UNIFICATION OF ITALY · Part 5

to achieve its past glory. It rebuilt and strengthened its army. Recruitment was based on merit and not on old aristocratic standing. The zeal for liberalism and modernisation combined with nationalism in Prussia. In , Prussia was successful in establishing the Zollverein (customs union). By the 1840s it included most of the Germanic states except those under the control of Austria and provided economic unity to the Germanic states. In , popular pressure led to the introduction of an elected legislative assembly. J.G. Fichte In the same year the Frankfurt Assembly was convened. Most of the elected members were liberals who believed that a liberal national- German state could be created. They were divided on the question of what constituted the German nation. The delegates who demanded ‘Great Germany’ believed that the German nation should include as many Germans as possible including Austria except Hungary and the crown should be offered to the Austrian Emperor. Some delegates put forward the idea of ‘Little Germany’ which argued that Austria should be excluded from the German nation and the crown be offered to King of Prussia. Eventually Austria withdrew from Assembly. A constitution was framed by the Assembly and the Little Germans offered the constitutional monarchy to King Frederick William of Prussia. However, the latter declined it as he did not want to accept the revolutionary notion of the Assembly offering the crown to him. Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor Prussia, transformed it into a powerful state with the objective of uniting Germanic states under its leadership. He adopted a ‘blood and iron’ policy to achieve the unification. He realised that the unification of Germany was not possible without an armed conflict with Austria and France. He sparked conflict with Austria and France through diplomatic moves. Bismarck opened negotiations with Russia and ensured Russian neutrality in the event of a conflict between Prussia and Austria. Bismarck had to fight three wars to achieve the unification of Germany. Bismarck remarked: Not through speeches and resolutions of majorities will the mighty problems of the age be solved, but by blood and iron. Bismarck