. But while the American Civil War resulted in the reunification of the USA and a stronger national identity, the Austro-Prussian war lead to the final dissolution of the German Confederation and decisively weakened Pangerman Nationalism.

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Under most circumstances the 1860ies are probably far to late to seriously stop German Nationalism. I still want to try it, by expanding the length of the Austro-Prussian war which should now become a traumatic event (and not the short war in OTL). I wonder how the various German States would develop, if they remain independent. I don't know how far I want or will develop this timeline. I want to focus on the development of various German states and the international consequences of the lack of a unified Germany. I'm not an expert of military history, and this timeline probably won't focus too much on warfare and strategies. I still want to describe some of the events of the longer Austro-Prussian war.
Ideas, comments, questions?
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