A.) The Situation in 1862 When OTTO VON BISMARCK was appointed chancellor of Prussia by King Wilhelm IV. in 1862, the liberal democratic attempt to unify Germany had failed (1848/49). There was a widespread sentiment among the Germans, especially among the urban and protestant Germans, in favor of unification. Under similar conditions, COUNT CAMILLO CAVOUR had engineered Italy's unification in 1859/60. As in Italy's case, there were a number of obstacles to Germany's unification. Among them were foreign powers' …
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showed last 75 words of 1105 total
…ensuring state control over the army. As long as Bismarck was in charge (1862-1890), his chief of staff HELMUTH VON MOLTKE followed Bismarck. However, under Bismarck's successors the Army developed into a state in a state. When World War I began, military reasoning (crossing Belgium to get into France, SCHLIEFFEN-PLAN) won out over political reasoning. The breach of Belgium's neutrality was the main reason for blaming Germany to bear sole responsibility for World War I.