Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Bismarck prioritized practical politics, forging alliances with smaller states (Anhalt, Lippe, Waldeck) to isolate Austria.
Prussian victories in the Second Schleswig War (1864) and Austro-Prussian War (1866) demonstrated superiority, encouraging alignment with Prussia.
Favorable trade agreements and inclusion in the Zollverein (customs union) secured economic interests.
Bismarck harnessed the "greater Germany" ideal, swaying public opinion in smaller states.
Convention of Gastein (1865) with Austria and secret treaties with southern German states secured support.
Masterful negotiations played on fears, interests, and ambitions of smaller states.
Combining these tactics with Prussia's military and economic power, Bismarck unified the German states into the German Empire by 1871.