Editing Unification of Germany (section)

== Congress of Vienna and the rise of German dualism ==

[[File:Wappen Deutscher Bund.svg|upright|thumb|alt=double eagle, black on gold coat of arms|Coat of arms of the [[German Confederation]], also called the ''Deutscher Bund'']]

After Napoleon's defeat, the [[Congress of Vienna]] established a new European political-diplomatic system based on the [[Balance of power in international relations|balance of power]]. This system reorganized Europe into [[sphere of influence|spheres of influence]], which, in some cases, suppressed the aspirations of the various nationalities, including the Germans and Italians.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sheehan|1989|pp=398–410}}; {{Cite book |last=Scott |first=Hamish M. |title=The Birth of a Great Power System |date=2006 |publisher=Longman |isbn=978-0-5822-1717-1 |location=London & New York |oclc=889270087 |ol=3311839M |author-link=Hamish Scott (historian) |pages=329–361}}.</ref>

Generally, an enlarged Prussia and the 38 other states consolidated from the mediatized territories of 1803 were confederated within the [[Austrian Empire]]'s sphere of influence. The Congress established a loose [[German Confederation]] (1815–1866), headed by Austria, with a "Federal [[diet (assembly)|Diet]]" (called the ''Bundestag'' or ''[[Bundesversammlung (German Confederation)|Bundesversammlung]]'', an assembly of appointed leaders) that met in the city of [[Frankfurt am Main]]. Its borders resembled those of its predecessor, the Holy Roman Empire (though there were some deviations e.g. Prussian territory in the Confederation was extended to include the formerly Polish territories of the [[Lauenburg and Bütow Land]] and the former [[Starostwo of Draheim]], while the Austrian part was extended to include the formerly Polish territories of the [[Duchy of Oświęcim]] and the [[Duchy of Zator]]) for the years 1818–1850, meaning that large portions of both Prussia and Austria were left outside the new borders. In recognition of the imperial position traditionally held by the Habsburgs, the emperors of Austria became the titular presidents of this parliament. Despite the term ''Diet'' (Assembly or Parliament), this institution should in no way be construed as a broadly, or popularly, elected group of representatives. Many of the states did not have constitutions, and those that did, such as the [[Grand Duchy of Baden|Duchy of Baden]], based [[suffrage]] on strict property requirements which effectively limited suffrage to a small portion of the male population.{{Sfn|Lee|1980}}

=== Problems of reorganization ===
[[File:Map-GermanConfederation.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|alt=map of Europe, showing territory of predominantly German-speaking population, and Austria's multi-national, multi-linguistic territory|Boundaries of the German Confederation. Prussia is blue, Austria-Hungary yellow, and the rest grey.]]
Problematically, the built-in Austrian dominance failed to take into account Prussia's 18th-century emergence in Imperial politics. This impractical solution did not reflect the new status of Prussia in the overall set-up. Although the Prussian army had been dramatically defeated in the 1806 [[Battle of Jena-Auerstedt]], it had made a spectacular comeback at Waterloo. Consequently, Prussian leaders expected to play a pivotal role in German politics.{{Sfn|Zamoyski|2007|pp=98–115, 239–40}} Ever since the [[Prince-Elector]] of [[Brandenburg]] had made himself [[King in Prussia]] at the beginning of that century, their domains had steadily increased through inheritance and war. Prussia's consolidated strength had become particularly apparent during the [[Partitions of Poland]], the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] and the [[Seven Years' War]] under [[Frederick the Great]].{{Sfn|Sheehan|1989|pp=398–410}} As [[Maria Theresa]] and [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph]] tried to restore Habsburg hegemony in the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick countered with the creation of the ''[[Fürstenbund]]'' (Union of Princes) in 1785. Austrian-Prussian [[German dualism|dualism]] lay firmly rooted in old Imperial politics. Those balance of power manoeuvers were epitomized by the [[War of the Bavarian Succession]], or "[[Potato War#Change in warfare|Potato War]]" among common folk. Even after the end of the Holy Roman Empire, this competition influenced the growth and development of nationalist movements in the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Berenger |first=Jean |title=A History of the Habsburg Empire 1700–1918 |date=1997 |publisher=Longman |isbn=978-0-5820-9007-1 |location=New York |pages=96–97 |translator-last=Simpson |translator-first=C.A. |oclc=891447020 |ol=7879682M |author-link=Jean Berenger |orig-date=1990}}.</ref>