States of the North German Confederation
| North German Confederation | ||||||||||||||||
| Norddeutscher Bund | ||||||||||||||||
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 The North German Confederation within Europe circa 1870
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 The North German Confederation (red). The southern German states that joined in 1870 to form the German Empire are in orange. Alsace-Lorraine, the territory annexed following the Franco-Prussian War of 1871, is in tan. The red territory in the South marks the original princedom of the House of Hohenzollern, rulers of the Kingdom of Prussia.
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| Capital | Berlin | |||||||||||||||
| Languages | German, Danish, Low German, Czech, Lithuanian, Polish, Sorbian | |||||||||||||||
| Religion |
Majority: Protestant (Lutheran, Reformed, Prussian United)
Minorities:
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| Political structure | Confederation | |||||||||||||||
| President | ||||||||||||||||
| • | 1867–1871 | William I | ||||||||||||||
| Chancellor | ||||||||||||||||
| • | 1867–1871 | Otto von Bismarck | ||||||||||||||
| Legislature | Reichstag | |||||||||||||||
| • | Federal Council | Bundesrat | ||||||||||||||
| Historical era | New Imperialism | |||||||||||||||
| • | Confederation Treaty | 18 August 1866 | ||||||||||||||
| • | Constitution adopted | 16 April 1867 | ||||||||||||||
| • | Franco-Prussian War | 19 July 1870 | ||||||||||||||
| • | Unification of Germany | 18 January 1871 | ||||||||||||||
| Currency | Vereinsthaler | |||||||||||||||
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| Today part of |
 Germany Denmark Belgium Lithuania Poland Czech Republic Russia
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The North German Confederation (German: Norddeutscher Bund) was a confederation of 22 previously independent states of northern Germany, with nearly 30 million inhabitants. It was the first modern German nation state and the basis for the later German Empire (1871–1918), when several south German states such as Bavaria joined.
After several unsuccessful proposals from several sides to reform the German Confederation (founded in 1815), the North German major power Prussia left the German Confederation with some allies. It came to war between those states on one hand and southern states led by Austria on the other. After a quick decision in the Austro-Prussian War of July 1866, Prussia and its allies founded the North German Confederation. At first, it was a military alliance between independent states, the so-called August Alliance (August-Bündnis), but the states already had the intention to form a federation or confederation with a constitution. This was realised in 1867. The North German Confederation is historically important for the economic and judicial unification of Germany; many of its laws were taken over by the German Empire.
The North German Confederation continues as the German nation state which still exists today. On January 1st, 1871, the country received a new constitution that gave it the name 'German Empire'.
In 1815, after the final defeat of Napoleon, the German princes and free cities established the German Confederation as a successor of the former Holy Roman Empire. The sovereignty remained with the individual German states. There were several attempts to create a modern nation state, most prominently in the Revolution of 1848. A major issue in the struggle was the rivalry between Austria, the traditional principal power in Germany, and the ascending Prussia. The Austro-Prussian War of 1866 demonstrated the military superiority of Prussia, led by its ingenious and energetic minister-president Otto von Bismarck.
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Wikipedia