Inspired by discussion started by me last year on conserving Austria-Hungary, Imperial Germany and Russia in this thread until the present time, I will try this time to assemble a hopefully convincing timeline to establish the idea. I'll try to avoid World War or conflict with such scale unless it is absolutely necessary.
Now, let the Three Eagles fly!
Now, let the Three Eagles fly!
~The Three Eagles~
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Part I: Building Up
Alliances of the Austro-Prussian War, 1866; Red denotes Austrian Alliance; Blue denotes Prussian Alliance; Green denotes neutral states; Yellow denotes disputed territory
The Austro-Prussian War
1866: The year saw one of the most decisive turning point in the history of Germany unveiled as Germany's two most important and powerful states rose their battle standards, mobilized their army and decided to fight against each other in a contest that would later determine the fate of Germany. The main reason for the war as contemporary historians agreed was the dispute over the administration of Schleswig-Holstein but it was not uncommon to say that Bismarck was on its way to implement his grand plan to unify Germany, then still consisted with many smaller independent states as a single nation states. Other historians meanwhile suggested that Bismarck was only manipulating situation to Prussia benefit, having no interested in the German unification. We might not all be certain what Bismarck real intention was fact but there was no doubt that Prussia was prepared for the war.
Shortly after the declaration of war was made, the Prussian Army, having just been recently reformed by von Roon and then triumphed in the wars of Schleswig, was mobilized. The speed of mobilization was impressive as the war saw the first maximum use of railroad as a mean of mobilization in Europe. The Prussian railroad network, though at that time was still behind in density to the British Empire and Belgium, was far more extensive and better developed in comparison to the Austrian railway network. This was very important strategically as the Prussian Army could be concentrated faster than its Austrian counterpart. It also ensured that the Prussian had a head start advantage to launch an offensive first before the Austrians were ready.
Not only that the Prussian soldiers had more discipline and were better led but they were also better armed, equipped with one of the world first breech-loaded rifle, the Dreyse needle-gun. The Austrian soldiers though undoubtedly brave and could not be said inferior in regard to their fighting capabilities, were still armed with the old muzzle-loaded musket. It was not right to say that the Austrian Lorenz Musket was altogether outclassed by the Dreyse, in fact the latter had far longer range than the Dreyse. An opportunity left wasted when the Austrian leadership preferred mass attack tactics in the war thereby giving the Prussian a perfect firing target for their rapid-firing rifles.
As it had already been planned by the Prussian Chief of Staff, Field Marshall Ernst von Moltke, the Prussians Army upon being mobilized directly advanced across the border, thundering its way into the neighboring Saxony and into Bohemia with a series of opening engagements. At the same time the Austrian Army was still preparing and concentrating to launch an invasion into Silesia when the bulk of it was sighted near Sadowa and Koeniggratz. The Austrian despite of its numerical superiority was indecisive. Marshall von Benedek which was in charge of leading the Austrian Army shortly before the engagement was even suggesting that the Austrians sought peace.
It was not appropriate to say that the Austrian forces were decisively in unfavorable condition, instead it was apparent that for its numbers and location the Austrian could not be taken lightly. This was reinforced by the fact that the Prussian had suffered mishap when the Second Army faced stiff resistance which slowed them down and the telegraph line connecting them to the rest of the Prussian forces was cut. The Prussian, not only outnumbered faced a risk of being outflanked and annihilated by its more superior counterpart if not for their bold attack plan, determination and the Austrian indecisiveness.
When the battle was finally commenced the Austrians was at first very successful in holding off the Prussian attack since they were positioned in a reasonably good defensible terrain, having also their musket superior in range to the Prussians rifles. The Austrians artillery also managed to slow the Prussian advance down, at least for a while until the Austrians launched a mounted charge into the forest where the Prussians were being slowed down. The Austrians artillery could no longer fire fearing a friendly-fire. When the charge was finally repulsed the Austrians strength began to deplete and in short range the Prussians needle-gun gained an advantage. This was continued by another attack by the Austrians, which after a while managed to dislodge the Prussian from their previous position albeit receiving heavy casualty in the process and complicating their own position. The decisive moment was finally reached when the Crown Prince Frederick's flanking Second Army arrived and forced the remaining Austrians into retreat.
When the smoke finally cleared off, the Austrian casualties in the battle was terrifying if not appalling, having lost more than forty thousand men and other heavy equipments in the battle. The Prussian on the other hand despite receiving reasonably large amount of casualties at the beginning of the battle suffers only approximately eight thousand lost. The victory was complete for the Prussian if not for the notable nightmarish incident after the battle.
It was just few moments after the last Austrian cavalry counter-charges were repulsed and their whole army driven back. The future German Kaiser Wilhelm I with the rest of the German staff and the Iron Chancellor Bismark was riding through the devastated battlefield observing the aftermath when they were suddenly rained by bullets fired by a die hard Saxon officer who somehow still survived, its body covered under a stack of other dieing soldiers. Despite being badly aimed and fired sporadically Wilhelm I riding in front and Bismarck beside him were both targets for the bullets. Wilhelm I was hit in the shoulder where as Bismarck was hit on one of his foot. The officer was quickly finished by the nearby Prussian soldiers but nevertheless the damage had been done. Both men were incapacitated and were quickly brought to the nearby hospital leaving Moltke in charge of the Army until the next day when Bismarck could at least received the Austrian peace offer.
It was too late for further negotiation, Moltke directly ordered the whole Prussian Army to march to Prague and Vienna despite Bismarck furious response when he heard about the news. Moltke reasoned that with Wilhelm I incapacitated for the time being, it was his responsibility to ensure that the he did what it was supposed to do or else the morale of the men would plummet, the Austrians and especially the Saxons would pay for what had just happened, terribly. Saxony would later on receive the bulk of the Prussian fury as it was speedily annexed into Prussia, its Army disbanded and absorbed by force.
For the Austrian and the Habsburg, the humiliation was heavy. For the first time in the history of the Habsburg and Austria, Prussian forces led by Wilhelm I itself - then partially recovered - conducted a victorious parade in Prague and Vienna with both cities occupied by the Prussian Army. When later on the German leadership conferred in the occupied Vienna, Wilhelm presented his intention to annex Bohemia and to strip Austria partially from its Dalmatian Possession including Trento. The matter for Saxony was already decided as it was already in the annexation process. When Bismarck heard it he remarked that the Austrian should not be given such punishment, he objected the full annexation of Bohemia and opted instead for the least harsh partial annexation of Bohemia. After a series of discussion Wilhelm I finally agreed with Bismarck suggestion and the peace offer was presented.
The Habsburg taking refugee in Budapest received the offer the day after and was forced to accept it.
The outline of the Treaty of Vienna for the defeated party was as follow: (Modified from this)
- Austria: Surrendered Sudetenland, German-speaking part of Bohemia to Prussia; Venetia, South Tyrol and Trento to France, but then Napoleon III handed it to Italy as agreed in a secret treaty with Prussia. Austria then lost all official influence over member states of the former German Confederation. Dissolution of German Confederation.
- Schleswig and Holstein: Became the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein.
- Hanover: Annexed by Prussia, became the Province of Hanover.
- Saxony: Annexed by Prussia, became the Province of Saxony
- Hesse-Darmstadt: Surrendered to Prussia the small territory it had acquired earlier in 1866 on the extinction of the ruling house of Hesse-Homburg. The northern half of the remaining land joined the North German Confederation.
- Nassau, Hesse-Kassel, Frankfurt: Annexed by Prussia. Combined with the territory surrendered by Hesse-Darmstadt to form the new Province of Hesse-Nassau.
- Saxe-Meiningen, Reuss-Greiz, Schaumburg-Lippe: Spared from annexation but joined the North German Confederation in the following year.
1867: Without any interference from Austria, Prussia was free to form the North German Confederation as the successor of the German Confederation. Prussia exercised nearly complete control over this newly formed state and then secretly, began preparing for any possible operation in the future. Domestically, Bismarck used the incident in Sadowa to great effect as he managed to demonstrate using propaganda the heroic action of Wilhelm I in protecting German interest. This increased Southern German states officials opinion on Prussia, albeit only slightly but the result to its population was quite significant, further strengthening Prussia position as the defender of German nation.
Outside Germany relation with Italy rose high as the newly-formed Italian nation suddenly received valuable prize albeit having being defeated in countless battle and engagements on both land and sea by the Austrian including the infamous Battle of Lissa where the Italian navy was humiliatingly crushed by the Austrian navy through a conduct of ramming.
In Austria itself the situation was very unfavorable, the Magyar population was demanding for a completely new reform in which Hungary would be given a substantial amount of autonomy. The demand was reinforced and strengthened by the refugee of the Habsburg in Budapest during the short occupation of Vienna. Not that they had any choice but during the ensuing panic the Habsburg the only available train route was to Budapest. Eventually, thinking that giving the Hungarian more autonomy would strengthen the overall Empire position as to oppose Prussia, Franz Josef I reluctantly agreed to what is now known as the Dual-Monarchy Compromise, giving the Magyars a substantial amount of right and privilege.
Franz Josef I would be about to be very disappointed when the Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Andrássy "vigorously opposed" such an intervention to be made in 1870 thereby vetoing the Austrian intention. The matter would be discussed later in more detail as we approached 1870 but it is noteworthy to note that the Hungarian refusal to accept the Austrian revanchist intention, together with the humiliation received all throughout the years, plays a quite significant factor in deteriorating Franz Josef I health.
On the other part of the world a notable event was unfolding in Mexico, Maximilian I of Habsburg was executed by the Mexican firing squad.
1868: What was to be an important element in future, Helium, was discovered by a French astronomer. The year also witnessed the Spanish Revolution in which Isabella II of Spain was thrown out of the throne. The Spanish throne was vacant, a prelude to a conflict that would later on erupt.
In a quite sleepy spa town in Ems meanwhile Wilhelm I and Bismarck conducted a meeting with the Russian Tsar Alexander II of Russia. There had been serious concern amongst the general staff that there would be an inherent danger to Germany's Eastern Front if the Austria would join France in a coalition. As always Bismarck had its own plan about it by persuading the Tsar that weaker Austria would benefit Russia more, especially against the Polish insurgency which nearly cost the Tsar its live. Austria was fully supportive of the Polish insurgency at that time. The recent assassination attempt in which the Polish nationalist responsible was not executed but imprisoned by France meant that Tsar was also disfavored the French, this was further reinforced by still fresh memory of the Crimean War. After further negotiation the Russian promised to send 100.000 troops in the event of war.
1869: Nothing significant happened with the exception of the release of Tolstoy's War and Peace in a complete book form.
Proclamation of the German Empire*
The Franco-Prussian War
1870: The Spanish Throne crisis was started when Spain offered its throne to Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as the throne was currently vacant. This event provoked France into sending Duc Antoine de Gramont to present the fact to Wilhelm I personally that France will press for war if Leopold would ascend to the Spanish throne. The unconventional diplomatic move combined with Gramont inexperience resulted in Bismarck using the moment to publish the Ems Dispatch, showing edited and amplified version of Wilhelm I annoyance to the world press. This gave an impression to the French that Wilhelm I was insulting the Duc while on the German side it gave an impression that the French duc of Gramont was insulting the Kaiser. A cunning diplomatic move indeed.
It provoked France to the point of making the first declaration of war to Germany thereby making herself a serious threat and invader to the German and European public. As agreed accordingly, all of German states including the Southern one mobilized and the war began.
Both army mobilized but again the day was won by the German states for its efficient and maximum use of railway. The speed of the mobilization astonished everybody and speedily the French lost its numerical superiority against the German states by concentrating the bulk of its force in France weakest point. The overall campaign lasted for five-months, ending with the capitulation of the Emperor Napoleon III itself. Austria, despite its strong taste for revenge did not do anything. The German Empire was officially proclaimed in the Halls of Mirror at Versailles with the complete ending of the war described at the Treaty of Frankfurt. The most notable part of it was that Alsace-Lorraine be ceded to Germany but then granted the same right as every other German state. A plan Bismarck pressed despite protest from the Southern states.
Then something terrible happened, to everybody surprise and grief Wilhelm I fell ill upon returning to Germany. Apparently the bullet that hit his shoulder in Koeniggratz inflicted more severe internal damage than what German doctors and physician had expected for, much to the humiliation of German physician and doctors. The First German Kaiser, Wilhelm I, died a week after German Empire was proclaimed. Fredrick III was deemed as his successor and then crowned immediately afterward. Historians will speculate what would happen if Wilhelm I did not die and continued his reign as the German Emperor but alas we may never know what would happened.
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v.0.1
*: I'm sorry I could not edit out the King of Saxony from the image but I guess he's still invited despite Saxony exist no more.
Comments, suggestions?
By the way guys, I need your help on German liberalization and Frederick III policy coming to the throne earlier than in our world. Any interesting source or material regarding what he would do, or what kind of liberalization he would have done?
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