Prussia’s Weird 1865 Geography: Two Disconnected Pieces
In 1865, Prussia looked like a map error: one state, two noncontiguous chunks, separated by other German states. Here’s how it happened.
The Two Prussias
| Part | Location | Key Cities | Notes |
|---|
| East Prussia (main) | Baltic coast, east of Vistula | Königsberg (now Kaliningrad), Memel | Historic Teutonic Order heartland |
| West Prussia (smaller) | South of Baltic, between Pomerania & Posen | Danzig (Gdańsk), Thorn (Toruń) | Gained in 1772 First Partition of Poland |
Why the Gap?
Between them lay Pomerania, Brandenburg, Posen — all Prussian *provinces*, but not part of the *Kingdom of Prussia* proper until later unification. The “Kingdom” was a legal title; the “state” was fragmented.
Historical Roots
- 1772, 1793, 1795: Partitions of Poland gave Prussia West Prussia, Posen, etc.
- 1806–13: Napoleon dismantled Prussia; 1815 Congress of Vienna restored + expanded it.
- 1865: Still pre-North German Confederation (1867) and Empire (1871).
Why It Mattered
The disconnect complicated administration, defense, and national identity. Bismarck’s wars (1864, 1866, 1870) and the 1867 Confederation finally stitched the pieces into a contiguous power base.
Prussia 1865: one crown, two addresses.
Wanderlust World