German unification was driven by the Prussian minister-president Otto von Bismarck, who used a series of wars to bring the German states under Prussian leadership. After defeating Austria in 1866, Prussia formed the North German Confederation and excluded Austria from German affairs. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 rallied the southern states to the Prussian side, and the German Empire was proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles in January 1871, with Wilhelm I as emperor. The Treaty of Frankfurt in May 1871 ended the war, and France lost Alsace and much of Lorraine. The new state was a powerful federal empire but left bitter French resentment.
Before and after
- from 20 June 1866 to 12 August 1866Third Italian War of Independence
- 20 July 1866Battle of Lissa
- 28 July 1866Birth of Beatrix Potter
- 12 August 1866Birth of Jacinto Benavente
- from 18 August 1866 to 10 May 1871Unification of Germany
- September 1866Construction of Moscow Conservatory
- 21 September 1866Birth of H. G. Wells
- 12 October 1866Birth of Ramsay MacDonald
- 12 November 1866Birth of Sun Yat-sen
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 1765 to 1783American Revolution
- from 18 June 1812 to 18 February 1815War of 1812
- from 18 March 1871 to 28 May 1871Paris Commune
- from 1885 to 1914Scramble for Africa
- from 25 April 1898 to 11 August 1898Spanish–American War
- from 8 February 1904 to 5 September 1905Russo-Japanese War
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.